Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16

and to the town land of Thrummon an
nounce the exact weight and dimensions OF
the extraordinary egg laid on last Thurs
day by Cornelius McGlanachy's spotted
duck.
Handling His Correspondents.
Michaers numerous, army of correspond
ents. for he has a correspondent-an as
piring literary man-in each district, sal
aried with salary Of one copy Of The Uni
verse per week. has got to be kept in
hand, humored, and their energies turned
into the proper channels; their talent for
romancing has got to be gently and firmly
repressed. their copy sternly edited and
their poems" published or promised.
AS there Is marriage, a meeting an in
quest or a funeral every other day of the
week. Michael cannot easily afford to take
to himself any day but Sunday. Conse-
Quently on the Sabbath he only takes notes
Of Father Dams Sermon picks up items
from the natives of the outlying districts
who materialiZe once week at mass. clears
off his correspondence score and heaves
his conscience. Then he is prepared to
fill new weeks work with good nerve and
cool courage.
Queer Libel Suits.
Michael has been defendant in only ten
libel actions in an editorial career of TWEEN
ty-nine years-which Is record in Irish
provincial journalism, and in only twenty
per cent of these was the decision given
against him. which Is another record. For
fair comment is very much limited In
it's significance. on this side the water
where the omission of mans name from
a funeral list has been presumed to prove
malice OF Michael's libel actions, ironical
correspondents brought on him nine, and
for the tenth he was himself unconsciously
responsible. when, intending only harm
less satire Of Paddy the Blast de. Boastcr),
he said, in writing of an amazingly large
donkey which Mr.. Murnaghan. the magis-
trate, had just imported into the district,
he said: 'In short, 1t is the most extraordi-
nary ass any one in this part of the country
has ever seen, with the possible exception
of our friend Patrick Curnien."
Poor Michael really had not the remotest
intention Of conveying that PATRICK was,
phenomenally, the superior of Mr.. Murna-
ghan's quadruped;h but perverse jury,
who slept during three hours of grammati-
cal demonstration. awarded Paddy the
Blast a solatium of one pound sterling for
the irreparable injury done his character.
News From the Outside.
But the country people do not rely solely
upon the Universe for news of the outside
world. The shoemaker and the tailor get
Dublin weei1ies, and the neighbors for a
long distance around gather at night to
hear the news read aloud, and to discuss
and debate it. The schoolmaster, too, gets
a Dublin weekly, and American papers are
taken to him, Az, these he reads and ex-
pounds to his nSteners-people who cannot
afford the extravagance of a paper of their
own.
In QUE fathers early days the great Dub
lin weekly. The Nation, which cost six
pence. was subscribed for by club of the
neshbors of each big district; the tailors
son was paid siXpence for travelling to
Donegal town to intercept the mail coach
and get our copy: and on Sunday after
noonS when the neiShborS gathered, Ellen,
the tail0r'S daughter was hoiSted upon
chair on the table from which position she
read, aloud Dan OConnelrs laundering de-
nunciaticns Of misruie and persecution, the
fiery words Of Davis and OF Mitchell and
the ringing ballads of the young Irelanders.
Ellen, Dan O'Connen. The Nation-all
three are gone-but all three are. by US,
not forgotten. SEUMAS MacMANUS.