Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-03-09
HAD A HAREM.
An Americanized Irishman With the
Tastes of an Oriental.

tastes Oh du OrlcHtstl
A notice from the SurTogateS court,
published recently in the Brooklyn
Eagle, recalls the singular history OF a
former resident of the eastern district.
Tht citation is issued to the legateeS OF
the late James Darragh to appear In
court of Brooklyn ON Dee. p to attend
the judicial settlement of the account
of Enoch L. Fancher and John McCann,
executors of the last will and testament
of James Darragh, deceased. Darragn
was 4 remarkable man. He was born
at Turgan, Ireland, some sixty years
ago, and came here a poor boy. After
some years he engaged in the manufac-
tllre of coir or cocoa mats and mating
with but small success. He could not
compete with the finer fiber that came
from the east. He sold out all his be-
longingS and with the little money thus
realized sailed for India, leaving his
Irish wife and two daughters in Brook
Ign. This was some twenty-five or
twenty1Seven years ago. He settled
down in Allepy, port on the west
coast Of Hindostan, ruled by the Rajah
of Trayancore The latter state runs in
a narrow strip down the coast to the
extreme point of the great peninsula
Cape Comorin being situated at the eX-
tremity of Travancore. Here the Brook
Ign man resumed the old manufacture
of coir fiber into cordage, mats and
mating. He prOSpered and gained the
confidence of the rajah, to whom he
finally became indispensable. He was
allowed to coin money, and gradually
acquired extensive tea, coffee and cot
ton planta tons and established facto-
ries in Allepy and Madras. He estab-
lished the importing house of DarraSh
& Small at 1T Water street, New York.
which does an extensive business In
tiger and other skins. Indian and Per
sim. lStuffS and rags, cocoa fiber manu-
features and, in fine, al the products
of the orient
In the meantime Darragh forgot his
ties in America and married high
caste Hindoo woman, whose daughter
was married to Mr.. Small. The latter
is Il Scotchman and was DarraghS
bOokkeeper and manager here. Becoln-
ing Mr. Darragh's Son-in-law, he also
became his partner and looked after
the New York end of the business. A
factory was erected on Spencer street,
which was burned down some time
ago and rebuilt by Mr. Small. The first
>."S. Darragh and her daughter return
ed to Ireland, where they now reside.
Some twelve years or so ago great
trouble arose between Darragh and
his consignees here, who were then
George w. Dow & Sons. They brought
suit against the East Indian for a set
Ting. Judge Fancher was his counsel.
Darragh won and the case was taken
to the supreme court, where he was
ultimately successful. His counsel
wired him and he got the dispatch in
forty eight hours. He came to America
and on his return went to his old home
in Ireland, where he made his will,
appointing Judge Fancher one of his eX-
ecutOrS.
AS a matter of fact, if the stories told
of him on the ships he used to send
here were true, james Darragh lived
like full-fedged East Indian petty
pOtentate and kept Il regular harem in
true Oriental style. About four years
ago one of his ships, an old Black
Ball liner, came into the Atlantic dock
with an immense product of coir pro-
ducts, skins and Indian tea. She was
Il wonderful flyer, too, and passed one
of Skolfield's crack American clippers
in rounding the Cape of Good Hope as
though the LATTER was anchored. 1t
always was grievance with him that
his ships ------ to sail under the British
flag instead of the stars and stripes.
Although the Spencer street factory is
still running in full blast, few Brook
lyniteS now think of this remarkable
and adventurous exile from the city of
churches.