The Irish standard., 1891-07-25
the late Edmond O'DonovaD, who was
perhaps the most enterprising Of mod

the late Edmond ODOnOvaD, who was
perhaps the most enterprising of mod
ern specials, and who accomplished
such great things at Me1v and else
where for the London Daily News; his
brother, William O'Donovap, who was
a pressman of more than ordinary tai
ent: Alfred O'Hea, a profound writer
on military subjects; and John O'B1ien
Lone of the most remarkable of latter
day philologists. The William in New
York. and Edmond iu the wilderness Of
the Soudan.
O'Brlen, in moment of fanaticism,
Joined the Commune, was arrested and
sent to the galleys, where he suffered
years Of torture rather than gain his
| liberty by acknowledg himself SUBJ
! ject of Queen Victoria. After his un-
conditional release, he left France for
London, where for considerable time
he successfully passed himself off as a
French professor. under the name of
Dubois. and few years ago returned
the Ferry Government. Since then his
! whereabouts have remained unknown.
John Augustus O'Shea, probably the
sole survivor of the band, resides in
London at present, and is very busy
literary worker. Though not known to
fame, a wonderful genius named Prof.
Mortimer Murphy was the center Of
this intellectual group On the B0ule-
ward ST. Michael. O'Shea used to call
him sitting and walking encyclopedia
of information. Mortimer knew thor
oughly some SIX or seven European Ian
guages. He had travelled the entire
continent On foot, in train and on
horseback, plying various occupations;
at one time an Alpine guide, at another
the manager of the famous Irish giant,
Murphy, namesake of bis own
throughout the latter's European tour.
In Paris, the Professor was recognized
as an authority dc omnibus rebus ct
uuibusdam aliis. The solid education
he had acquired gave him a breezy
self-complacency refreshing to coz1teu-
plate; while his phrases, garnished as
thev were with a melange Of the sauces
of Greece and Munster. We're always
listened TO with attention, and were
thoroughly appreciated. Those nights
and snppers Of the gods, 80 full Of Irish
Wit and sparkling repartee--e entertain
lnents where no idea was allowed cur.
rencY unless it was Of a three-star
brand; and where jog-trot common.
places were unknown-haye now al
most completely disappeared with the
Professor himself, who did not long
survive the disaster that befell the
French arms in 1901.
The Irish colony OF to-day in Paris is
far less Bohemian than that of the
closing years of the Second Empire.
There are no traces now left of the wild
humor that prompted one Irishman to
stand on his head for five minutes on
the boulevards for the delectation Of the
faneurs of Paris. and that prompted
another to deliver patriotic harangue
in Connaught French from the top of
the statue of Strasbourge III the Place
de Ia Concorde. Like our brethren at
home, we are becoming less lmpulsive
than we used to be. 1t may be the con-
tinual friction with the Saxon that has
iced our veins with the liquid of Saxon
stolidity. do not desire to discuss
here whether the change has improved
us or not; but in any case, the cap and
the jerkin that used to make us laugh
are now no longer. sought after as an
antidote to the ills of which Irish flesh
is heir.
The Irish colony in Paris at the pres
ent day is represented IN politics, jour-
nall m, and the opera, Its leading rep
resentative in politics is General Mac
Adaras. who has achieved. for an Irish
man, the proud distinction of a seat in
the French Chamber Of Deputies. Mac
Adaras was born some fifty years ago
in Belfast, and proceeded early in life
to Paris, where he went through the
military curriculum of studies in the
Ecole Polytechnique, which he left
with the epaulettes of sub-lleutenant.
Shortly afterward he took service as an
officer in the East India Company, but
when the troops at the disposal of that
syndicate were transferred to the Brit
ish Government, MacAdaras, who was
then captain, refused to take the pre-
scribed oath Of allegiance, and returned
to France. At the outbreak of Franco
German hostillties, MacAdaras pro-
ceeded to Dublin where he organized
an Irish company to do battle On the
French side. Throughout the cam
paigb, MacAdaras became in success
ion colonel aud brigadior- general, and
recsi iyed at the Battle of Orleans leg
wound, from the effects OF which he
still suffers.
sI'm man of weight 10 this COM
munity, said the pompous old fellow
RI f11o ornvud in fho rroooru stove