The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-13
From the Globe-Democrat.

Halfa Century Ago.
From the Globe-DemOcrat
The present distress in Ireland is at
tracing wide attention, not only 1T
the United Kingdom. but in this coun'
try also, for there is not neighbor-
hood in any large American city but
has one or more natives, OF the Efner'
aid Isle. who retain their interest IN
the old sod and sympathize with Its
suffering people. The threatened fam
inc is due to the failure of the potato
crop, which, now. as for century
past, has been the main reliance OF
the people for food supply. Whiie
we have been suffering from an almOs,
Unprecedented drouth, the people OF
Western Europe have been afflicted
with an unusually wet season. The
downpour in many parts of the west
coast of Europe. as in Great Britain
and Ireland. has been almost inces-
SAINT. There has not been sunshine
enough to develop vegetation or ripen
the crops, the fields were flooded, the
hay was an almost total loss, the
grain rotted on the ground. and the
potatoes completely failed.
The geographical situation and the
climatic conditions of Ireland are so
peculiar as to Justify a moments at
tention. The gulf stream, after cross
ing the Atlantic and travelling about
1000 miles through the ocean, still re-
tains enough warmth to affect the
climate of the British Islands and rem
der them temperate in both winter
a
coast of America is q most unnhabit-
able. The western shore of Ireland
receives the full force Of the gulf
stream, and the atmosphere is moist
ure laden to a degree rare in any couh-
try not situated under equatorial
skies. A very moderate change in
temperature produces heavy precipi-
tation, and the saying among the Eng
lish people, "It always rains in Ire
land" is not so gross an eXaggeration
as it might appear. Potatoes thrive
there better than most other vegetables
in rainy countries, but even the potato
can have too much rain, and, in a sum-
mer when the rains arc unusually
heavy, in addition to the lack of dev"l-
Opment of the tuber. caused by insult
ficient sunshine, there appears what is
known as the potato disease, black
heart. it is called by the Irish. tuber
even of fair proportions, being utterly
worthless from the fact that its interior
is eaten out by a black cancerous
growth. Whether the black heart is "a
consequence of the rain, or arises from
other causes, is not satisfactorily de-
termined: but when the black heart
and the rain come together. as this
year, the consequences to the peasantry
are serious.
The present distress not unnaturally
recalls "reminiscences of the famine of
1876, and the two following years. The
great famine came after a period of
unusual political disturbance. Daniel
O'Connell was then in his glory. and
his agitation for the repeal of the union
between Great Britain and Ireland
caused intense political excitement all
over the country. O'Connell's efforts
also resulted in unusual oppression by
the landlords, who, unable to answer
the arguments or match the eloquence
of the Irish speaker, retaliated by
raising rents, cXacting the last penny
due, increasir" valuations, and, in
every way they could. making heavy
people. Evictions were numerous in all
parts Of the country, and much distress
prevailed, in consequence of the sum-
mary ousting of tenants from their
homes. All this, however was but a
trifle when compared with what was
to come.
A GLANCE AT HISTORY.
In the spring of 1916 the heavens were
leaden for weeks at time. Such rains
as came had rarely been witnessed,
even in country where rain is of al
most daily occurrence. The peasants
turned the mud, however, with their
spades. and planted their potatoes, in
hope that a favorable change in the
season might come. The rains of the
spring continued into the summer. the
seed rotteG in the ground or developed
little but vine, and the tubers were
either small or worthless from the
black heart. The season so far that
1t was too late to sow grains, even If
the peasents had had the money to buy
seed, and millions of people beheld star
walton staring them in the face.
DIRE CONDITIONS.
The district now affected covers
most OF the south and west as well as
a large part of the north of Ireland,
the Provinces of Ulster, Connaught and
Leinster being the regions where the
crop failure has been most general.
But in 1916 the rains covered the whole
of Ireland, and the entire country was
in the condition which now threatens
the western coast. The population of
Ireland in 1Sil was recorded in the off,
cial reports of the British Government
as being over $4,000. The area OF
Ireland is about $4,000 square miles, or
much less than half that of Missouri,
ana into this comparatively limited
space was packed a population of 256
10 the square mile. The urbane popu-
lation did not, as in some other coun-
tries, comprise from one fourth to a
third, but, it il estimated, only about
~ per cent Of the total, SO that over
IOOOOOo OF people We're mainly deper-
dent upon the potato crop for theIl
daily food. When the potato failed