Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-07-15
IN EXILE.
Irish Royalty NsstIsd Among tho
( Western Mountains ln Lux.
ury and Wealth.
Driven from ireland He Finds Con.
soiatiou md Peace Among
the Rockies.
Romantic Career Of Edward Near
cIe 0'BrIsa, tAs Dssesad.
ant Of an lrish King

0'Brien, lineal descendant H Brian Boru,
the last king OF Ireland, lives In SagV.chs
county. He Is one OF Coloradcs earliest
settlers, who came to the State during the
gold excitement Of SO. Here he rules In
the true baronial style, owning more acres
and controlling more wealth than oontsm.
plated In the high sounding titles Of oil his
ancestry. The story Of his life, as told By
him, is extremely entertaining.
In 1913 the descendants In Ireland Of old
Brian Boru appeared consrieuously -
members Of the iouss Ireland party, which
had grown under the auspices Of . Connsll.
When the English government swooned
down upon the
DiserganireA Rrisk
the rebellion was soon cyushed. Among
those captured were the Bviens, Of Nun.
ster, now modsrniIed by tAe pretis and ths
addition OF given names which came In
vogue with the reign OF their royal ances.
tors. VIM. Smith ~ Brien was sentenced
to be hanged Edward Mesrcie 0Bricn
was another brother escaped aud He'd TO
this country.
When they arrived here they separated.
Edward was soon penniless. Hccould have
found friends among his own people, but
he preferred 10 remain unknown, as the
Government at home had placed price
spon his head. lie was . young man of
good appearance. OF more than ordinary
intelligence, but could get no position
hshttiug his training, and, in order tn
aver. starvation. he went To boating on the
Hudson. During the eleven years that
preceded his appearance In these mount
aims his fortunes varied, until finally he
appeared In Chicago rs n drayman. lt Was
nuuut this time that the news OF the dis.
covsry OF gold in the Rockies was
Axnastax shs Coantry.
Hlstily gathering together what little he
rossessed, which amounted TO t20D, he
siartrd Westward in company with two
others, rs adventurous aud poverty strick
IN ~ himself The Cheyennes, Arrapa.
hoes and Comanches were then in undis
putea possession OF the plains. Massacrrs
were OF frequent Occurrences, and journey
over - wildly travelled o country ~ the
Santa Fe trail was beset With danger. Join.
ing a train Of twelve schooners they sc-
com mpiished their perilous undertaking, a.
riyinR at Santa Fe in the best OF spifis.
Without delay they passed on to tho Rio
Grande, and. following tnat ryer, were
soon in the Ute country, where, from Chisf
Ouray, they learned that the gold-beartnE
puiches were further on In the country of
the Uncom pabcres. Accompanied BY .
Southern Ute. who served ~ guide and Q
passport OF safety. they reached the north
fork OF the Gunnison. Thence they crossed
the Elk mountains and
BsgRs ExcnSattsG
among the gulches Of what Is now Pitkin
county. Fortune favored them. and they
soon located some valuable placer mines.
In few years UBrien returned 10 the
Southern tie country, where be had made
friends with the natives. lie had amsssed
wealth and was now disposed To live lei.
surely. He had given up all thoughts of
returning to Ireland, and when Ouray suG.
gusted be should take up the tract Of
country near him, he readily consented,
realizing at onos the advantage to be gained
by the Old Chiefs friendship. Stock rails.
ing was then unknown In this region, and
in Texas IL was in It's infancy. lie located
the tracts. and held them for future he
was sure 10 come. Taking advantage of his
opportunities, he went into stock.raising
as soon rs the country began 10 open and
succeede beyond his expectations lie has
now eight ranches, aggregatng eisbty
N lies square, with . water line oil SoVO
acres.
O'Brien lives his repatriation here ID
conteptment II Is q beautiful place. AZ
and in the distance towers the Slsrra Blan.
ca. almost 1900 feet above ths sea. The
Rocky Mountains run their irregular course
| TO the North and South - far ~ ths eye
can reach, slopipg down 70 foothills and
then sweeping Of into gently undulaunS
country, rich IN buffalo, mesquit and gram.
ma .rseses. His home lies In the shaded
depths Of an adjacent grove. II u such Q
building ~ might be iound anywhere IN
nj
outside, perhaps Like the planter, be
,yGs OF, the yround floor. but, unlike the
G,uAi planter. his surroundings are those of
iuNury and refinement.
his Library
~ tie library ol . Mte,ateuT, and IL b here
his, Lc t,snGs his declining days btsiu
p, flI ihe inches, and cabinets and furni'
iur. smooth out the angles In the ssils.
on every hand are painting and snsrsv.
trg.. and the brio s.krsc usually - Be
found in the home Of . Literary rselose u
fore him are ihs works OF Diwssli. Just ss.
rived from the East, end Of his rtkht he0a
| il Stephens "RevisHsn Rsyiewsd," Whicii
bears upon the title. Dags the autograph ol
the dead commonen Btsphens nd " bhsu
were warm friends. Mutual political sym.
pstbies bsd sometl,iag 70 do wkh this, and
ihe friendship tsat grew thsrsffom -
msined deep and sincere, - was on1y
broken by the dssth Of the 0soseis ssssss
msn.
II wss while making this Trip that y
stopped in Georgia, and, - o Husa1 de
,cendsnt OF tbs King q nu nstsF, wn On
tertsined royslly By the vtcs Prestdsot Q
fo,e.t t%u ,t that ssi." ssid 0Bsisn. "As -
BOB Toomis we're closstsd togsthsr consult
ing over uis
1rsaAlsl Ceo1itSsa
Of the co'istry, wbes my srrivsl vss o
nouncsd Toombs soon LETT and wc
usbsssd into the psessuos of . msn sDel
in statp re and hall buried In the pspsss VI
tered about him. While sitting thsrs
studie A intsntly The face bsiocs n
II yfas Q face I hsd seea s,r
where, possibly In the galleries
Eur opS. There were no week Iieee q
his eysry lineament w. rehsx ot bnes
| lee sual Strength. Wbsa hs 6nishDd pSeui
inf the lsttsn bad given hiA b extsn1s
. ssoopd cordial gyestinG sed eroo W
uiemsnt - ths dag lslt hs nppelnol
'bsusht sssmsd 70 b ny sojcynsss -
personal comfoyk
| "Do / sIpoct b return 70 Europsf ~
I am an Amsrios eitisss, and Sueh IsA6
remain. II. ecly r.ao.a could ssesss
abiy ask q ths hanA6 q ny econtsyne
would b - - ~ ~ lllsls0 eoess -
laid snong tboss 81 ~ soceesy ~
mneh shaN sxpeet g th00 vhoo 0et,o
cones, and thAt uns. thisk - - q