New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-01
INCIDENTS OF THE WEST.

,vpou THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBIINE.I
CLARE MORRIS, Mayo. March 2O.-As 1 walked
from the hotel in WestpOrt this morning to the
railway station saw a platoon Of constabulary.
carrying rifles, starting out on the GRAND
that they had failed to execute the day
before They were on their way to cross to
serve processes of ejectment There are three sta
lions between Westport and this town. AT the first
and third stations there were crowds of weeping
men and women bidding farewell to friends and
nciehbors who were leaving the country
forever-some for England, others Tor
America Some sixty young men ana
women have left County Mayo within few
DAYS past for the United States There will be
large emigration from the West of Ireland this sea-
son if the people can raise the money to paw theT
passage across the Atlantic. The young peo-
pie, as class, desire TO 90 away
"We're wasting our time here" is common
phrase with them. The struggle against famine ana
the landlords seems so desperate aud so hopeless
that they DESPAIR before they are called to Deglh
life battle At the second station force OF con-
stabulary got into the train. They came on TO the
next station to support the law officers In serving
processes of eiectment. American citizenship ex-
tends its right hand to feed the hungry tenants;
Irisb landlordism clenchoS its fist to drive them
from their homes.
Yet Landlords admit that 1t is the American COM
netition that constitutes the greatest element of
neri to their own futures. 1t has already lowered
the price of stock and of produce so
much that Irish graziers are beginning to
complain that they can no longer COM
pete with it. The great graziers drove out
the small farmers by their hunger for the little
holdings and now the farmers of America threaten
TO ruin them. The more Irish who emigrate the
greater will be the American competition. Time
brings its revenges. Of course in the long run 1T is
-ho Thai tS mn
fall.
To-day is fair day in Glare Morris. AS l looked
ont of my window rising L saw picture
pecnliarly Irish. A stawart strOng-framed woman.
dressed in long blue cloak, and with
bright-colored little shawl. tied across
her head. was driving County Mayo team-two
souealing black and tan pigs tied by the hind legs
with couple of straw ropes! l have seen many
such sights to-day. The streets are crowded with
country folks from three adjoining counties. One
part of the main street is given MP as pig market.
They crunt and squeal by the hundreds. Another
part is sacred TO the sale of doDkeys.
There are more than hundred OF
them there Opposite the hotel there are
held focks Of sheep IL small lots, and further
ND town is the horse fair. The COWS and
calves are in q muddy market square on an
other side OF the little town. Then here
and there are candy stands and cheap John
auctain wagons and booths for the sale of
secondhand clothing. Vegetables are exposed
for sale in donkey CARTS The country people are
dressed in their best to-day. They are mostly of
the well-to-do class. They are tenants who have
something to sell. There are few women who are
barefooted among them. 1t is the mer-
REST day of all the hve-long year
for the rural population round about here. The
elderly women as class, wear white caps on their
heads. with little shawls thrown over them, ana
long blue clOaks. The younger women are mostly
bareheaded, although there is quite sprnkling OF
bonuets among them. They are plainly bot neatly
dressed The old men are out in great numbers,
and they revive the rccoliections of Irish
life as the Irish novelists have pictured it. They
wear stove-pipe" hats. napless and generally
faded: swallow-tailed" frieze coats, sometimes
"trife.gay" with bright brass buttons; their legs
ore clad in coarse corduroy breeches, or trousers
often they sport knee-breeches. with long blue
stockings leggngs sometimes OF the same and
sometimes Of different color from their breeches
They look as if they had come out Of the last cen
fury for holiday.
There is 10 drunkenness. That is not q sign Of
the triumph of temperance in the land of Father
Matthew, but of the poverty of the people; for
when tho times arc good almost everybody drinks,
and at fairs some of the peasantry get drunk.
Claremorris has q population of about 1900
The best building in it is the pOOr-hOuse. Then
there is a church OF two. creditable enough
as edlfces; and little out of town the
Convent Of the Sisters of Mercy. The convent
was the villa once Of a rich landlord, Of
whom tradition talks unkindly. No such fate can
await the present jewellers in it. The head of the
convent "the reverend mother" gave her fortune as
she gives her life to the duty OF teaching the poor
of the district. and she works with sunny
cheerfuIness that makes one fancy that self
ha
There arc seven ofthese sstersand they take charge
of 200 or 800 ragged children who live in the
wretched cabins of the adjoining county, or tue
village back streets. These village cabins
are hardly better than the cabins of the
country. Except that the COW and pig
are missing from the kitchen. the
interiors of these homes tell. the same mournfpl
Tor But things like these, you know, must be
to maintain in all their hereditary grandeur
the glorious institutions of Church ana State that
are the boast aud pride of every true Briton Less
pomp in the court and more pork III the cabin
would satisfy me If were an Irish peasant AT
least, think so.
Idiped with five parish priests the other night.
From strictly secular point OF view I have found
those Irish priests to be right good fellows Large
numbers of them have been educated in France,
and they speak French, Latin and Cache as we'll as
they speak English.
Talking of Gaelic, reminds me that have forgot
ten 20 say that 1t Is quite common III the West OF
Ireland for the priest to deliver a sermon both in
English and in Irish There are still old folks
In the mountains and on the isles who can
talk no language but Gaelic. Even the old people
who do talk English like to hear the Gospel
preached to them in the ancient tongue OF their
forefathers There was quite revival OF interest IN
the old Irish literature few years ago. and
many Of the ancient manuscripts Of the earliest pc
RODS of Irish history were translated. They are
ouite remarkable literary relics, and some OF them
arc Of rare beauty But after all. Goldsmith
10. Of them. It i9 not DV