The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-01
IN A TURF REX.
The Experience Of an English Officer in
Ireland.
1.-THE Irish are a fine raeei"

1.-THE Irish are a fine racer
That's your opinion. is III"
The speakers were myself and Ellerslie,
captain In the Royal Engineers, or tho sap
pets," an we called them In popular phrase
oIogy. Place. the smoking room of tho r. A.
mess at Woolwich. Time. anywhere In the
small hours. When | say that of tho above
sentences the first was spoken by mo- / shall
he In q position to plunge at once IN medias
res.
After utterlnR the above oracuar answer
Ellerslie pntfad away silently at his long
Havana for awhile. did not interrupt him,
for saw o twinkle In his eye. and knew there
was something coming presently. He was
one Of those men whose thoughts it il not
we'll to hurry, for fear of losing their thread
altogether.
At last 1t came as anticipated.
III don't think ever told you, did /, Of my
adventures In that lovely country In fact
the story T. 80 much against myself that I
thought 1t just as we'll to keep It dark How
ever. II you will swear solemDty to be silent
"A the grave | don't mind telling you now
At oil events. 1t is not q bad joke as 1t turned
out. though 1t might have been serious
enc"
OF course l promised inviolable secrecy,
however good the story might be, and, hay
Ing fortified myself with d brandy -and soda.
Eierslie began:
II Caresay you know that In the spring of
1877 vas sent to Ireland on sl,ecial service TO
ste about building new barracks In two or
fsasee places where they were needed, especial
iy at Longford. whera the government had at
that time I'll idea Of qnaItr,tn9 whole cav
airy regiment, though now believe they have
coue down to ono troop of Seots GrAys. |
was rather pleased with the commissions for
had never been t. the Emerald Isle before.
and saw my way 70 pleasant little excur-
sitm ut government expense. or course. as
all my disbursemsutstn route wereto be paid
For me by the librraty vi ny country, chose
the most convenient way of getting 10 my
destination, and Travelled, via E,lston and
H0iyhead, by the night mail, the Wild Irish
matl. believe they call it,
I'VE left E,.to at 25 y. m. didn't feel
much inclined To sleep ana you know ] am n
great smoker. 80 TUNED intoa compartment
sacred to the consumption Ut the soothing
weed. There was only one other occupant
besides myself, 4 man Of about forty well
dressed, hut not to my mind a gentleman
Indeed, at frat sight put him down to be
what he was. n WELT i-,iO Irish farmer re
turning FROM business trip to town, and in
dulRtnG himself in the unwonted luxury of a
flrstr class carriage.
"Whatever other faults those Irish have,
they are certainly most friendly race. BY
The time we got TO Rugby l had told my
for seeing hls native country, ana found that
he rejoiced In the name Of Cormack and
lived In the County of Westmeath. not far
from the Longiord boundary. Before we
reached Chester we were sworn friends and
by the time we arrived at Holyhead had
promised to pay him Il visit during my stay
In his part OF the country. = his visit 1t was
which gave me such u taste OF Irish customs
NJ could very well have disp Dsed with.
mot to delay too long, shall pass over
all the Incidents OF my first fortnight or SO
I'm the Emerald Isle, they being no doubt ex-
actly what any one else would have expe-
rSenced under like circumstances. At length
reached IonKtord, got through my work
there, and determined u call on my now
made friend for which purpose took train
TO a little station called Eignworlhs and
there obtained All outside car with lean
horse and u very ragged driver, who under
took for the sum OF eighteen pence per double
mile tlrish) to convey me to my destinations
Al to the name Of the said destination. dare
not venture nit. II began with the usual
sBaily,' ended, think. with " and had I
fancy, about four syllAblts between, Of d ma
tufe utterly unpronouneahle to Ebglish lips
Suffice 1t to say that VIZ got there at length.
and pulled up at the door W Il very respect
able slated farm house, with thatehed out
buildings and q well keptgrass field. on which
two or three young colts were feeding. OF
Dlimness iof limb and beauty of make that
proclaimed their owner racing man.
The said owner met mo at the door with
III GHuSINe welcome, anu ASkeu NE INTO n
Well-furnished parlor the taste of whose or
laments eontIasted favorably with what !
should have expected iii the house Of an En-
Hlish farmer OF thesame rank. Presently the
mistress Of the house and q pretty, fresh
looking daughter entered and shook hands
with me with native politeness. expressed
q wish to see the farm, and Cormack readily
offered to show Ii to me. ii at, however. say
Ing 4 lew words In u low tone to to his wife,
who went out or the room. A few moments
after heard wheels driving away outside.
"sOnly the car. yer Honor. said Cormack
In answer To my iopk OF inquiry i made frte
10 send 1t away for We, It's with us Yell be
etopping now, plase God
1T WAS true enough My faithless Jehu
having been paid In advances by me had been
only too reauy to depart. and unless chose
10 walk back to Edgewotthstown,w which did
not feel inclined 70 do. / was oal ntents and
purposes "A fixture AT first was inclined t.
DO annoyed, but the exquisite naiveness OF
the whole proceeding amused me-, and | was
really tlattered by the soiicitude OF my
would. be hest: SO. att.r a few half remon-
sGtrances, | was Induced to write telegram
for my baggage, which Curmack contided TO
d young imp WAC appeared to be doing odd
ioke about the place. b,udjng him run over to
the postoflice and give II TO Mister Moran
himself and tell him is immadiatr.'"
81 stayed some little time ut the Cormacks's
seeing the country In company with my
host and forming my ideas u Irish political
economy as II is and rs II should be, which.
being rather no hy Of mine, won't now
trouble you with. There was gentleman's
fomily living In the neighborhood, which