Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-15


into the lakes of learning. and drop 10 |
silence into Gougane Barra. are fed oy
that same mysterious reservoir that dips
under Tipperary and Limerick and crops
ont again in the region OF the Flesh, d
brown. sullen expanse dropped in the
fairyland Of Kerry.
Great bog Of Allen, swallowed down
THAT odious heap called Phiilipstown;
And IL thy nav can swallow more
PRAY take and. welcome, Tullamore,
sang the blind minstrel In days gone by
when the canal was the highway ana
these two villages held precarious sta
IONS on the embankment, the only STOP
ping places from Dublin Ito Limerick anu
back"
The extent of the bogs may be under
stood by the estimate that OF D-VovD
acres of land 100000 are bog; more thah
one seventh of the Emerald Isle Is black
neat More than half of this Is on the
| mountains. perched at every elevation,
and at every possible angle, some Oh II
seemingly standing on end, ike the 40
mains of Kipling's East India ra1ah. lAe
! bog of Tough Neagh, in Antrim, Is the
! only other considerable one in the low
lands. Patches of black peat may oe
| seen below the upper timber In the noun
tains of Connaught, on the peaks ABOUT
Bantry bay, along Sligo ana Dohesai
ana even on the Every bleak clins' OF
! the Isles Of Arran, those marine sehtiheis
| that watch over the little cargo-Doa's
and fishermen's curraughs that hug the
stormy coast. 49,.
J singular 10 relate. IL is the boys tnat
| cIothe these grim ctadels with tenderness.
| They are not swampy ana barren VI
fauna and fora. They have their own
| charm. Mountains have had hard names
hurled at them by people VINO 40 hoe
| climb; prairie and moor are deSoia1io s
to others, and the bog has grace oniy ~,
| the few. II you have lived ahy"ieie
| along the west coast OF Kerry you must
needs have known and loved the Dogs that
| reveal many charms to those famlilar.
| Chamber to the top Of any range ana inc
| hog is there before you, at an angie 'nA'
makes one marvel at the depth OF tne
| nocxet of water that keeps the peat moss
from tumbling into the ocean. some Oh II
| has slipped its moorings, foI TN siaoie.
I blamed, crag-encumbered niiisiue nos 10
| Thin coat of peat binding the loose roehs
| together. .,,.. do
Even here the only spots entirely de-
| nuded are those lately cut and skinned
These pits are filed with inky water
| while along the edge OF the cuttings
| fronds of bracken already fringe the lips,
and snagnum throws out its woody nDres
10 bind the wound. White-fiowered cuu-
weed sedums, and bed straws rag"eeu,
and red moor grass spring up, anu
heather bushes above the scar, giving IL
.no annearanco Of red bog on bird's-ey
view To get up TO the spot where plant
l,se is seen TO clothe the bog with gra-
c,ous form and tender color, one mas 10
scramble up o hill through WOOD tha'
had besn bullied and buireted Dy WihuS
that swept clear from the reeKing DaiiAs
| OF Newfoundland. , A..
INST n Jungle OF brambles, distorted, tor
tured yews, hazel, and bracKen, u"all
oaks. stunted frs. The ground penea,h
is wet TO the point of saturauon' anu INC
atmosphere like that OF the eVergiples Vi
Elorida. Vines and grass ana MOSS
| smother the trees, and ivy strangers anu
| drags down many a trunk that withstood
Atlantic gales Dead fungus takes pos
session. pink-lipped, battered parasl'eS
Thie is n forcing-house for all forms Oh
crvntograms. ST. Patricks miracle Is all
tbat assures YOU Of the absence OK rep
tiles. ood tho
Inst as YOU emerge from the WOOD the
salt-air comes up crisp and ungiins vi
the dixie that holds bog from WOOD. from
the warm stagnation or the jungle yoo
emerge on a bracing ridge ana ihiidle 'ne
scent of gorse flowers and heather.
|
and hog meet on the dixie. Rabbits ana
wood -nieeons. dragon-fies by millions
ard moths bask in the sun. Up and down
the sun-steeped bank the gilded newt
tha only true reptile in ireland, slips
silently with a regard only for the wary
Nv. the natter-jack toad blnks MS eyca
~ iet below the bank the bog lies W
the mountain side, broom and fur~c ono
snnearing. but purple heather running
Lang the peaks aud ridges and marsny
hits bristling with reed mace ana poe
cotton. Peat lately cut stands III cnoco
late-colored stacks. Heathery tussocAs
accent the expanse or Drown Spas''"'
and cluinps of red sundews
Carnivorous plants OF innocent gus
snr,ng from the water, from the rosett'
- groom leaves a delicate violet pei
hargs pendulous from a long stem, III
beautiful corolla closing on every wan
doring insect. The ground quakess III
sajrest clump OF bloom threatening .
b onen and engulf the wayfarer, VINO quick
" snrings to the next Peewlts. snipe
and red shank rise from the heatner
+ ,rha snagnurn Is quite dry, though a foot
, sten sends IL under water. Midway II
the bog there Is stili tiny lake "ner
E teal nest, but the spagnum Is sehoin'
/ out its arms toward the centre IA
| neaty shore pressed INTO "osciPt~~A 49,
, The white-petalled crowfoot springs uh
{ Quilted from water black as jet.
e Above the first mark of the sky line Il
= an nnbroken phalanx and below the bog
1 where a part OF 1t has been drained
e trees have been planted in the soil tina
0 warns into great ridges snd has pee
I hurroyed by rabbits. The foot sink
: In pine needles and dry moss. soft an
s springy as a carpet and sheeted In spring
lime with blue bugles and snowy poten
a ,ils. To Emily Lawlezs, author 9
: .Grania." II is all this. To the ordinar
q tourist the bog is as dreary and wet a
!, Il is TO the poor peat cutter VINO, VII
Q his slane. stands knee deep in the DO
. and slices out the fuel. This Is sprea
4 and turned and cured" and carried frof
e the field. Then. II sheltered from IA
e weather Il cheers the cutters hearth a
:. winter wits its rudy glow. But we
r IL smokes him out. taints the potatoes
d gives the children red eyes. and disgust
d the pig. ,
q Rude, portable presses are now used
l. the field TO extract the water ana CON
II press the peat into smaller compass
a make the cost OF handling less. y re-