Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-03-16
Saint Patrick.

he never would have gone to the En-
erald Isle at all ii nc had not been kid
mapped by pirates and carried there
torcibly (this was when he was Il lad of
16). That he discovered the process OF
distilling liquor, drank good whisky
whenever he could get il and lived to
the good old age of l25 years; that his
last words. as he lay on his death-bed
surrounded by his trusty and sorrowing
followers, were, Take a dhrop o
something, boys, for my sake Final
ly, it is just as well to state that the
best authorities are in serious doubt
whether any such man as st. Patrick
ever existed at all.
Talking about the snakes that the
great Hibernian hero drove out of Ire
land, every one knows the story in
general way, but not the details. 1t
seems that st. Patrick got Il big drum,
and proceeded to walk about in the
districts most thickly infested by SER
penis and crawling things, beating 4
laundering tattoo as he went. All the
snakes came out of their holes and fol-
lowed him. ST. Patrick started for the
seashore, intending to drown the whole
lot, but suddenly in the midst of the
operation he thumpcd so hard upon
the drum that he burst its head. The
snakes were forthwith freed from the
charm. and would have doubtless es-
capped had not an angel suddenly APP
peared and remcdied matters. 1t is
not stated whether the angel supplied
new drum or merely repaired the
broken head, but ut any rate the pro
cession was able to move on triumph
antly and the snakes were all drowned
in the sea. Not all were drowned,
however, as St. Patrick reserved the
worst snake of the lot for special treat
ment, and that is another story.
Many antiquarians have spent great
deal of time trying to fiud out what this
particular snake had done. They have
come to different conclusions, none Of
which agree, except in this, that the
snake was certainly the very worst and
wickedest of its kind. st. Patrick de-
cided that drowning was too good for
this badly behaved reptile and decided
to make him prisoner in the depths OF
the Lough Dilveen in the Galtee noun
tains. which are situated in Tipperary.
The snake was told that If he reformed
he would be released from the watery
prison on the following Monday and be
allowed to join his fellow snakes in the
bottom of the sea For some reason,
however, whether because the snakes
conduct proved unsatisfactory or be-
cause st. Patrick forgot his promise, the
solitary crawler was left alone in the
Tough and never taken out. The con-
sequence is that the old inhabitants OF
Tipperary declare that at q certain hour
every Monday the unfortunate snake
comes to the surface Of the lake and ut
tiers this mournlul plant in purest Irish,
"Shure, an amt it a long Monday, Pat
rick -
fcourse every one knows the story
of st. Patrick birthday, that he was
really born at midnight on March s,
which caused a dispute among the good
women in the neighborhood rs to
whether he was born on the Sth or the
9th. SO they settled the matter by adj
ding the two dates together and liking
his birthday OH the 18th.
Patrick worked miracles by the score
during hi, ministry in Ireland, which
began in his 10th year and ended only
ut his death, 50 years later. As al
ready remarked he taught the people TO
change various fruits and products OF
the soil into whisky, and the art of dis
tillation was generally practiced during
his life time, the savory connection
known as ''poteen; being named after
the Saint. This was regarded as one
of the most satisfactory of the miracles
wrought by him.
Another miracle on the transforma
ton plan was the one which he wrought
on the top of bleak mountain where
he and a party of his friends found
themselves one winters night with no
means of making Il fire. st. Patrick
ordered ali hands to collect balls OF
snow and pile them together in grea,
heap. This being done he blew his
brcath-thcre is no record as to what
he had been drinking-upon the frosty
mound and, 10 and behold. flames
burst forth from it Immediately and
everybody was happy.
On one occasion ST. Patrick is said
to have tasted forty days and forty
nights on the top of Cruachangeli. On
the last day vast flock of birds was
seen circling slowly over him. These,
he declared, represented the exact
number of souls Which had been saved
by him.
On another occasion, when alone on
top of a mountain. st. Patrick was Wis
tied by the devil who proceeded to
Jump upon him and make him gcnel
ally uncomfortable. Nothing daunted,
the Saint called out in loud tone =
''Helias Helas" whereupon, although |
it was the middle ofnight the orb of day
FASTENED its approach by several hours,
and rising brilliant in the east fright
ened the evil one away. Then, when
there was no longer any necessity for
is presence, the sun sank again below
the horizon and did not reappear until |
the usual hour.
At the present day nothing is left OF
St. Patrick's earthly frame but his jaw
bone, from which all the teeth have
gradually departed with succeeding
centuries with the exception of one.
This jaw bone is carefully preserved in
the family of Il peasant living near Bel
fast, to whom it was handed down
with injunctions never to part with it.
The poor man Las had tempting offers
from proprietors of dime museums and
curiosity shops, but so far has resisted
them all and preferred poverty with
ST. Patrick's law bone to aiiiaenca with