The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-03
THE ISLE OF MAN.
The Ancident Customs, Its Government and
It's Tailless Cats.

From the Richmond Dispatch
DOUGLAS, Isle of Man, Aug 23.-The
Isle of Man is only thirty-three miles
long and twelve vide, so that it is not
great labor to get over it, and, as two
railroads run-cne north to south. and
the other east to west-you can see how
convenient is to the visitor. Douglas,
Port Erin, Peel, and Ramsey are the
chief towns.
The Isle of Man, while be]oning to the
British Crown, is neither English, Scotch
IRISH, nor Welsh, but is separate country,
with home-rule Government. and a
language of it's own; but yet with great
loyalty to the imperial Government and
devotion to Queen Victoria, for every
where you go you see pictures of the
royal family.
The Government is know as the "House
of Keys" and consists of twenty-four
members, elected every seven years; bu!
no person has vote unless he possesses
real estates of the value of s40. or oc'
cupation of the value of $50 per year, and
woman are also entitled to vote. The
Court of Tynwald, presided over by the
Lieutenant Governor, is composed or the
Council, which embraces the Bishop, At.
torney- General, two Judges, the Clerk o
the Rolls, Walter Bailiff, and the Vicar
General. This Council and the House
OF Keys are the active Government of the
great Isle of man.
There is one feature of special interest
IN reference to the laws. and that is, that
all laws passed by the House of Keys are
sept for the royal assent, and when thai
has been secured then the law must be
formally read In the English and ManS
language on Tynwald Hill in the oper
air where the Council and the Keys uni
ted form Tynwald court, before they be-
come laws. This form of reading the Law
at Tynwald is the oldest style on record
was old in 14l7, and has been CONTINUED
ever <sScs: Sc Inc 5th day OF public pro
clamatiom of the laws passed by the
House OF Keys,
The coat of arms of this isle is three
legs of a man in circle. The motto
translated. reads: "Whithersoever thrown
I shall stand" The Manxmen apparently
rather enjoy the three legged crest. fo
everywhere you turn your face, whethel
at a steamboat, railroad, a coach, flag
or on the windows of the stores, there yor
see the three legs.
had read of the Manx cats withou
tails, and thought it a joke; but. sure
enoug,, the cats here are without tails
and l saw several without that graceful
member. Some ladies of cur party, wht
had rot seen the Manx cat, we're rathe
doubtful of the truth of our report
and we had to accompany them tx
the house, where the cat lived, and after ;
close examin alton came away Delivers IL
the tailless cat. l don't think pussy i
improved by the absence of the tail. Som'
people say this strange act Of nature ex
tends to the dogs also.
The Manx language, like the ancient
language of Ireland, is fast passing away
and in a generation it will be one Of th'
dead languages, enjoyed only by scholars
7 net an old woman on the side of ;
mountain selling milk, cakes, and giuge
ale, and after ssking some questions abou
the locality. 7 learned from her that th'
children were not leaning the Manx Ian
guage. And that only the middle ag
aud old people spoke it. Sh, said he
children only spok, the English. I wa
anxious to get a book in Manx, bu
could not find one 10 the stores. The olt
woman referred to showed me an old Bi
bic in Manx. which I tryed to buy, bu
she said No money conld buy he
Bible" 1t had belonged to her father
was sorry, but also admired the ole