The Irish standard., 1901-12-14


STRIPPING bade adieu to his parents in
the brisk little market town Of
Graigue, county Kilkenny, and Joined
the nameless thousands of Irish
youths who were focking to America.
He came to Rochester, N. Y, and af
ter many vicissitudes which were
common to the experiences of immi-
grants in strange land, he finally
found himself settled in a comfortable
coal business. He found a wife in
the new land also, and in course Of
time sons and daughters were born
to him, but through the years he kept
as fresh and green in his mind as the
sod of the Emerald Isle the memory
of the home and dear ones he had left
behind.
Thus it came to pass that one bright
morning last September, Martin Bar
ron of this city, says the Rochester
IN. " Post-Express, found himself
again in the little market town of his
youth, with six short weeks before
him in which to visit his surviving
relatives and renew the acquaintance
of such old friends as were left.
Mr.. Barron is cultured mana
fine type Of the ''rale ould Irish gen.
tleman.' To a lifelong love for and
familiarity with books, he adds re-
markably keen faculty for observation
and happy manner of narrating the
results of his observations. A Post
Express reporter found him one morn
ing sitting in his business Office, sur
rounded with the evidences of his lit
erary tastes in the choice collection
of volumes which he keeps always
near his hand. He appeared delighted
to talk about his recent visit, and
said:
when I left the old country my
father and mother, one sister and four
brothers were living. When l came
back unannounced last fall, found
only my sister alive, but in the inter-
val of half century which had elaps-
ed, discovered that I had acquired
five nieces six nephews and more than
200 cousins. Fully one-fourth of the
population of Graigue is related to me
either by first or second ties Of blood.
"The country was the same, only
more beautiful than ever. Nowhere
else in the world can there be grass
and foliage so green; but alas, it all
comes from the rain which is, as of
old, Ireland's great climatic draw
back. I spent sixteen days in my old
home and it rained on fifteen of those.
The country roads, however, were de-
lightful-just about as good, in fact,
? as our asphalt streets.
Great changes, of course had
come over the country in my absence.
Magnificent railroads now span the
land in every direction and more are
constantly building. Let me tell you,
too, that there are no grade crossings
in Ireland. The roads either run un-
der the tracks or over them. Fine
vessels, too, navigate the rivers, and
one Of the pleasantest experiences of
my trip was the ride 1 took up the
river Barrow.
Great changes have come to the
peaple also. AS rule I found them
better housed, better clothed and fed,
much better educated and more COM
fortably fixed in every way than I
had ever known them. The just and
liberal land laws Of recent times have
done this. Now that the people have
firm tenure to the soil, with ample
protection in the matter of rents and
fair remuneration for improvements
made, they have an object for which
to live and work. The absentee land.
lord is still a feature of the country,
but his power to oppress is gone, and
even his inclination to do so, 1 be.
lieve. The rents are fixed for q ne.
riod of ten years; tenants cannot be
molested for two years if they fall in
arrears, and they have a redemptive
period of six months: All improve.
ments made on property must be paid
for at a fair remuneration. Under