Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-03

frieze, is everywhere observable. In every
hut or cabin one OF more OF the female occu-
pants will be found so employed. 1 have
seen children but years old seated on rude
stools, or upon the Strangers seat''-a rude
stone block beside, or cut out of, the Chin
ney-knitting away for hours as if for dear
life upon gigantic stockings bigger than
their own pinched little bodies Every
other female of the household knits with
precisely the same apparent frenzy at all
moments which can be snatched from other
duties.
Each process is of the rudest. The spin
ming wheels are counterparts OF those used
in our own colonial times. As we reckon
values, they receive the most beggarly pit
tance for this labor. The most renowned
spinner, weaver, "tucker," or "napper" in
Connemara is never more than able to barely
exist; that is, to just live while starving.
The more there is to do, the less they get.
Two or three pennies for pair of stockings,
great, huge, Brobdignagian stockings at
that, are all they receive. But they knit
away night and day so long as their strange
lives run.
Among them are those forming distinct
class of "knitters," as distinguished from
the knitters of the home. They are widows
or maiden danes, incalculable as to age,
great of bone, gaunt of form, marvellous of
finger and tongue. Perhaps they have a
bunk at the abins of two or three relatives.
May be they own shell of hut in the
mountains Again they may have no home
at all. But in any event their home is
wherever the night finds them. They are
the irrepresslble scandal mongers of all
Connaught. Thus they are welcome every
where, not only as an institution as old as
Brehon laws, but they are the articulated
perambulating newspapers of these wild
regions. Nor do they grow stale from once
reading.
OTHER ODD CHARACTERS.
Two other interesting characters will be
found among the Connemara women. These
are the fuckers and "nappers." The
fuckers" are those who take the rough
flannel from the weavers and shrink it so as
to increase its thickness and weight The
''tuck-mills" are outlandish affairs, at the
| side of lone mountain streams, where old
hags of "tuckers" live in sheds or huts
in dreary loneliness. The "mill'' is simply
rough, slightly-inclined fat trough,
through which water runs and flannel is fed
in wrinkly folds to a wooden hammer lifted
and dropped by the revolution of rude
water wheel. This beating, or "tucking the
cloth closer together" takes up one-seventh
to one-ffth of the original cloth; but makes
an article of clothing with which the peas
ants defy the widest mountain storms.
My study of the "nappers" was pursued
under some difficulties; becausein more than
one instance, my friendly inquisitiveness
was given abrupt set-backs through the sus-
picion that / was a disguised and loathed
emissary OF the law. The "nappers" are
those who give the heavy woolen frieze its
shaggy appearance. The process is simple
one carried on in all sorts of out of the way
places, and is not at all times guiltless of
the added charm of poteen-brewing. The
tucked" flannel is laid upon rude benches,
and combed until ragged and furry. Then
with fat blocks of wood, or cork, wet with
sticky treacle, the rough surface of the stuff
is gone over "by hand" with light, whirl-
icg motion, now this way and now that,
twisting the furry surface into innumerable
curly "nars" or shaggy tabs, without which
no true West of Ireland patriot would own
his beloved brath, and no self-respecting
Connemara woman don her proud braideen.
These "nap-mills" are found in every man.
ner of habitatIon among the mountaineers.
The stencil from dyeing the coarse flannel
its invariable black, or madder red, the
vapors from steaming, and the fumes from
the friction from the treacle in mapping"
are almost sufficient to deodorize the more
delicious and forgivable vaporings from a
moutain still-as discovered under circum-
stances that had their embarrassing features.
AN EXCITING INCIDENT.
One day while wandering in the Ballana-
hinch heights above ancient Toombeola, I
came upon one of these map mills" The
structure was built against precipitous
rock leading to lofty heights above; the roof,
of shell-like shingly rock, being laid above
rafters of larch tree trunks, running from
holes chiseled in the ledge, to the single side
wall of rudely piled stones. found within
this strange structure one old Irish dame
and four buxom Irish girls mapping" Con-
nemara flannel as entered. They looked
busy enough and honest enough; but the
welcome had got without exception in
every hut and hovel in Ireland had previ-
ously entered. was wholly lacking here.
did my best to appear genial and friendly;
but the more loquacious and obsequious I
became, the more threatening grew their
frowns. / asked them all manner of ques-
tions about their work, and after time
came toward the table as if in friendly in
quiry.
The old woman suddenly turned and de-
manded that remain where I was, sat the
dure" For the few minutes had been in
the cabin, there had seemed tendency on
the part of the women to huddle in their
work as if to protect from view with their
tremendous petticoats something beneath
the bench. In the hasty glance I stole
could discover nothing but the apparent ir-
regular stony floor of the "mill." A few
rough Jackets and shreds of hats hanging
here and there indicated that men were
about the place. Beginning to feel uneasy
at my reception, asked, as if in decorum,
if could not see ''the byes." Instantly the
old woman grasped huge rock lying on the
bench, gave several smart raps with it upon
the floor beneath, which, as 1 afterward re-
called, sounded strangely reverberant, and
turned upon me.
"D'ye mind that? 2" said she.
"Indeed do," said I.
"D'ye think I cud break anything ..wid
that, thin %
"a bad mans head" I acknowledged
bravely.
"Faith, an twinty more" she avowed.
"And you'll not break mine, If L can
leave you soon enough, or get among my
friends below quick enough" 1 retorted.
AssAILED BY AMAzoNs.
I think for the first time in my life / then
heard a genuine Irish "whoop." 1 will not
attempt to describe it. But events fol-
lowed that particular whoop with incredi-
BILE swiftness. A sort Of mist, composed of
sky, precipice, wall, larch-raiters, fire.
place, trickling rill, and four stalwart Irish
women fell upon me. The next moment I
was in the air, one female at each arm and
leg. The next was ousted from that "nap-
mill' as though shot from catupalt.
Turning to offer, or receive, explanations, I