Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-18
ExILES FROM ERIN.
Sixty Nine Evietsd Farmers Land
at Philadelphia.
THEIR PITlABLE CONDITION DESCRIBED
Pat COunaIly, Who was Bound for Bel
laire, Ohio"-future Invoices to Fol-
iow-Yesterday's Doings
in England.


Indiana, which has just arrived from LiV-
erpool, brings sixty.fve eyictd farmers from
counties Mayo and Galway, who board
ed the steamer at Queenstown, driven
from their homes by usurious landlords,
and who came tor this country manly
through the charity of one OF the funds
that has been raised in England for the pur-
pose of relieving cases of distress growing
out of the land troubles. When the steamer
reached the docks the immigrants were
found huddled fn groups on the forward
part of the deck. They presented
PitiabIe Picture OF Distress,
and most of them carried their worlds ef-
fects in a sack or bundle. There were many
children with the party. The health OF the
immigrants had been good during the voy-
age, the physician sale, after the first attacks
OF sea sickness had passed away. Nearly all
of the steerage passengers were Yaccinstea
at sea.
On the vessel was Rev. Bernard Skelly
from Galway, who was sent out 10 tnls
country by the archbishop OF Taum 10 raise
money for the relief OF the prevailing DIS
tress in Ireland. He was accompanied by
Brother Francis, a young friar, who knew
the districts from which these people come.
Rev. Father Skelly said:
That these are genuine cases OF distress
needs no word from anybody to prove.
Their condition tells their story.
They Chieny Belong
TO the class of small lenantry, who sublet
from others and sub-divide thelI small bits
of ground TO the most attenuated limit.
The eIand in both the counties they come
from is as worthless ami meagre in its fer
tility as any on the lace Of the globe.
What is not rocky is mostly barren bog.
The soil that collects between the rocks
and in the gulies of the hillsides is the
best that is to be found. OF these people
he is large farmer who plants three hun
dred weight of corn when the season is
bad. If this neagre supply fails they
have TO rely almost exclusively on fish for
food. In most cases if they lived on the
land rent free they would be liableto be
Brought TO The Verge OF Starvation,
but when they have to pay rent in addi'
zion there is no hope"
Among these people" explained
Brother Francis, lone OF the chief Difficult
ties seem to be early marriage, for as the
sons grow up, the small plot Of land which
the father works is divided among them
In this way few generations cut the
a few hundred square yards is all that a
family has to live off"
Rev. Father Skelly explained that the
emigrants had been under the auspices oi
the society pasronized by the Duchess o
MARLBOROUGH, who originally gave $1,000
| TO which size has recently added as much
! more. This party, the brother said. TaS
assisted by this fund, but TO what an ex
tent he did not know.
With their boxes and bundles
The Wr. tched Creatures FlOcked Over
the Side
as soon as the gangplank was put in posi-
| tion. The customs officers ranged them
selves along the dock to have their baggage
examined and passed, In one place grouE
of women with several children squatteC
Contentedly on the dirty wharf with eye:
and mouths wide open at the strange sight
| of the new world. They were clad in gar
ments of all cuts and colors, though the
| prevailing hue Was dull dirty brown
| The clothes of many were ragged, and they
| apparently had seen neither soap nor water
| during the passage
Seated on a box together were two lads
who looked as though they might have
stepped out OF a
Page of a Comic Almanac.
| One of them had bit of q round ha
perched upon the top Of his head. A
| fringe of hair ornamented his face, which
! looked like full moon, Ia his mouth
was stuck dudheen, which he sucked ner
vously, blowing clouds of smoke TO hide
| his evident embarrassment.
"Me nsme is Pat Connolly" said he. u
am from county Galway. l had a bit o.
| land and raised few praties, and had one
| little runt of a COW. / lived near the shore
| and used to go out on the wather and fish
bit with the other lads. The rains and
cold weather rotted all the praties. NJ
rint fell due, and the auld COW had to b(
| sold. Thin lost heart and took sick whir
| was tould that
The Agency Would Send Me over.
was only too glad 10 come. am goin.
too BellaIre, Ohio. lis is me chum, Ton
Goyner, sir; mebbe he can tell YOU bit ot
| a story"
Well sir. I'm from Counemara," sait
| Thomas, and worked for q small farmer
Whin the crops failed had to go down tc
Gslway 10 see if l could find imploy
| ment to keep mesif from starving
Thin fell in wild the agent, who ofIereC
me passage to Amerky, and here | am
and tlat's all OF me story, excipt am 20
| ing to Pittsnurg.'
AT the office of Peter Wright & Sons il
was learned that this is the first install
ment of evicted Irish sent to Philadelphia
They were sent by the local government,
| board at Dublin, OF which Major Gaskell /:
agent. Just what proportion of the pas
| sage money of these poor creature is paiC
| by the British government is uncer
| tain. but it was thought to bt
about one.tnird, beside small
amount Of cash on landing, so that they
Cannot be Ciassod rs Paupers.
OF this lot, no two seem to be going to the
same destination, and inside of a week
| they will be scattered all over the country
from Maine TO Texas. The Canadian gov
| eminent used to offer bounty of S. pei
! head for immigrants who were farmers ol
! mechanics, but the circumstances upde,
which these unfortunates come are entirely '
| different. The people were starving where
they we're. The government, as a measure
OF economy, assists in shipping them tc
the United States 10 get them Off theil
hands. 1t is suspected that at the same
| time they take pains to ship the mos
troublesome fellows, who would be apt tC
"a a. -,