Morning journal and courier., 1885-02-10
IRISH BOHE1IIANIsM.
Wandering Minstrels Whe Travel
 From Hamlet to Hamlet.


 From Hamlet to Hamlet.
 Thomas E. Flynn in San Francisco Chronicle ]
 The Bohemian class in Ireland is, in pro- portion to the population, very large, and the shifts of the members to ele out live lihood very amusing. The doings and shout ings of the wandering minstrel are never ending sources of amusement to visitor from lands where the terrible hand-organist is monarch of all sidewalk he can survey. Tie barrel-organ is, happily, not an estab- tablished favorite in Ireland, though in my wanderings through the green isle I have seen several thrifty Savo-yards endeavoring to attune the native ear to it's discord. Their efforts seemed to me to be misdirected and unproftable, for while the olive-hued for eigners could never attract more than list less dozen of small boys and the village buff foon, the visit of native piper invariably received an ovation.
 Th., cloak of the great Carolan, who lives deathless in the Irish minstrelsy, would smother the modern piper, who is but vag- abond trudging from hamlet to hamlet in quest of the few-coppers that keep him from the drudgery of breaking stones by the road side, or eating the degrading bread of idle ness in an almshouse. He is generally ac- companied by dancing girl, who makes a lavish display of her accomplishments, and literally speaking, dances all over hamlet in half an hour and through town in af- ternoon
 The leading hotel casts 8 copper to the danseuse, or some swell standing on the DOT tico may raise her days earnings to magnif- cent proportions by the contribution of a threepenny bit (six cents) or sixpence (twelve cents) Such an act of generosity He for t,1no md and a solo of unusually patriotic character, regardless of the feelings of the object of the serenade, who is generally the reverse of patriotic. The leading grocer always casts his mite to the wandering bard, as does the leading dra- per and the village doctor. This list of no tables exhausted, the minstrel and his ballet have to look for remuneration to the desuto- " halfpence of plebeian lovers of music The distance covered by one of these wandering pipers in week is prodigious.
 A far more common type of wandering bard in Ireland is the street ballad singer. Of this genus there are many varieties, which one soon learns to classify. They all repay observation Few of them have the slight est pretensions to vocal ability, and the sub ject matter is marked by sameness that makes their inability more apparent. The majority of them are merely beggars mas querading in the garb of troubadours. Ol this class there two varieties, the profes sional mendicant and the amateur unfortu- nate.
 The wandering minstrel is prime favorite and wins large and appreciative audience the moment his untamed baritone voice is heard on the boundary line of the village. He never pauses, but sings himself and his partner right through the town, disdainine to stop and solicit aims, like the bards of in ferior merit who cannot keep art and mendi eancy separate He is generally deep-chest ed, strong -limbed fellow, who could guide { blow or plane with great advantage to az riculture and trade, but he is too indepen dent to bind himself to the despised tasks that bring only pittance without distinc tion. The pittance, with perfect indepen dence and public appreciation as man ot
 talent, are more to his liking. His songs arc study, and, I think, are generally writer
 by himself, for it would hardly pay anyone
 else to string such compositions together All of his eHusions are permeated by strong patriotic feeling-a rebellious sentiment aI English stipendiary magistrate would call it His favorite theme is the departure of som' distressed exile to America, where the wan dering son of Erin becomes more rebelliou than ever and louder in his denunciations O British misrule.
 A very different type of the wandering bard is the song-and-dance man you may SCI dancing breakdown" on as fine a macad amized road could find in the world At the end of every verse of his song h. twirls his shillalah and then proceeds witt his iron-bound brogans to knock sparks ou of the macadam. In this pursuit of voca and terpsichorean art he performs six time as much real physical labor the hardes worked farm hand in the country, but tha fact never directs his am mbition to honest toll He is a constitutional idler in the commer cia1 sense of the term and probably come by his proclivities legitimately from line o ancestors who had not drudged in one hun dred years. In Ireland caste does es mucl to making a man vagabond as gentleman or coachman. The itinerant song-and dance artist in Ireland enjoys only g mode rate share of popularity. He is considerabl above the grade of the old family balla singers, but incalculably inferior to the wan dering piper as drawing star. The song 1 and-dance stalwart generally unites- som other calling to his profession and thus man ages to maintain the position of man o ! family for it is an irretrievable disgrace t ] be without helpmate and flock of chil l dren in Ireland.
 l Another type of ballad singer in Ireland ! and one who differs in most respects iron | all those that have described, is the profes sional vocalist who relies solely on his merit for living He also is family man an his wife is generally a songstress of som l capacity.