The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-01
IRISH LANDLORDS
WATCHING FOR LEGACY
Strange Results of the Fortune
Left by Irish Woman in
America
Special Foreign Service

Special Foreign Service
DUBLIN, Dec. 31.-It seems that the
arrival of the fortune of s350,000 left
by Margaret O'Hare, the adopted
daughter of Thatcher Magoun, of Mer-
ford, near Boston, is being awaited
anxiously by several Irish landlords
simultaneously with the passing of the
Irish land act, which enables the Irish
peasantry to buy out their landlords,
the news reached the little town of
Newry, in the northeast of Ireland, that
Margaret Cor Maggie O'Hare as she
was called in her girlhood days. had
died in Boston and had left the bulk
of her fortune to a brother and sister
who live in an obscure little village
called Donoughmore, about four miles
from the town referred to.
This brother, Joseph O'Hare, had al
ready entered into negotiations with
his landlord to buy his small farm Of
thirty acres with the aid of money
provided by the government under the
land act, but when the welcome news
arrived that there was prospect of his
succeeding to a nice little fortune of
something like $4,000. he hesitated
and subsequently declined the as
sistance of the English exchequer.
''Tll have my own money" said he to
himself, "in a month or two, and
don't see why I should be under an
obligation to the government"
The countryside f1ocked to Joseph
O'Hare's humble cottage to congratu-
late him ON his good fortune, while
many who knew Maggie" as a child
in the. famine days of 1S47, when she
set sail for America, dropped a tear at
the news of her death.
Joseph O'Hare has returned from
Boston, whence he was invited to es-
tablish his claim, and is already rec
OgniZed as one of the wealthieSt men
coming into the market town of Newry.
The landlord and his agent, who rarely
saw him except on occasions when his
rent was due, are now constant visitors
at his cottage and fraterniZe with him
as if he were a millionaire freshly i'm
ported.
Although the money has not reached
Donoughmore yet, all sorts of sugges-
tionS are being forced on O'Hare with
regard to the disposal and investment
of his suddenly acquired wealth. Some
say that q store in the town of Newry
would yield good results; others, active
in the Irish Industrial revival, say that
he ought to establish a factory in the
village, which would give employment
" d hulllDtI u young WOIIleH WHO Will
otherwise be forced to emigrate to
America or England. Joseph O'Hare
is, however, welded to farming, and
Thatcher Magoun'S money is to go into
the land. He is an old man, he says,
and in the natural course of events he
will not have much time left to bother
about newfangled ideas. He has al
ready made his will, leaving his for
tune to a number of sons and daugh-
ters.
The O'IIare family are the talk of the
district, and it is noticed that they are
already putting on side" The farm
er's cart is discarded in many instances
and the more fashionable conveyance
of the jaunting car has taken it's place.
The neighbors have dropped fainil-
iarities, and "Old Joe" that was is now
Mr.. OHare." The daughters wear the
latests fashions in dress and millinery
and no longer belong to the common
people. Unkindly neighbors as they
pass along wag their heads and insin-
uate that it is only Thatcher Magoun's
money after all.