Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-09-08
ROYAL BLOOD.
A Lineal Descendant of the Last Irish
King-uis Home, His Library, and How
He Lives.

He Lives.
Edward Mearcie OBrien, lineal
descendant of Brian Boru, the last
King Of Ireland, lives in Saguache
county, Col. He came to the State
during the gold excitement of $50.
Here he rules in the true baronial
style, owning more acres and con-
trolling more wealth than contemp-
lated in the high sounding titles of
all his ancestry.
In 1913 the descendants in Ireland
of old Brian Boru appeared con-
spicuously as members of the Young
Ireland party, which had grown I'M
der the auspices of OConnell. When
the English Government swooped
down upon the disorganized Irish
the rebellion was soon crushed.
Among those captured were the
Briens, Of Munster, now modernized
by the prefix and the addition of
given names which came in vogue
with the reign of their royal ances-
tors William Smith O'Brien was
sentenced to be hanged. Edward
Mearcie O'Brien and another brother
escaped and fled to this country.
When they arrived here they sep
arated. Edward was soon penniless.
During the eleven years that pre-
coded his appearance in the mount
aims of Colorado his fortunes varied
until finally he appeared in Chicago
as a drayman. 1t was about this
time that the news of the discovery
of gold in the Rockies was agitating
the country.
Hastily gathering together what
little he possessed, which amounted
to 5000, he started Westward in COM
pany with two others, as adventurous
and poverty-stricken as himself.
Joining q train of twelve schooners
they accomplished their perilous un-
den taking, arriving at Santa Fe, n.
NJ. in the best of spirits. Accom-
panied by a Southern Ute Indian,
who served as guide and passport
of safety, they reached the north
fork of the Gunnison. Thence they
crossed the Elk Mountains and be,
gan excavating among the gulches OF
what is now Pitkin County. Fortune
favored them, and they soon located
some valuable placer mines.
In few years 0 Brien returned to
the Southern Ute county, where he
had made friends with the natives
He had amassed wealth, and was now
disposed to live leisurely. He had
given up all thoughts of returning to
ireland, and when Chief Ouray, OF
the Utes. suggested that he should
take up the tract of country near him
he readily consented, realizing at
once the advantage to be gained by
the old chiefs friendship. Stock
raising was then unknown to this re.
gion, and in Texas it was in its in
fancy. Taking advantage of his OPP
portunities. he went into tock-rais-
ing as soon as the country began tc
open and succeeded beyond his ex
pectations. He has now eight
ranches, aggregating eighty miles
square, with waterline of 10000
acres.
O'Brien lives his expatriation here
in contentment 1t is beautiful
place. AT his door runs the Rio
Grande del Norte and in the dis
lance towers the Sierra Blanca, al
most $4,000 feet above the sea. The
Rocky Mountains run their irregular
course to the north and south as fan
as the eye can reach, sloping down to
foothills and then sweeping off into
gently undulating country, rich in
buffalo, mesquit and gramma grasses
His home lies in the shaded depths
of an adjacent grove. 1t is such a
building as might be found any
where in the South, only a little
rougher on the outside, perhaps
Like the planter, he lives on the
ground floor, but, unlike the usual
planter, his surroundings are those
of luxury and refinement.
His library is the library OF a
Htterateur, and it is here that he
spends his declining days. Statuary
fill the inches. and cabinets and
furniture smooth out the angles in
the walls. On every hand are paint
ings and engravings, and the brio a.
brac usually to be found in the home
of a recluse is here seen in profu.
sion.
do l expect to return to Europe?
No! l am an American citizen, and
such / shall remain. The only
request l could reasonably ask
at the hands of my country
men would be to see that my life
less bones were laid among those
of my ancestry. That much shall
expect of them when the time comes,
and that time, I think, is not far
distant" Correspondence Phila-