New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-19


cabins being clad in rags. Mr.. Redpath also
describes the distribution of the scanty relief
that has been provided. and mentions tue
eagerness Of the people for work.
POVERTY IN ITS WORST FORM
A VISIT TO A TOWN IN THE WEST OF IRELAND
THE MISERABLE HOMES OF THE PEOPLE DE-
sCRIBED.
fFpoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTBUNEI
WEsrPoRT County Mayo. March 3.-Right OPP
pasite my hotel across the little walled-lh rNci
stands the Roman Catholic Church of Westport
flanked on either side by modest white dwelilhe
two stories high. In one of those houses i've the
three Catholic curates of the parish. and In the
other the members of the Christian Brothers. Oh
the evening of Saturday was visited by father
Lvnskey. Like his associates, Fathers Coalfeldy
and Beglev. my visitor is young man, earnest
energetic and well educated. Like every Cathohc
priest that have met in Ireland, he was promp' 10
offer every aid that he could render me. NouIu
like to drive out with him tomorrow ana see the
Door of the hamlets of Murrisk, Ihornnll Tor Siur
risk.na-puln. and Klenacoffi OF course l accepted
the offer of a ride with him. Next morning,
after mass. tho good priest called for me !;
and at o o'clock promptly we left Westport
for ThornhilI. We rode in an Irish Jaunting-car
Now. as vehicle for the cultivation of the tender
emotions. the Irish jaunting Car, cannot doubt
since the Irish poets have sung-and they ought
10 know-has unquestiOnable advantages over an
ordinary carriage. The seats las everyone but the
Youngest readers Is ALVAREZ run parallel with the
wheels and conceal them. and the four persons that
the jaunting-car can carry sic IN couples, back TO
back There is a seat for the driver IN the usual
place but rs a matter of fact it is seldom occupied
Two pairs of lovers in an Irish jaunting-car, each
looking at an opposite side of the road, aud espec
ally as there is sufficient space between the seats to
make il safe enough TO talk without beng over
heard are as comfortably situated as so humh.e
conveyance can make them. So the poets are TO be
excused FOL their euloges. But regarded from an
unsentimontai point of view the IRISH jauntng-car
Is not vehicle to be desired by the solitary tourist
To sec as the horse travels, to talk TO person on
the other seat. you have TO look sideways twist
your neck in tie most uncomfortable fashion. II
pretty soon puts an end to conversation. The
jauntng-car is a picturesque thing-like the spin
nng-wheel and ought to be kept side by slde with
tin the Dublin Museum.
H. raIned-it raiueth almost every day here-and
we had a wet and windy Sunday. At first we drove
through the Marquis of 5hgo's domain" or park,
and then into the open country. Never once ont Of
his estate--for he owns every foot OF the Town of
Wcstport. and more than twenty mules around
about it. The citizens of Westpori pay bis Lordshp
yearly a ground rent OF GO, 1000 ior, although he
grants leases Of town lots IN pcrpctuity an AL
nual ground rent exacted. and woe 20 the hapless
tenant VINO shall fail 90 pay IT. Wesfp,t has a
population OF 5000 persons. Every house IN ~ was
Duiit by the people not by the Marquis And yet
40 citizen 81 WcatIoT owns alc ground OF winch
his domicilc now stands.
bleak, mountainous, rocky range Of country,
like the poorest parts of Vermont og the shores Of
Ncw-kugiand seen through a drilling rain, the
thin soaking, black soil OF the ull iOots. ana the
low. mean, matched novels along the roadside,
more than Offset the grand outlines Of the cloudy
ernnence of Croaph Patrick and the splendid view
of the misty island, in Glen bay. In summer. do
not doubt the scenery ia beautiful the tourists
say. Bur looked ns the scene Of au almost hope
less aud ueyer-ceain1 bait for food the landscape
has not that charm that BELONGS to II ughtiully. If
regarded only VIII painters eye.
AtThonhill we halted. There Il n small church
there. 1t Is q plain stone whitcwashel building.
winch can seat about 400 persons. lis interior Is
a. unprctcutious ITS exterior. The walls
bare aud whitewashed. A dozen cheap color,d
hthogIapl- representing scenes In tie li. of Christ.
are It's only ornaments, and excepting within the
railing near the altar. the floor Of tie church is
the bare earth. The yestry il o. humble as the
church M its appointments. The Irish peasant is
seen in lis best condition a. the parish church The
poorest cotcr takes pride IN wearing his best suit
OF clothes at mass. Aud the Sunday ,uit is never
worn on week udNNs fAt'pllut III fllAkT OF ltr-
tive meetings or at fairs or wakes. There were diff
ferent groups of men within the church enclosure.
| went up TO ono Of them and soon thanked the
Lord on the Lords day that bad never run for Of
fee for else the American interest to frlow-citi-
zenize the crowd would have been irresistible For
all the little groups merged into one. and found
myself surrounded by more than 100 men.
They were all "deccntly dressed" MS tho
phrase here is whenever n peasant is not
like the maid .ybo MIXED the COW with
the crumplcd hd~. Their dresses were Of the
plaincsl SUITS coarse, cheap but warm, and they
had been carefully patched wherever they had been
torn. Their clothes were meaner at this their
best, than their cOuntrymcn In America wear every
day. The last Irish meeting attended in America
on Sunday last November, ~ the Sand Lots
in Sau Francisco. whore l heard the ulqnalied
demagOme, Denis Keamcy, and three Others
lrishnen by birth, one of them an unuaturalized
cltZeD, Striving 10 arouse against the American
Government. that has always been a bcneiactor to
the Irish people, the same sentiments OF hatred
that the pcasantfy here feel against the British
Government, that has always oppressed Them !
never expected 10 recall II with satisfaction. But
| remembered il on the shores of Clear Bay with
pleasure; for ] saw around me here a crowd of
men of the same race, the best dressed of whom
would have excited attention there from the pow
erty of his dress, And thcre was none. there of
that aspect % care and want that every face ex-
cept the youngest, bore as its birh-mark.
TnE LANDLOED's LtvY.
These men told mo that they paid from CO to c.
for their little hOldings-or at the rate Of 81 go
an acre They hired their bits of farms from ten
ant of Lord Sligo, who paid - shlIngs an acre for
it, In addition to the of - acre. they paid
ST. G.. for the poor rates and Bronal assessments.
The Grand Jury which, ct IT'S first meeting, constl-
tutes the Baronial Government. has powers aud
duties similar TO those Of County Commission ers in
Massachusetts, They levy assessments for the
maintenance of Baronial roads-and baronies
subdivisions OF a county corresponding 10 counties
III New-England az subdivisions OF the State. For
fuel they used turf; but they were Obliged 10 pay
extra rent for the lots from which they dug their
turf Their lands were so poor that they could not
bear crops without constant manuring. These
faTmers-Or sons of the soil-manure their land with
sea-weed. Sea-weed. | may state for the Denefit-of