Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-10
OLD BARRY'S SON.
How the Old Mans Heroic Boy Returned
from the War.

LIZ Was during the civil war, in
1868, that Mr.. Barry Quin came tc
Benton. Where he came from was
never clearly understood. Ny cook
Mrs. OTooley, was of the opinion
that he came from Baltimore
though, as she admitted, sits unbe.
knownst to DO one but meselfn
Ii was soon noised abroad that
Barry had son in the navy, and
that the old man was intensely pa.
triotic. When ways and means
were being considered by the COM
mittee, prior to the holding to that
very successful Benton fair, who
should come to the door and ask to
be admitted moment but Barry
Quin. He made bow to the ladies
and gentlemen, brushed his cap
across his eyes, and said in a husky
voice, I'm a poor man, as ye knew,
but it there's tura in the way o.
listers | can do, me names Barry
Gluin, anime bye's a fightin' or dead
for the blessed country Barry
had charge of the most flourishing
OF oyster stands in tina. fair; and
during the continuance Reporter
Donnelly, of the Benton News drew
scathing parallels between sour pa
triotic adopted citizen and traitors
at home
None would pc at the depot at
any later hour of the night or any
earlier hour of the morning than
Barry, to Justify cheer onward a
passing regiment to the front. The
oyster broths for the small hospital
at Camp Holden, reporter Donnely
discovered, were also furnished bv
sour patriotic adopted Citizen and
if a passing crippled soldier was
banqueted by the same the ubiqui.
tous reporter never failed to dis
cover and publish the fact. It was
slyly suggested that our reporter
was on the free list at the banquet
ing ball, and if he was not he GER
tainly deserved to be.
A not unpleasant genre picture old
Barry made, standing behind the
car counter, in the uncertain light
of pair of smoky coal oil lamp s,
with his stout figure neatly sproned
up TO bis hale, bluff face, and rim
of siloer gray hair showing from
under an ancient-looking cloth cap
that he wore the year round.
Barry's car was ever cleaning in
great red white and blue stripes,
and be never failed TO turn any con-
versation his patrons held with him,
if possible, to the battles his son had
been through, though the names of
but few could he remember,
'Moind ye, me Barry whit in the
rale war times an in one o. those
murtherin' battles, afthor he kilt tin
o. the inimies wild lis own hand,
didn't he load and fire the big gun
all wild heself for the loike o. two
hours an niver sup O. wather to
drink? Faith, me Barry was a
Jewell
You may rightly infer that such
heroic actions did not pass without
official recognition, as witness the
words of the High Royal Admiral:'
yes broth of bye, Barry Quin,
indade ye are, en- it's meself that'll
see you're promoted
Such fine lad, of course, was not
offered up upon the altar of his
country without struggle of the
parental heart. Old Barry would
explain That after his mothers
death young Barry seemed very
lonely, aud constantly reading and
talking of the war, and finally, one
day, expressed wish to enter the
navy. Naturally though. patriotic
as he was, the father endeavored to
persuade the young man to relin-
quish the idea.
We'll. do ye.know that same bles
sed night me Barry says Good
night, dad an kapes a shakin' me
two hands as l would me brother
Dan'Ps, who's whit back to the ovid
country these ten years. Thinks |
to meself, what quare tricks the
bye up TOP but / rubbed me nose
as me way Is when bothered, an
says not word. By, the powers
the MKT morning me Barry's gone,
lawn the sweetest bit O. a letther as
liver your two eyes saw, barrin' it
was all covered wild tears. He whit
for the navy, an, by coors, he kaps
writin' as nate as print, an q sin
din his money wild regularity for
the loike o. a year. Aud didn't he
send his ovid father a picthure
lookin' as dacint an foine wild his
sword as all the quality o. the land
'Ah, then, Your son won his pro-
motion, did he, Barry?'
sYour'ro right? Troth it's not
loikely lad o. his parts would be
kapin' below any man; not at all,
sure. Bat it's me moind this same
prowmotion's came betweenst me
an me nights rest, these years, for
haven's heard from him since.'
About this point old Barry's tears
would get the best of him, and he
would rock himself, rubbing his
eyes with his oyster apron. to the
great risk of binding himself from
bits of shells.
Not a few OF the oysterman's pat
rons were moved by his grief to try
and discover some traces of me
Barry But as the old man had
been burned out before coming to
Benton, and all his boys letters de-
stroyed, and, as he also said, be
never knew where the enlistment
had been made, there was not much
clue to work upon, particularly as
not less than eight Barry Quins, by
the records at Washington, fought
for their pay on the rolling deep.
For blocks aroupd the oyster car
there was not lady or gentleman,
to say nothing of their cooks and
other help but who had heard old
Barry's story once, at least. All
pitied the old man most sincerely,
and invented many more or less i'm
probable stories to explain the dear
boys prolracted absence. Rival
oystermen made desperate aad re-.
peated sttempts to divide his oyster
and fish business in the neighbor.
ho0d lint withouf tha nnaeraree