The Irish standard., 1888-09-01

advance Of Marlborough. He lost, be
sides one OF his ablest officers, severa
thousand men, and when he flnall.
entered the place he found that the peo
pie had evacuated it as we'll as the sold
. iers, taking with them all their valu
ables, as we'll as everything that couit
be of any possible use to himself or hi
men. .
Our driver, Dennis Henaess3, gave
me great many historical facts in re-
lation to Cork. Among other 5hings be
told me that the city was originally
built around the college OF st. Fin Barre
which was finished in the year 622; that
it grew very rapidly until it attracted
the attencion Of the northern barbar-
ians, principally the Danes, who, after
pillaging the town, burned it to the
ground in s21. They We're driven out
Of the country, but returned two cen
turies later and again destroyed the
place. This time, however, they re-
manned, and the Cork of to-day was
founded by them.
| OF course I haven't got a word to say
against the Danes personally, but Den
mis- Hennessy pronounced them the
! most coldblooded people on the face Of
the earth. MY experience with them
| rather leads me to believe that there is
a grain of truth, perhaps, in Hennessy's
statement.
| Notwithstanding the garrulousness
Of Dennis he kept his mare going at a
pretty fair rate, and pointed out the
principal buildings and places of busi-
ness as we passed them. The quays of
Cork, alongside of which the lighter
shipping receive and discharge their
cargoes, aro built of cut limestone.
There is a south and north branch to
the River Lee here, and in this respect
the city is cut into divisions somewhat
similar to Chicago.
At that point where the river divides
to the north and south is the custom
house, a large but not very handsome
structure, which commands view Of
the stream in all directions. The quays
of the south and north branches are
lined with pretty, subsian iallooking
business houses, mostly occupied by
brokers. commission men, dealers in
grain. produce, and imported goods.
Cork has four very handsome streets
st. Patrick street, the Grand Parade.
South Mall, and Great George street.
st. Patrick street ls the leading retail
thoroughfare, and here we find the
fashionable drYgoods stores, With their
handsome plateglass fronts and ele-
gan5ly trimmed windows, with carriages
| waiting in front for the most artistic
customers, with women entertaining
and leaving. empty handed or carrying
bundles-just precisely as YOU can see
them in any considerable town or city
in the United States.
And Cork has her merchant princes
as we'll as Chicago, two Of whom
Francis Wise and William Crawford
only short lime age subscribed GS0, ,0o0
between them toward the construction
of the magnificent ep1scopa! cathedral,
HOW very nearly completed. There are
eight Protestant churches here three
Catholic parish churches, {besides the
church of the Franciscan, Augustinian,
Dominican, and St. Vincent de Paul
orders) three converts, two monasteries,
and methodist, baptist, and presbyterian
edi6ces. The Catholic churches are all
very handsome-one or two Of them
magnificent. The new episcopal ca
thedral, which will cost when entirely
completed nearly 81, 0.000, will be one
of the finest on the globe,
Dennis pointed out to us the court
house, an elegant Grecian structure,
with Corinthian portico thirty feet
high; the Corn Exchange building,
very handsome; the Savings Bank, the
Provincial Bank, and the Bank, of Ire
land buildings, all constructed in the
latest style Of architecture, massive and
imposing. Besides these the Chamber
of Commerce, the commercial buildings,
and the structures occupied by the Hi
bernian and Munster banks are all at
tractive and would not look out of place
i'll Chicago.
The people of Cork, as we saw them
from the "outside'' car, were yariegated
IN appearance. Here. and all through
irsiand. the two extremes brush up
against each other on the Sidewalk = or
footpachs, as they will insist OH calling
them. Iha rich as a rule are very rich; !;
the poor are very poor. The middle
class it is pretty difficult to distinguish
Every street corner has its grouD OF
idle men. many fine-looking young fell
lows. Speak to them and they all nave
the same cheerless story to tell-no
work, no money, oftentimes no food
all or nearly all looking toward the
land Of the setting sun for the letter
the welcome letter-that will bring
them a prepaid passage ticket across
the Atlantic.
| We leave for London tonight.
! = 3. H. b.