New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-17

addy, IN the County mayo, Whlch ne VIslCeu
in conducting his investigations Of the Irish
famine for TIE TRIBUNE. He gives vivid
glimpse of the restitution Of the Irish
peasantry-all the stronger as he makes no
effort at picturesque description, but gives
rather catalogue OF effects than an artistic
picture.
NOTES OF THE COUNTY MAYO.
LIGHT ON THE CONDITION or THE PFoPLE-HoW
1HE RENTS CAUSE DrsTfTUTION.
fVRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBUER.l
WKsTPoRT March 7.-Thousands of Irish eXiles
in America know Father Thomas O'Malley for
nearly 200 families have left his parish, and for
twentyone years he has been the loved and honored
priest of Islandaddy. Islandaddy Is the name OF q
parish abount twenty miles long. 1t begins mile
from Westport as you ride eastward. 1t had l,sOO
families in it when Father 0Malley was young
man; it has only 600 families now-the rest are
in their graves or in America. Father OMalley
promised me long nde He proposed to take me
to the boundary of his parish. After l had gone
with him two miles begged him TO turn back
again. had seen enough to make me sick. had
entered half dozen cabins and wanted to see no
more.
Ii was market-day in Westport when we started.
Northern-st. was crowded with peasants who had
brought to market their little stores Of greens and
other kitchen stuff The roads were full of country
folks as we went out The women for the most
part were barefoOted. One or two carried their
shoes in their hands. Only half Dozen out of the
scores we met, were dressed in clothes that any
servant girl would wear in New-York These ex-
captions were the wives or daughters of the
farmers who held farms of from ten to twenty
acres Yet they, toO like the wives and daughters
of the small holders" trudged along the muddy
roads afOOt The larger number were middle-agcd
or old women, shabbly dressed. Most OF them
seemed to be hunch-back or ~hnnched-sided.
This apparent maformation was caused by carry
ing baskets of eggs beneath their long cloaks They
had brought them from their little novels miles
away to sell or to exchange for meal. The hens
sometimes feed the family. priest in a neighbor-
ing county told me that one of his parishioners,
widow with five children, bad managed to save ca
from her crop. 1t was due as rent If she paid her
rent, he said she would be left utterly destitutei
and she had no means of earning money until she
raised her little crop next Fall The priest advised
her not to pay her landlord till the Autumn. But,
although the landlord knew her condition, he got
the money from her by threats Of eviction. week
or two afterward tho priest met her one day
looking sad and pinched She carried handker-
chief with something tied up in it. The priest asked
her how she was fqTing. She told him that she had
not had o shilling since she paid her rent, and
that ell she had had TO support her family was the
meal she had got in exchange for the five eggs that
her hens laid daily. She opened the handkerchief
and showed him the eggs that she was going to bar
ter for meal.
The men we met were chiefly old men, and, exc
cepting in the secluded districts of North Carolina
and among the "poor white trash" of the 1ennes-
see River bottom-lands. and in Governor Andy
Johnson's Refugee Home" at Nashville, during
the war, I never saw in America such abiect and
hideous faces. They looked ii they had been
handed down. without alteration. from the cave
period of human history. The vehicles were mostly
doukey-carts. The ass is seen everywhere in the
West of Ireland. 1t is the common beast OF bur
den 1t costs from 50 to 81. 1t carries loads of
turf in hampers, which sells at 90 and 20 cents q
load ; or staggers along under loads of hay that
bring abOnt 60 cents. Tho horses are poor and
small, and the carts clumsy and heavy. Nearly all
the men touched their hats TO the prlcst the Older
women half kneeled, while the younger women
gracefully curtsied.
Father OAIalley is popular with his people. l
noted that when spoke to any of them about him
they mentioned with special pride that he belonged
TO one of the ould families" He has always been
their helper in times of need. He became RESPONSE
Bile last year TO the shopkeepers for many Of his
parlshioners in order that they might get meal
enough to keep them from starving. He had thus
become pecuniarly liable for over 800 pounds ster
ling. The failure of the crops had made them un-
able to meet this debt. Father O'Malley told me
that one of the saddest sights was seen at
his church last Monday. 1t was q terrible
day. The cold wind blew fercely. There was a
storm of halstones. Three hundred persous men and
women, with blue lips. stood there, ont of doors to
get some relief for their hungry families ct home.
1--WE relieved hundred" he said. land two hundred
went away empty handed 1t was heartrending to
see them. Five hundred out of the 600 families In his
parish arc IN want The parish contains about 100
square miles. The people are mostly small land
ROger Palmer Is the principal landowner of the
parish. 1t stretches from near WestpOrt to within
mile Of Naphin, where the famous Archbishop,
John Of Tuam was born.
As Father OMalley told me these facts, We wero
driving through a lovely rolling country, cut up
into Irregular fields by stone walls and bitches.
The fields were mostly of an acre or two acres
in size. In the distance mountains, famous in
Irish history" But, then. every, hill every
dale, every island. every mountain, every
ruined church. every round tower, every
thing every hand. i ySu will only
famous at some period Of Irish history. One peas
ant for example, pointed out the Reek," near
ThOrnhill--it is otherwise called CreoRh Patrick
or Patrick's Hill-and asked me II would like to
go up there with him. looked at the bleak. bald
precipit91s hillIit vas shTogded with chilly mists
aant to 20 there %hy IfS
st. PATRICK &k, used to go up there What fort"
than this 70 60 up. Did be get good view of the
bay, now Cant say, sOr,"' says the, peasant;
fast, and if did, what should 90 up there for |
Deed, you fast enough in the valleys here" Sure
you're right" says ne, for indade we do that" |
STAYED below, and 80 did ne.
swell. Patrick" said Father 0'Maley to o |
young man on the road who was leading pig back |
.iS didn't did 1S the pig ~
enough that | could get for It," There was not |
enough offered to pay the rent, and the pOrker went
back in triumph
Do the farmers OF the West know that they are |
the chief cause-as we used to soy of tho COlored
and hrnthar dnrinn tho thu irnnnant nanan