The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-01-22
THE lola REGISTER.
OVER LAND AND SEA.
CORK. Sept. Il, 1891.

CORK, Sept. IL, 1891.
1t is long stretch of rather dreary
country from Dublin to the Lakes of
Killarney. There are occasional pref
ty views, but in general the country
is by no means so neat and well kept
as the northern portion of the island.
The meadows are ragged and full of
weeds, the hedges are struggling and
in many places the only sign of a
fence is low ridge of earth dividing
one field from another, but not re-
straining the liberty of even the meek
est lamb. We saw very little peat in
the north, but here there are almost
continuous boys. This singular fuel
is cut out in blocks about the size of
bricks, and piled up by the cord to
dry. When first cut it is black, but
after about two months of drying it
becomes a dusty gray color, like old
hay. 1t is not fit for use until thor
oughly dried and then it burns rapid
" making quick, hot fire. The boys
are from two to 20 feet thick, and /
was surprised to learn that even I'M
der the deepest of them there is good
soil. AS we approach Killarney the
country becomes rOugher and poorer,
the houses smaller and meaner, the
few people we see more ragged and
hepeless-lOoking 1t is painfully
clear that we are at last getting into
the "poor ould Ireland" that the agi-
tator has told us about.
~
In the old days, before free trade
had reduced Ireland to an agricultur-
al dependency of England, there were
smelters and iron foundries here in
Killarney and it was a flOurishing
city. But the fires were killed in the
furnaces long ago and now the pOpu-
Iation of the town is reduced to a few
hundred beggars, bOatmen, guides
and shop-keepers who plumber pre-
carious living from the tourists who
come to visit the Lakes. AS an illus
tration of the way in which this plum
dering is managed l might relate the
experience of our party on the second
day after our arrival. An excursion
was arranged which was to take us
by coach u miles to DunlOe Gap, by
pony four miles through the Gap, then
by row boat Is miles back to the no.
tel. The hotel keeper made all the
arrangements charging us II shillings
each which he assured us covered all
expenses including a lunch at the
point where we took the boats. But
when the end of the coach road was
reached the driver vehemently de-
manded siX-pence each for his SER
vices, and at the other end of the Gap
the men who had piloted the ponies
would be satisfied with nothing less
than a shilling, and as we started
down to the lake shore where our
boats were, our way was barred by
gate which opened only after the pay
ment of a shilling each to an attend
ant "for the privilege of passing
through the private grounds of Mr..
Herbert" and when we reached our
hotel our four boatmen demanded a
shilling each. And this does not take
into account the uncOunted pennies
that were fiattered and leased and
joked out of our pockets by the army
81,
step of the way. But after all, the
plundering is done by such witty and
light-hearted thieves that it is easily
forgiven. The driver OF our coach
was a young man, with a delicious
brOgue, and with all the wit you read
of in the books. Its a different man
We are entirely, ia elk, since We got the
wildly" he called out to an acquain-
lance who was-riding by. AN it's
the women will change any man, sir"
came back the ready response. Point
ing out a wrecked house where an
eviction had taken place he told with
great glee how the women had pour
dow upon the constables who were
trying to force the door below. "The
women are all home rulers, SIR" he
commented, then turning to one of
the ladies, az suppose its the same in
your country, ma'am." 4 sight of
the telegraph wire reminded him of
an old Irishman who upon learning
for the first time that the wires were
used to send messages TO the United
States bought pair of new boots,
tied them together and hung them
across the wire for his son Paddy in
America. The next morning in place
of the new boots there was hanging a
pair of worn out brOgans and the old
man was greatly PLEASED because Pad
dy, upon receipt of the new, had sent
back his old ones. Learning that we
were going to Cork soon he said,
''Then you'll not forget to kiss the
Blarney stone; we have to kiss it twice
a year to keep bit in our pockets"
Warning us that we should not give
money to the children that would beg
from us on our way through the Gap,
he said, "They will ask you for the
price of book, and sure it is large
library they must be having by this
time" And so he kept it up, mile
after mile. at is well to have bit
of joke now and then, sir" he said