The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-01

bile County could tell tales of how Democratic headquarters in the Gulf City awaited anxiously for the belated returns to come up from Dauphin Isl- and and save an election day from rad icalism.
 A rest at the village store, chat with the villagers and then we were off on a tramp across the island for a dip in the surf of the Mexican Gulf. Our way led tn. ouGh wooded slens. bram- bles, palmettoes, and past neat cot tages of the island. We clambered over veritable mountain of snow-white sand and the blue-green waters of the Gulf broke upon our view-a panaroma of bewildering beauty. Far to the north lay Pelican Island, and in the distance the lighthouse of Sand Island. We were four miles west of Fort Gaines and across the sea the drowning walls of Fort Morgan loomed their burnished guns glistening in the sunlight. At our feet law a firm. sandy beach. as firm, in fact as an asphalt pavement. The white-capped waves rumbled and roared as they beat upon the sands their invitation to battle with us. It was a surf both unequaIled by Atlantic City or any other place. And how we enjoyed 1t!
 Judge Austin led us back to the vil- lage for a breakfast of fish, oysters, coffee and other sea delicacies.
 With Maurice O'Connen.
 Late in the day we found the Irish rover Maurice OConnelI of Bally Castle, who had received us to the Island in the early morning, and for an hour our party listened to his philosophy and his wit His faithful dog was still on guard duty at the camp under the ce- dars and announced our coming.
 Tier names Nellie" says the Irish man, "an' she goes wherever goes. It's me to have a female dog. I says, when I starts to travel. Animals Is like hu- mans, I says, the female Is faithful; she'll stay sta-ay wita yez in fair weather, and she'll sta-ay with yez in foul So I keeps a female dog.
 Phe ladies of our party smiled at this allusion to the fidelity of their sex. and Nellie barks her delight at the approach of her master.
 Then we listen to the stories of travel and adventures of Maurice oConnell, told in infmitahle style He Is 42 years old. But" he adds slyly. If told yez everywhere I'd been, ye'd think was $50 years old"
 Maimed as a young miner in Ireland. OConneil became a sailor. His love of travel was the inspiration of school room.
 "Wlfen the school ma am would point 10 the map, Ho sdiu, dh say thoe Africa, where the elephants an the os- triches come from I says. Maurice OConnell,' says I, is to see them efe- phants and ostriches ye must be goin', an I did, by me faith, I did"
 He served a Prince of India, having charge of sixty horses. 'an' atin' me grub from the same table as this foine man." He wanted OConnell to sign five-year contract, but, T tells him must be a-goin. There's more of the wurruld, says l." he added.
 How did you get here?" inquired one of the ladies impatiently
 For answer the Irishman pointed to a small canoe, moored at the shore. Ar ter travelling all of the Old World. OConnell landed on the northwestern coast of North America. He drifted down the Mississippi River in canoe to Memphis, selling articles of his han diwork for a livelihood. Then he went overland to Columbus. Mss, where he built a. boat and came down the Tom bigbee River to Mobile. He heard that Dauphin Island was a fine place to rest through the summer. and here he was.
 An, faith, 1t Is a foine pla-ace-a dom foine place-askin' we're pardin'. I'll not be goin' for a while"
 Thus we went away and left him alone with Nellie, the dog. We agreed with him that Dauphin Island is a fine place, asking your pardon for the ad- jective, a fine place to rest.