Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-08-06
LETTER FROM IRELAND.
Mr.. I. S Hallam's Views and 0bser'
vations on the Emerald Isle.

RANDELsTowN, County Antrim
Ireland, July 10, 1S91.-Here am al
McFadden's near the above place, in
this big old house where no one could
be better treated. I have gotten &C
quaiHted with a good many people here
who are very intelligent people and
natural ladies and gentlemen, whe
never tire trying to show stranger a
kindness. We are near Lock Nair, a
very beautiful lake. ten miles wide and
thirty long, which tradition says was
occasioned by the neglect of an old lady
to cover her we'll which Overtio wed.
We are in plain sight of Slemish Noun
tain which overlooks the Valley of the
Braid, where st. Patrick herded cattle
as a slave 1900 years ago. We are
near the holy we'll of Cranfleld which
has such very wonderful healing prop
critics.
Yesterday we were driven in an Irish
jaunting car to Ballymena, past innu-
merable turf mines and beautiful
scenery, bringing forcibly to my mind
that all this country was made so
famous in McCaulay's history.
A more beautiful sight could not be
desired than the view from my bed
room window: Antrim, with the park,
castle and estate of Lord O'Neal; with
the thousands of small but well kept
farms in view. 1 can see for miles
along Lock Nair. Here every inch of
ground is brought to the very highest
state of cultivation. The ground is
naturally not productive, being all
underlaid with rock and marsh land.
1t requires any amount of hard labor
to get rid of the rock and underdrain
the land. Then it must be fertilized
well or it would be worthless. The
people here are very much the same as
where l was raised in West Virginia.
They cling to old customs. They do
not require the improved methods of
machinery, ETC., though they seem a
very bright and we'll educated people.
The national schools here are, think,
equal if not superior to our boosted
school system of America. They have
only three or four weeks vacation in
the year.
l see hundreds of carts daily hauling
turf. This seems to be- the favorite
to haul it home, as the crops
are laid by for the season. Though it
does not seem to be very solid kind |
of fuel about like buffalo chips). 1t |
does well for the purpose and every |
one has good supply. The value is
only gagged by the work aud that at a
dull season. The cost to the landlord +!
only amounts to $40 per acre for the |
best, which may run 80 feet deep, an
indication of very cheap fuel. The
to haul it to this place is four
miles and they can haul three loads |
per day,
We will go to Belfast soon to engage
our passage home for which we wish
10 start about the 25th of August, if
We get passage secured (which may be
4 little difficult owing to heavy travel.
We will then make a run into Scotland /
and elsewhere. We are 600 miles
north Of home and find the climate is
much cooler than in sunny Kansas.
see but few people here who are
lot dressed in heavy wooden goods.
must say the ladies have the art of
and millinery down finer
lere than in America, though the
aiiors are far short Of ours.
1 have seen but little sunshine but
several rains in Ireland which l sup
,ose will account for the fact that
,rass will grow here on the top of
tone wall. Trees do not grow here as
veil as at home. Horses are very high
lere, from $500 to $500 dollars are paid
or such as can be bought in Abilene
or 800 to $3.50. Extra good COWS are |
worth SIS to 500 here. A large fat,
;ow is worth 500 for beef. Beef is
'nly 8 cents per pound more than in
Abilene and thereby hangs a moral.
While think it would pay some of
'ur energetic Yankees to ship horses
lere, it would not pay our chicken
anciers to ship black Spanish chickens
IS the country is full of them. Wheat
md oats are looking well and will do
o harvest about hrst of September.
Flax is very important industry here
ind is said to be a short crop.
1. S. ITALIAN.