Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-31
lCcpyrighted 1851
Special Correspondents Of The EVENING STAR.
In. noco..,l.c- Il 12s

rock lakes of silence and mystery, tsrns
gloomy and drear, mountains around which
ever fit the gray specters of the mist. and here
and there silent old ruins, lordly modern
castles almost as lone and lifeless, and hut and
cabin with Just enough of the old Irish race left
in them to int nsify the desolation brood
ing upon the countless deserted cabins
whose tenantry are evicted and gone.
As came through this land, once
known as that portion Of Ireland geographic
ally west Of the law, it so happened IN my
trampings that scarcely heard the sound OF
human voice; for confess that the dry side
of some ruin-yaI or the sweet rim of some
stack of fax or oats, when wrapped snugly
in INV blanket and poncho, had more blessed
comfort in ID of nights than sharing even the
glad hospitality of 80 utterly wretched peo-
pie Tramping and camping as tramp had
other returns. Ii brought me q chance ac-
ouaintance, and that happening brought me
70 the little inn where / am housed in Galway.
and that little inn and its owners, John and
File Madigan, are two Irish souls that should
not only prosper in Galway but live in litera-
ture; for. altogether. in all Ireland and the
wide wide world. There's none like 'em save
their two blessed selves!' as Nell Morris, the
Galway fsh-wife, solemnly pledged me over
her bottle Of stout. charged to my humble
reckoning at the coy bar of this wonderful
Madigsn inn.
MORNING IN A SNUG OLD RUIN.
Lettering by weird and romantic Corriblough,
i crossed it at Clenmore, and lingering tool long
in feasting on the marvellous scenes upon its
western shores, was belated in my walk to Gal
way town. Coming into the ancient walled
Oughterard road where the great rows of beech
and sycamores sob and plant in grewsome win
ter threnOdies. the night fell in with me on my
way; and along at the edge of nesting, moss
covered Moycullen I found snug old ruin
where the banked leaves gave a fragrant bed
for the night. When i awoke the sun was shin
ing clear upon a matchless Irish winter day.
The starlings swept through the crisp air joy
ously. The field-fares were never so busy.
wrens hoped in and out of the hedges in timid
elation. Blaekbirds We'd with DAVIS and rocks
in satisfied. tumultuous chattering. And one
true robin sang as if to call from all the bird
life haIInts TO that one spot the tender melodies
of outdoor summer days. And there over the
wall. not three feet from where lay. issued
another song 1t was not one of even flow, but
came in bits and breaks as if some deeper pur-
pose than song let out the bars and slaves in
spite OF, rather than on account of, the weight
Ter immediate impulse:
nYe lsssies and bucks lave of yer sly looks
While / sing Of one Thady O'Brady-
an its fine country this, an fine state I'm
in wild nine months o. the year a toilin' an
scrapin'
While sing of one. Thady O'Brady-
N-m-m- leogh-h-h- E-ham- m-m-O-ho-
Brady! An me toes lookin' fur me soles, an
me hair aiten by rats. an tn ould woman con-
sumin' the pOteens buyin' masses fur me sowl
while I'm wandherin' fur lost. to save the price
of the murdherin' rint-
Who courted Miss Reilly so snug an 80 slyly-
an its so snug an slyly I'm thrampin'
like goat attn trees an air, slapein' agin' the
Law
Determined to make her his lady:
But before he'd begin to commit that great sin
an the CHILDBIRTH put the dog an me afore
can clutch the dure, an the ould woman'n
shame me afore thin with her blisterin'
Aongue-
Which the clsrzy they call matrimony-
the divil take Ireland and thin that's holden
fur it, whin a daycent man finds no labor to
kape the roof above him
H HAT f Ss ss y h 81, wSsa tel 4
an there me fine shutdown (puff!-puffD, veil
burn like Cromwelrs blazes now, an the stew
yen give ms must carry me legs that's failin'
siven days beyant-Howly mother o. Moses
phats that?"
A FELLow-LoDGER.
With my heel had dislodged some rotting
mortar and stones from the crumbling ledge.
upon this Irish song and circumstance; and
from the exclamation fearing that some catas-
trophe had befallen. vaulted the wall coming
down on my feet within the wretched belong
ings of poor, God-fOrsaken Irish harvester"
the most woebegone specimen of humanity I
had ever found in Ireland, pitifully ragged and
foot-sore. yet who, with grand and exalted
bravery. to save a few shillings for his wife and
little ones far over there on the wild Conemara
coast. had traInped and starved from Dublin:
and now. as my unknown fellow-lodger of the
night under the old ruin-wall, was endeayoring
10 get a little filthy food heated over a dead
furze fire he had kindled; still with song and
vail on his hungry lips, Just as the curse of
Irish mlsfortunes blend in every word. thought
or impulse from every lowly Irish heart.
An EvIcTED TENANT.
My new-found friend was not an Irish SUI
ge1seris. He was but one of host of wretched
beings whom Irish landlords have Transformed
mo more than slaves: for slaves as chattels at
least know the comforts of domesticl beasts.
For quarter of a century past the great Irish
landowners of the west have mercilessly
sylcted tenants with a heartlessness and cruelty
no pen can depict. The land is depopulated.
In D-mlie walk You may see from 500 to 200
tenantless holdings, the cabin-roofs fallen in
the bare walls alone standing. as il an angry
army had swept the face of the earth with fire
anu sword A few sheep or a fewer black cat
Ie browse about the spots that once were
LABOR :. loves and hopes. In the great castles
are me retln9es and the guarded agents. The
owners titled or untitled. are on the Riviera.
or erowding parliament corridors in London
seeking more rigorous laws for Ire
knd- And God alone knows where
IA all TINS sad business is such
thing a human heart. But Of nv fr;snd
and his kind? Their families are those too ter
rioly poor TO do else than huddle In hut, and
night Tor very existence itself Eviction de-
POPuiatlon OF great estates. transformation of
countless comfortable holdings into grazing
lands as wild as when the barbaric kings had
,neir helots and herds, have annihilated labor
iNere Is no labor In much of the west of Ire
"a Tor those too poor to live and stay. and in
shom all hope has fed that they NAV ever 60
cape the lifelong horror of their presen, ex;st-
elce- The very dens in which thew ar NJ
United to remain by these lords of the land
!leld an income greater than that secured Inv
many an American money-king This rent
"4eh covers the privilege Of simply remain
Hs, a, 'he agents will. as ''care-taker," in hor
.-ole uiscomiort. and the use OF piece of earth
rom an eighth 10 half an acre in area is the
ehuer hoid these unfortunate people have
lpon the very breath of life in a Cbr;st;sn
land. e Al Snfs'ian
IRISH HARvEsrRRs
10 out OF these generous conditions. fpr-
nlShed by the ruling classes. bave Como ,ron,
100 TO 1000 "Irish harvesters >, ,vh<, -.
.heir wretched homes in early snr;na So
Dublin, Belfast. or some other eas,srr 10y
kor' town. and, after crossing the charnaI
down upon the English and Scotch 49,
usuet-, and there battle with the nst;ra -
i-h! IA savage desperation for share ~ The
g. 'oor rightly wholly the latter's: returnino as
ns1. curse upon curse for the laws that Saye
a9e mem helpless and hopeless in their own
Ashd Ihelr belongings consist of The - IN
Ien backs, with usually pair Of bob-ns;, o1