The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-25

doors and window SASH and these are often
brass or iron; the floors are stone, slate or tile
on the first Stories stair steps are stone or iron,
and everything is built to last eternally. There
three things that mark this city; its soldity,
the poverty of the people. and the beauty of its
surroundings. As far as the eye can reach every
available spot is most carefully cultivated; the
land is marked off in small fields by fences of
stone that are overgrown with English ivy, the
same that cultivate with such care In our
homes: banks of soil are put on top or these walls
and this is planted with hawthorn (which was
in wealth of white bloom) or other shrub. 1t
is not unusual that roses, geraniums and the
more choice flowers are culled to adorn these
walls. furze, wild shrub, loaded with yellow
bloom, grows upon these fences, all of which are
carefully trimmed. making the farming about
the city, as find it elsewhere in
Ireland, as beautiful to look upon
as landscape. gardening. The population
of Cork county is about twenty Roman Catholics
to one Protestant Although the subject of
home rule is the very great excitement, as the
vote is about to take place in Parliament there
is no rioting or disturbance among the populace.
A business man said to me: why, we must
have home rule. We want to make certain
strict improvements and We cannot do it unless
we raise about 100000 to lobby the privilege
through the English Parliament; and this is the
way our hands are tied in all local matters, and
nothing but a Corruption fund will allow Us con-
sheraton" Every facility was given me to see
the city in its best and worst features / at
tended services at the great cathedral of Saints
Patrick and Paul, also at St Finn Bars, and
had not been informed that one was Roman
Catholic and the other Protestant, should not
have been able to have told the difference, so
alike are the formslities of their services The
services are conducted in q sing-song, mum
bling chant, unintelligible to one unac-
customed to hearing this sort of mum
merry. ! concluded that rioting to hold
the balance of power between the two
faiths was unnecessary as it was senseless until
they could show greater differences in their wor-
ship. Rows of old, married, blind haggard
men and women, little and big children, all rag
ged, barefooted bareheaded, dirty and polite,
line the streets to the very doors of the church,
holding out their hands for pittance, which is
always received with gracious GOD bless
yer. and may yer return to Americky safe,
sweet lady," etc. In no place could get where
even the child would fail to recognize my
nationality and have blessing for me as pass
by, matter whether dropped the penny or
no. In no instance have | seen rudeneSs IN this
class towards those who did not give to them.
One quarter of the Roman Catholic Cathedral is
set apart. by iron gates, locked with heavy
chains, for the worship of meIdicants; about
one-haf of this space is seated and only those
who can pay one penny per week are permitted
to take seats; those who cannot raise this
amount sit or kneel upon the bare
stone floor, which, in all these edifces,
is damp, cold and clammy, like the
atmosphere within these vaulted aisles which
the rays of the sun can never penetrate With
the stone monuments of dead men frownlng
down upon you from the outer walls, these men
dicants, this damp, cold atmosphere, it is GER
tainly place which suggests preparation Tor
heaven, or-an escape out in Gods fresh air and
sunlight. 1t is an abiding faith that can bring
people like those to believe that God is just and
merciful / asked permission which was GA
ciously granted, to talk with these people after
services were over. / asked, ''Why are ycu all
poor and destitute and so many of you, tooi'
Almost in one voice they exclaimed. There is
no work for u.s." Some said, Had | not friends
in Ameriky should have been dead or in the
work house (poor house) long ago"
A careful study of faces in this group shows
but few hardened countenances; not viciouspess,
but hunger, has made the sad traceries of
misery and woe so palpable to those who
want to see While many OF this class
are so from choice. making begging
profession, there is original cause for this
vast poverty that is worthy of investigation. Ii
the poor would keep off the streets the traveller
would conclude that the Cork citizens were all
fairly comfortable, for drive where you may,
there cannot be found tumble-dowp, rickety
building. The stone walls once erected are so
substantial that they do not totrer or fall, but
enter the doors that lead into the back courts or
lanes. as the alleys are called, and there we find
the myriads swarming in their poverty. ask
them If may enter and see their homes; l tell
them / am from America, and | want to talk
sounds in chorus from every throat, and all
questions are courteously answered, and my
hand is grasped and not unusually kissed as |
withdraw, with "God bless yer" sounding after
ME. all because I am from America. 1 would
gladly draw the curtain and shut out from the
gaze of my readers the sight of these shomes,"
and were it not for the vastness of this
want would do SO. One description will suffice
for all Imagine single room, about three
yards square in a back alley, the house lighted
by small window, mother earth for floor,
box for a table. sometimes bundle of rags and
sometimes straw in enc corner of the room for
bed sometimes chairs, or excuses for the same,
and sometimes not, with a CRATE in the wall in
which smolder few blocks of peat, curley-
headed children swarming like flies and you have
the early typical home of our future alderman.
They all declare their want of work, and was
informed by leading business men that there
work for these people. A day laborer
thinks himself most fortunate if he can earn two
shlllings fifty cents) per day, and to have these
wages the year round would be unheard-of COM
fort. The scarcity of money among the masses
causes cheap goods, and few of them fill the coun-
tiers of the shops. All declare business greatly
depressed, and later on / divine what appears to
my mind to be primal cause.
Of my visit to Bantry, / will tell in my next
letter. HELEN NJ COUGAR.
Illstarred.
Oh, prayers and sympathetic tears
For each and every illstarred knight,