Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-09-26

Beggars followed us everywhere, and they
were of all classes and ages. At every turn
of the road and from every rock, bare
headed, b~are-lcgged, ragged girls and boys
from 4 years old to II sprang forth and made
for our stage, holding out their hands as they
ran, and saying, penny If you place, sur.
Penny if you place" This refrain they would
keep up for miles, running all the time as
fast as the horses and keeping even with the
stage. If q penny was thrown to them, they
would scramble and fight among themselves
for it and then dart on to beg for more. Some
of the little girls were almost naked, and
none of them had hats, shoes or good clothes.
One l remember, q %strapping, good looking
girl of Is, had upon her rags which left her IN
a state of seminudity, and which looked as
though the breaking of Il thread would leave
her clad q Ia Madam Eve before the fall. She
got about tiI = pennies in a thrce-mile run and
was procuse IN her God bless yous.
One of tho best boggars Of the whole lot
wasa little red-headed boy Of about 10 years
who followed us five miles at least. He was
all rags, but quite pretty, and his bare; feet
kept him up with the stage though his face
was flushed with tho eXertion. Koran along
and sang Irish songs for US, and then asked
us if we would give him n penny if no would
stand on his head. Without waiting for a
reply he dashed ahead of the trottinS four
horse team and after he had gotten about SOC
yards i'll advance he stood on his head and
balanced his bare legs III the air, and so re-
manned with red face while the stage passed,
his almost bursting eyeballs looking into faces
and inquiring as to the result OF his Chief
begging trick. Ho did this a half dozen
times, until l promised him a penny If he
would follow us no longer. He promised. i
threw him the penny, and he turned to run
back when an Australian wag on the front
seat held up another copper, and he broke his
word and put after us again.
At Kcnmarc an able-bodied Irishman OF
40 stood in the street and sung songs, while
the stage stopped, for the few pennies which
were given him. He had u Shillalch in his
hands and danced an Irish dance ut tho end
of each verse. 1t was u humiliating and dc
grading scene and l pitied the man moro
than l laughed at his antics.
At tho Lakes of Killarney the beggars are
legion. They seize hold Of you and will hard
ly let you gv. They meet you at every turn
and by laughing or crying, by importantly
and cheek, coax the cOppers out of your
pocket at every turn. They try to force you
to buy, and swarm about you to such IN ex-
tent that the scenery is hardly worth the
struggle in getting past them.
The same begging l found at Dublin, and
so everywhere in the south of Ireland where
tourists 60. There was less Of it in the north.
ern counties, and off of the lines of travel
scarcely any. Mr.. Robert P. Porter, who
Travelled over the western counties, tells ME
that away from the railroads he found the
people miserably poor but no beggars.
Western and southern Ireland are the
poorest parts. Milk, potatoes and Indian
meal mush, which they call stirabout, is the
staple diet, and meat is seldom seen except on
holy days and Christmas. Northern Protest
ant Ireland is better of, but the huts are
here of the same character and there is much
poverty. A change must take place in this
country soon, but when and how l leave il
for the politicians to say.
FRANK GEORGE CARPENTER