The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-09
He Makes a Strong
Plea For Saving
Killarney.
and NIAGARA.
Famous Diplomatist Shows
How America Prizes Her
Beauties of Nature.

The most important meeting held SO
| far in connection with the now world
| famous Killarney lake problem took
place in London last week at Grosven-
or House, the town residence of the
Duke of Westminster. The occasion
was the annual meeting of the National
Trust for Places of Historic Interest
and Natural Beauty. The Duke of
| Westminster presided and there were
also present the Earl of Cork, the Mar
| quis of Dufferin, the Earl of Mayo, the
| bishop of London, the lord mayor of
Dublin, the Earl of Rose, Sir M. Grant
Duff, Sir Joshua Fitch, Sir Benjamin
Stone, Sir Robert Hunter, Mr.. Shaw
Lefevre, NJ. p, Mr.. James Bryce, M.
p, Mr.. Seymour Lucas of the Royal
Academy, and Canon Rawnsley, secre-
tary of the trust. The principal topic
dealt with in the presidents report was
that of the threatened purchase by
private capitalists of the Herbert es-
tate of $1,000 acres, including the grand
est portions of the district of the lake.
The report stated that the council was
fully alive to the fact that an oppor-
tunity now presented itself of acquir-
ing Killarney as great national park,
after the manner of the Yellowstone
park in America.
Letters were read from the Earl of
Meath and Mr.. Lecky, M. p, warmly
sympathizing with the proposal to save
the scenic district from private specu-
lators
The Duke of Westminster said as
England had her playground, as it
might be called, in the New Forest, it
was only right that Ireland should have
her playground in Killarney Chear,
hear). Every one who had seen it would
agree that Muckross and it's surround
ings formed one Of the most beautiful
pieces of scenery in the united king
dom, and it would be a most unfortu-
nate thing If, by any private purchase
OF the estate, any of the paths and
beautiful drives now open, would be
closed to the people. An unpleasant ex-
ample of what might happen in the case
of Killarney was offered by the Giants
Causeway, which had been privately
purchased and the owner now asked a
toll from visitors.
Sir Robert Hunter and the bishop Of
London spoke in similar vein.
The most notable speech of the meet
ing was made by the Marquis of Duff
FERN, former governor general of Cam
ada and the dean of the diplomatic
corps of the British empire. Lord Duff
fern began his address by reading the
following resolutions:
THAT this meeting desires to record
its conviction that it would be deeply
to be deplored We're the lakes Of Killar-
ney, perhaps more widely celebrated
than any other spot in the British isles,
to be closed against the public or mar
red by vulgarizlng and incongruous
treatment, and urges that the opportu-
nifty offered by the sale of the Muckross
estate should be embraced to secure the
lakes permanently to the nation, as the
Falls of Niagara have been secured by
the joint action of the United States
and the dominion of Canada. That with
this object IL is desirable that the coun-
ell do organize a special committee Of
| members of the trust and others to take
such steps as may be practicable to
bring about the desired result"
In supporting the resolution, the Mar
quis of Dufferin said that as an Irish
| man, his natural instinct would have
| led him to make an appeal to the gen.
crosby of a beneficent government. He
was not sufficiently acquSinted or in
innate with the chancellor of the ex-
cheqGer to know whether that right
honorable gentleman was endowed with
one of those highstrung and sensitive
natures which burst into tears at the
sight of beautiful scenery, but even if
| he had a less emotional temperament,
| they would not be Incorporating the
funds Of the trust were they to give him
a free pass over the English and Irish
railways and direct their officers per-
sonally to conduct him over the beau
| ties of Killarney whose hills and woods
and waters would, he felt sure, make
| a more powerful appeal than the views
even of the intelligent and influential
Il fcrI1f
sion to wait upon him. (Hear! hear)
| Moreover, they could urge his atten-
ton to the example of that great coun-
try, the United States of America,
which perhaps more than any other,
/ seemed to promote and extend the
amenities of civilization and to provide
for the legitimate and innocent graft
| fication Of the public taste. In one
part Of America, a vast region has
been set aside as a kind of park or
place of recreation for the public at
large. In another part there was an
other region, equally extensive, devoted
to the preservation of specimens of all
the wild animals that could be found
on the continent. Again, Canada and
the state of New York Joined together
| in the most generous manner to res
cue the neighborhood of the Falls of
Niagara from an innumerable quantity
of sheds and shanties and every kind
of Disagreement, and one could not but
| imagine whether it was altogether inn
possible to induce her majesty's gov
eminent to take the same kind OF
view in regard to the lakes
| Of Killarney (hear. hear). But even
were such an appeal to be addressed to
deaf ears they were not altogether
| without resources to fall back upon.
| ireland was his home, and he was
| proud Of the many magnificent build
| ings in Ireland, which We're monuments
of the beneficence of private individu-
| ais. OF this he felt certain that If in
| Ireland there could he found a man or
a group of men who would combine to-
gether for the noble and patriotic pur-
pose Of acquiring the lakes of Killar-
ney, for the use of the people at large
their names would be regarded with
the utmost gratitude by innumerable
generations. (Cheers.) For some in
scrutable reason past the wit Of man
to understand, the capitalist no longer
showed q tendency to embark his
money in the purchase of agricultural
land in Ireland consequently it was
not to be expected that any one single
great proprietor would possess himself
| of this beautiful estate, for in that