Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-07
THINGS SEEN IN lREL AND.
Some Interesting Matters Noted by an
American Reporter.


One of the influences which incident
ally fatter the American in Erin is the
evident admiration which the Irishmen
have for him, says writer in the n. I.
San. They can detect him one block
away, if by nothing else by the fact
that he wears rubber overshoes, for
these articles of footwear are unknown
in Ireland. The hotel runners are not
like the burly, well-fed hack-drivers to
be seen about the Grand Central depot
every day, but are ragged and un-
kempt. They stand around the gang
plank in Queenstown and whisper in
feeble supplicatory tones: Us thare
any wan fur O'Crowley's, or Hennes-
sey's, or Sullivan's, or Flannigan's?"
With an awed wonder the American
observes that these men do not feel
that they possess the earth and the
fullness thereof. Ones baggage is TAX
en- by man who owns an Irish express
equipage. This consists of a donkey
and two-wheeled cart. The donkey
has head entirely disproportionate
in size to its body, which is so small
that the feet of an ordinary man when
| mounted would touch the ground, if
the donkey permitted him to remain on
its back. The cart resembles much the
hand-carts used by the Italians around
the city hall park for peddling fruit.
The donkeyis driven with lines made
head" as Jim Boy WEIGH, the jarvey.
says. land he'll kick the bones out O
yer body if We tickle him on the side
nearest to the ground" By this mode
of conveyance it will cost you - cents
| to have your trunk taken to a hotel.
AS for yourself, there are two modes
! of conference.-the Jingle" and the
jaunting car. The latter is too we'll
known to need description. The jingle
resembles Saratoga trunk set on end
! on an axle. There is door in the rear
and seat stuck on in front like small
shelf. The seat is for the drivers use.
A jingle will hold four persons COM
| fortably.
The hotels are comfortable and home
like. When tea is served the teapot
wears a quilted cover to keep the heat
in the vessel. There is gas in the no.
| tells. but it is of an inferior quality.
The rooms in the hotel are heated by
open CRATES, in which soft Scotch coal
is burned. The bedsteads are quaint
and old-fashioned, with queer little
canopy extending from the head-board
| You retire for the night by the light of
a candle. This is the custom even in
| the most fashionable hotel in Cork,
where the rates charged are as high as
| those of the Fifth Avenue hotel in this
city. You sleep on feathers into which
you sink to the depth OF foot. Enough
quilts and blankets for four separate
sleepers are piled over one bed. There
are no bootblacks in the streets. Your
boots are BACKED by a housemaid. In
| the city of Queenstown, which contains
10, 600 inhabitants, there are no more
| than three newsboys. American news
papers sell for II cents apiece.
| An Irish barber-shop, such as is pat
ronized by the mass OF the people, is "a
very interesting place. A specimen
! found in Queenstown was so small that
| three customers crowded it uncomfort-
ably. Small packing boxes were ar
ranged along the wall as seats for the
''nexts.n A gentleman with wooden
! leg acted as proprietor and cash-taker,
and two callow youths of Is inflicted
! legs which were bound like those of
| baby who had learned to walk too soon.
i The head-rest was adjusted by means
of wooden peg hung to a leather
strap. Both BARRIERS operated from the
same lather pot, the contents of which
gently dubbed over gas jet. Wan
| sWpe O the metal on aich side raped
| yer iowl." The BARRIERS were remark
| able for the freedom and grace Of their
movements. They stood. off at arms
| length from the victim. In half the
| time that barber in America would
| consume the job was completed. An
| Irish barber does not comb your hair
when shaving you unless asked to do
So Neither does he apply alum to the
face, or use powder, or sprinkle CO.
| logne over his customer. He simply
reaps the superduous hair and then col
| lects 4 cents.
The average Irish policeman is
fine specimen of physical manhood as
ever served on the Broadway squad.
He is usually six feet tall, admirably
proportional and an athlete. He wears
light, waterproof overcoat with
cape. The lower part of his legs are
incased in leather leggings, laced up
at the sides. Upon his head, perched
sidewise just over his ear, is cap,
which resembles large pill-box, from
which leather band drops upon his
chin.
An interesting Irish character is the
bar-maid. She is always selected for
her wit and beauty. The bar at which
she presides is not so famboyant as the
one at which the American is in the
habit of drinking. The liquors are dis
played on a counter between the bar
maid and the customer. Ranged in
tasteful groups along this counter are
empty glasses and few bottles with
small necks and bullying bodies. The
principal article upon the counter is
large glass jar of the shape and about
half the size of large beer-keg. This
contains Dublin whiskey. A brass
spigot is fitted into this glass cask and
the liquor is drawn off into a metal
cup shaped like an hour-glass. For a
single prescription in the small end of
the hour-glass-which is about 1.-TWO
fingers" of an American drink-the
price is cents. A double dose from
the big end of the hour-glass costs
II cents. Fastened to the counter
are two patent machines for pulling
corks from the bottles of ale and stout,
the latter being the favorite national
tipple.