The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-11-26
KELP CATERERS.
THE IRISH PEOPLE WHO DWELL ON
THE ISLAND OF MYNISH.
Rude Cabins Which a Rude and Untutor-
ed Folk Call Home-Their Vocation Not
Very Remunerative One, but They Are
Strong and Healthy Men.

ed Folk Call Home-Their Vocation Not
Very Remunerative One, but They Are
Strong and Healthy Men.
Right on the western borders OF the
land, and upon the numerous islands
and peninsulas which are the common
natural features of this broken part OF
the Irish coast, the kelp gatherers live
In a certain sense they seem to be an
amphibious sort Of folk and draw their
sustenance, apparently always more or
less scanty and precarious, from sea and
land alike. Let US picture their exist
ence for moment, such as we may see
it on the island of Mynish, not far from
Roundstone bay, off the Galway coast.
Imagine an island, about IL miles In
circumference, connected with the main
land by kind of viaduct recently con-
struCted by government, low lying and
| wind swept by the numerous gales OF
ocean, but crowded with a pOpula
| ion of several hundred human beings.
Every little cove or bay will have its
cluster Of cottages, with their fishing
boats anchored close by, ready to run
| down the bay for mackerel or to fetch
| load of kelp from the neighbOring
rocks when wind and weather permit
The surface of the island itself,
which is strewn with huge granite
stones and powders, is parceled out
with the most exact and scrutinizing
jealousy, and if you attempt a short cut
across country from one point to anoth
er your way is blocked by continual
succession of loosely constructed stone
walls serving as partitions between an
innumerable series of diminutive plots.
So intricate and puzzling is the arrange
ment of these plots that you are not at
all surprised to hear that they are a
source of litigation between the owners
of the cottages, who are very fond of
invoking the law in spite of their pow
erty stricken condition.
Cottages" we call them, for the sake
of courtesy, but whereas the word "cot-
tage'' calls up in the English sense some
bright and picturesque surroundings and
some appearance of comfort these cot
tages or cabins of the kelp gatherers
suggest every kind of discomfort. The
walls are built Of the undressed granite
blocks picked up from the surface of
the island and loosely put together &C
cording to the rules of a very primitive
masonry But the roof is sometimes of
sod and more often of reed. The absurd
contrast between the strength and sta
bility of the walls and the feeble char
acter of the roof strikes the eye immedi-
ately. The floors are of very unsatisfac-
tory character as they are simply I'M
even pavements with muddy interstices
and calculated to retain every kind OF
filth and abomination. 1t would be al
most impossible to sweep these floors
clean even if there existed the will tt
! do it.
If there is any glass, it is simply NOR
] tised into some little chink, and win
f dow frames are hnknown-partly be
, cause wood is scarce and expensive an(
partly because the fisher folk do not de
sire window that will open.
AS far as accommodation is concerned
there are only two rooms on the GROUND
fioor-one to be used as a kitchen ant
sitting room, the other to sleep in, NJ
matter the number of the family party
Sometimes there Is kind of loft over
head on the kitchen, where some of tn
occupants can sleep. Outside there is NJ
pigsty or cowshed or any other 'office'
5 which we are accustomed to connec
with the ideas of comfort and decency
In cold and rough weather the pig ant
even the COW are admitted to the hospi
tally of the hearth, and this account
for their very friendly and sociabl
character. AS far as ''rint' is con
a cerned, the KEEPER cannot complain
] greatly, as it is judicial 'rint' and b
o cannot be elected, no matter how b
e lives. as long as the rent is paid.
Sometimes helper has a right t
}, a common adjoining and can run few
. black faced sheep and some of the blac
cattle of the country, and whenever b
: is i'll position to save money he prefer
> to put it in stock rather than to commit
k to the keeping of savings bank. Her
Z. and there Oh the island you may chanc
r. across little circle of stone in a retire
!, nook. You need not puzzle long over
as if it were some archaeological fine
y for it is simply the foundation of kel
: stack that has been piled up inside il
/ and the calcined appearance OF tn
stones, together with the ashes aroun
them, will Immediately reveal it's use
you. Far away along the windings {
some distant cove you will often see tn
smoke Of these kelp fires rolling heavil
out to sea, and the kelp stacks them
selves are among the common objects {
s. the seashore, with the long trailing kel
h weed dropping down their sides. Thes
E. have been won with much labor frol
IT the deep, and the yearly wage paid
n the Mynish islanders by the kelp CON
pany is nearly 81, 900.
Kelp is, indeed, the main source {
- their wealth, and many voyage has
u be taken before ton of kelp is procured
The weed burns down to vlscous, s.
latinous mass under the action of the fiji
IS and then cools down to hard and rugge
h blocks. The Helpers live on fish, mill
In tea bread and eggs chiefly, but seldol
On on butchers meat and bacon, for tt
30 pig is really the ''jintleman that pa.
the rint." Still, in spite of hardship
the helpers are strong and healthy mel
II They would make splendid recruits II