The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-16

sary. Up to the year 1872 the two great
county families of Galway-the Burkes'
represented by the Marquis OF Cidi
ricardo, and the Trenches, represents, 10y ey
the Earl of Clanarty-diV1ded pet"eelaa
them the Parliamentary representation ~ ~
the vast county of Galway, a snare ~
| which they seemed to regard as an 20 20
panage of their titles and estates; III do' =
the Clanricarde-Clancarty candidate was
| beaten at the polls, even though lne %
chise was still unrestricted ana the eS ~
law From that day forward, SO greaat
was the disenchantment of the MarF biII9
of Clanrcarde the relations petTeeIt tt, ar
changed He fined his tenants IN me
shape of an increase Of rents Ioo nac cnI1s
dared to vote according 10 tNe nav he
evicted He ceased to live IN PortuH1tua
himself. His policy was contlnueu ny alS
successor, the present MARQUIS, ~ " i ~
first act on his accession was to stop the
buiIding of a magnificent castle which
was commenced some years DeIore, anu
which was TO take the place OF the ,S oaa
The new building had been al out Hil-
ished a tower and a few windows only
being wanting when all work was stopped
in 1875 or whereabouts. since Whlch tlIne
building operations have never peen re-
sumed and the unfinished castle IS sun,
as ii has been for more than twenty
wears in the possession of caretaker.
Nor are things likely to change during the
lifetime of the present owner OF Ine Cla an
life of solitary recluse in the AIoany,
in London without ever thought, appar-
emily of his magnificent seat on the pa pan
of Tough Derg. What Will happen WHEN
the next owner comes into possession II is
difficult to conjecture, for, after contln-
uous existence of hundreds OF years, our
ing a portion of which time 1t played a
conspicuous part in Irish history, the
Clanricarde family Will die out, IN the
male line at least, witt the present Mar
uuis On his death the title Will become
extinct, while the estates Will deVoIVe on
the Marquis of Sligo, who is a Mayo man,
has a magnificent seat OF ms own d.
Westport IN that county, ana may never
choose to come to Galway. On the Whole,
l should not be surprised to see the new
Portumna Castle turned oetore ,,, many my
years into a hotel. Sucn are the ups anu
downs of fortune! ,,.
We have just had here in Dublin visit
of fortnight from Forbes-RopertSon ahq
his company in their classical plays L
need not say that he is one or the nrSt-
rate actors of the day in these lslands,
and such artists are always WeIcoIIle, "
Dublin, which prides itself on It's us
elimination in matters of the stage, ana
whose verdict, in fact was the reputation
of more than one famous actor II may
be interesting, therefore, 10 learn mat;
while Dublin thinks good zeal OF
Forbes Robertson's Hamlet, 1t does not
think his Macbeth an equally good per
Torrance. The truth IS, Duonn is given
to Judging every tragedian by the Means
and particularly by Edmund hean, VINO
was, probably, the greatest tragedlan tlaC
is Just now recalled which is rather char-
acteristic of some past phases OF irish
life and is therefore, worth telIlhg'
While Edmund Kean was on one occa-
sion playing in Waterford-in bulIolng,
by the way which is now, alas, the city
Morgue-his son, the almost equally great
actor Charles Kean was born In q mousse
in that city which up to few years ago,
was used as a portion of the FURNITURE
shoW-rooms of a man named George Dea-
con. This gentleman, who is still allNe IS
known as Gordon of Waterford HlS
title which is self-conferred, came about
in this way. In the days, now long past,
when Mr. Deacon was caretaker OF the
premises of the local Young Men Chrls-
tan Association, he fell foul Of the au-
thorities of that institution and was al
rected to quit his post. He resisted TINS
mandate and, as If he were living IN the
last century when the debt-laden mem
bers of the Irish aristocracy habituaily
set bailiffs and Sheriffs at defiance, ne
barricaded the upper story, called IL ms
''Khartoum," and withstood a regular
siege. aided by the populace, who hoisted
supplies to him every day and assembled
outside his stronghold every night IN
thousands to hear him deliver from the
top windows the story of his wrongs. II
was a famous time in ~Waterforq, ana
goodness knows what would ultimately
have happened had not compromise
been arrived at between the contending
forces. I may add that to-day Mr.. Dea-
con is a foremost citizen OF what caIIS
itself the Urbs Intacta-