The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-01-28
Ireland and the Famine.

Far and wide the praises Of Denver
| generosity are being sounded for the
prompt action which the city has taken
in seeking to relieve the distress OF
the peasantry of Ireland who, it is said
are actually suffering to the point of
starvation on account of the failure OF
the potato crop. Much argument has
been aroused by the establishment of
famine fund as to whether or not the
people are actually in need. The point
has been widely discussed and several
Denver people have taken the oppor-
tunity to communicate with friends in
the Emerald isle to ascertain the exact
conditions. The answer to all has been
the same. The people are, in need and
unless assistance lis forthcoming the
conditions of the famine of almost six
decades ago will be repeated. Last
week John X. Mullen sent atcable mes
sage to the archbishop of Tuam ask
ing for statement as to conditions
there and in reply came word TO the
effect that matters are in a bad shape
and that unless aid MS forthcoming.
starvation faces the poor. At almost
the sames time Stepheb J. Donleavy
communicated with Rev. John O'Con-
nor who is in the heart Of the famine
district and his reply was worded as
follows:
Conditions very bad. Aid is desired
Immediately, especially send potatoes"
A mass meeting was held in the
chamber of commerce Sunday after
noon to discuss the best means of aid
ing the sufferers and at this meeting
a committee of seven was appointed TO
look after the needs of the famine suf-
ferers and Rev. Mullen was made
chairman of this committee and his
assistants are Rev. Cornelius O'Farrell,
Patrick R. Riordan, Stephen j. Don
leavy NJ. J. O'FaHen, Daniel B. Carey
and Joseph P. Dunn. Rev. Percy A.
Phillips, chancellor of the Denver do
cese last week sent the contribution of
the Catholics of Colorado to the Times
fund. 1t represented cities far and
wide and scattered throughout the
state From Colorado Springs, st.
Mary's church came S133 and from the
knights of Columbus of that city came
SIS in another check. Rev. t. NJ. Con-
way of Grand Junction forwarded
draft for $23 through subscriptions and
Rev John B. White of Colorado City
sent $3.50. Father Gabriel Ussel of
Walsenberg collected SO and from Del
Norte and Alamoso came So. Canyon
CITY sent one subscription of 81 and
Gunnison contributed of which $25 was
the subscription of the Ancient Order
Of Hibernians. Father Deatcher took
charge of the Gunnison money. -Four
dollars and a half came from La
Junta from Rocky Ford. SO, from Las
Aninas. $3.50: from Trinidad, S19; from
Aspen. $40: the personal contribution of
Rev. Father billy, and from st. Pat
rick's church at Pueblo, through Rev.
J. ]. Brown, s. j.. $3.50. Victor sent
So. 20. and Empire, through Rev. Father
Donovan. $3.50 Miscellaneous sub
S56O.45. which sum was turned over by
Father Phillips Friday to the Denver
Times.
Proof that the money is really needed
Ia Ireland comes from all sources. Last
week Mrs. Catherine Belford returned
to Denver after year at her old home
il, Ireland and she tells the following
story of the misery there:
The suffering which the peasantry
in certain districts of Ireland is expert
encing just now actually beggars de-
scription. Misery on all sides brought
about by the failure of the potato crop
has never been equoled in the recent
history of that country. My home is
at Leitrim. and there is no starvation
there: but in the vicinity we constant
ly see misery and wretchedness. In |
the County Galway the situation is at
its worst. and it threatens to spread |
all adjoining districts. Es-
pecially Nhere there are large fami- |
les the suffering is intense, for with |
out the potato crop it is simply impOs-
sible for them to exist.
IN the congested districts in the |
northwest the people have been forced |
to make a plea to the government and |
have instituted what they call the |
'.congested districts board through |
whom they hoped to obtain relief. This |
board mas encountered a snag in |
Wyndham, the home secretary and |
they blame him for disappearing |
peasantry is actually i'm state of star |
walton. and in the district extending |
from Sligo eastward and to the north |
this state of affairs is not confined to |
the very poor, but is spreading among |
The upper classes. OF course, the land /
lords are blamed for it. What little
help the poor receive comes from the |
priests.
Fully 40 per cent of the population
in the north and west of the country |
depend upon the potato crop for ac- /
tual sustenance. Not only do they !
depend OH them for food, but the profit /
in shipping and marketing them means
everything to them. They are shipped
from Sligo and Belfast to Bundoran |
and all the coast cities. and this gives
to hundreds of men. The
landlords are holding the peasantry |
5own to where they get only the up
ands now and the rain washes in all
Out The rents. instead of decreasing
II the face of the terrible conditions,
IRE steadily, advancing