Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-21

she believed we could become moss-covered
and ivy-grown If we stood still long enough
and that the wonder was this plant of such
affectionate growth lid not twine itself
about the numerous sheep and COWS seen so
artistically posing On every hillside and In
each field
The Roads Aren't Lik. Ours
Blarney Castle is about four miles from
Cork over road as smooth as Washing-
ton City pavement and as hard as adamant.
II we had thought the ride about Queens
town unequaled, We were now obliged to
qualify the assertion. We were wheeling
through an enchanted land, past residenc g
half hidden in the depths of many l5.acred
es; past an asylum Tor the insane. much
more remarkable in design, finish and gen.
eral surroundings than any we had ever
seen in America.
But about the Blarney stone: The story
goes that, in 1902. the castle was held by
one Cormack MCCARTHY, who ha concluded
an armistice with the Lord President,
Carew. agreeing to surrender to his lordship
the possession of the castle The Lord
President looked day after day for the full
fillment OF the compact, but all he got was
soft speeches and sweetly worded excuses
The success of Mccarthy in duping Lord
Carew with his bland speeches has led to
the tradition that anyone who kisses the
Blarney stone becomes gifted with tine
power of persuading people to any desired
course. Look out for our party, for We all
kissed it and did not have to he held by the
heels nor hair OF the head, though the stone
is situated in an almost inaccessible place,
several feet below the cornice
Ki.sin. III. stone Is Easy Now
1t is broad, fat stone set upon brackets,
below which there is now suspended
basket-like grating, into which the ardent
one must step, then kneel, throw the head
back and kiss the stone directly overhead
perfectly safe experiment. but one hard to
perform, except by the 1.-THE and supple.
Our party had some merriment over our
''tat man," Mr. John j. Rigney, of re i
estate tame in the Worlds Fair city, whose
260 pounds OF averdupois were out of all
proportion to the size of the basket, but
who nevertheless succeeded not without
much twisting and turning in giving the
famous stone a resounding smack, such as
might only be expected from Chicayoan.
This safety grating has only been put up
within two years, prior to which time no
woman had ever kissed the Blarney stone,
the word OF many tourist in pettcoats to
the contrary notwithstanding. This we
have upon the honor of the guide, who has
been in attendance there tor 20 years.
Died ithout the X ~.
And few men had per ormed the feat, but
the last one to attempt it before the iron
basket was put up fell the 1876 feet from the
height of the castle to the valley below.
This is the only such happening in the
history OF the castle, and there cannot now
be another. We climbed 108 steps to reach
the Blarney stone; we followed the guide
into all the dungeons, anil by the light of
candle visited the several caverns. Upon
the walls of these caverns were the names
of many people from our own country.
Among those of recent date we noticed
"Montooth, Pittsburg, Pa, q. s. A" This,
from the date, we judged to be Msjor
Montooth, who came out on the City of
Chicago. MARY TEMPLE BAYARD.