The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-07-27
THE II III Eden Oh IRELAND \! D
'Graphic b scription Of Killarney
# Il by an American Newspaper d.
CORES pondent.
"a Country Too Beautiful for the
Pen Of Mortal to Fitting:
VI. " Describe. ~.

How the Average Novice Is Struck
With the Antics of the
Jaunting Car. ~.
After kissing the Blarney stone and
enjoying the more agreeable
features Of Cork, says 'Nazaro, IN the
Chicago Record, we decided that Kill
larney and its wonderfully beautiful
lakes should be our next and last place
in Southern Ireland. IT'S beyond the
powers of the human pen to do full JUS
tice to the scenery hereabouts; the lights.
shadows and colorings of water, hill and
dale are simply wonderful and partake
too much Of the heavenly for lis poor
mortals to attempt a fitting description.
The air is so soft, balmy and soporitic
that one falls asleep sevral times during
the day, sleeps through the night and
fights against getting up in the morning
to do lot of riding and sightseeing.
However, the tourist is common, property
hereabouts, and the inhabitants expect
that perfect man shall undertake gid
dy round of excursions, beginning at un-
earthly hours in the morning and lasting
all day, This pernicious custom tends to
the enrichment of car drivers, boat pro-
prfetprs, pony owners, guides, and has the
further local advantage that you pay for
your board by the day, and take your
much to the joy of the hotel keepers.
To the novice the jaunting car, on
which one starts out on his journey,
seems a most unsafe and devilmay- care
vehicle. You sit sideways over one of
the two wheels with nothing between you
and the flying hedge. You expect every
minute to be thrown on your face in the
ditch, and 1t is constant wonder to you
that yon are still in your place on the car.
The driver goes with a reckless speed
that is terri tying and you have nothing to
hold on byy You can scarcely indeed
hold your breath, for it is fairly taken
away by the headlong pace at which you
are going. After awhile you find that
you are still alive and can breath more
freely, and you begin to realize That the
car is merely having it's fun with you
and that besides being the easiest riding
machine imaginable 1t is as safe as a
church.
You first strike a pretty road with b.
deep, sunless plantation on one side and
gentle hills on the other, while above
the trees overlooking the lake can be
seen the chimneys OF the mansion of the
earl of Kenmare. one of the two owners
Of the lakes Of Killarney. It seems to be-
the habit of the nobility and gentry of
Ireland to build a house several times
more expensivethan they can afford and
larger than they need, and then slide
gently into bankruptcy While the re-
mark is not to be considered as apply,
ing dn this particular case, 1t is induced
by the many occasions upon which one
is Informed that the owner of the large
property has been obliged to go else
where.
After 4 quite ride through lanes lead
ing across rougher country than we found
at the start we found the jolting increased
to such an extent that we were forced
to begin bargain with a lot Of pony boys
Who had been following us for a mile or
two. The journey to Ross Castle, which
is usually the objective point, is by no
means an unbroken one, as your car must
from the nature Of the road give way to
a pony to take you over the pass, then to
see the lake boat is necessary ani1 finally
another car for the return trip. However,
the expense, strange enough to say, is
comparatively inconsiderable, and every
body connected with 1t so civil and at
tentlve that nc one has right to grumble
There were two or three horses more:
than our party required, and as the driv-
ers each boasted Of the fine qualities, Of
his particular beast 1t was rather hard to
make a selection. Finally race was
agreed upon and we we're to make our
selection at its close. Away dashed the
squadron Of lorsemen with their coat
tails flying like banners behind them,
yelling and whooping like mad Round
the turning mark they went in a body.
and down the field they came toward us
like a tornado, each man bending over
the neck Of his steed while he lashed
wildly with his switch.
Our car horse frightened at the tumult,
became very restless ana gHnally SWerYe1
around square across the narrow road,
which he completely blocked up and
headed off the racers on the way to the
finishing goal. There was am exciting
moment as the racers dashed to one side
and all but three Of them tumbled into
the ditch that, ran along parallel with
the road We hardly expected to see
rider or horse come out UNNAMED, but
apparently no harm was done, and as
the number of animals that went into
the ditch just tailed with our party, the
matter was settled on that basis. We
mounted and found that the animals
were no worse than they looked, and,
reinforcing the drivers and ouresleYes
with ..mountain dew that the pretty
sb1aek-eyed country girls sold TO us as
the beverage Of the country, we started
Tor Kate Kearner's cottage, which was
the first point of interest.
Some one Of our number had read OF
what the poet wrote Of Kate Kearney
and her cottage and he told us the story,
/ so We were willing enough to stop there
with hifn until he satisfied his curiosity
witch he did by taking q long pun at a
tstng containing pOteen and goat milk
that Rates granddaughter brought out
for us ttos Il drl lnk It'd the memory Of her
afsfinguished ancests Tess. sSs a
ve gu to Gar of Dunlpe.
|l!,lsais ~ here were 1fxs