The Irish standard., 1905-01-21

surrounding country had not been
nearly so frequent as formerly.
"But do they still evict tenants as
they used to-" said.
The cartman replied that there
would be an eviction here, and an
eviction there, but not an eviction Of
an entire village. He added that they
used to take the roofs off the cabins,
but that latterly this custom had been
abandoned. On top of this he told me
that the women of certain family in
the village farther along the road were
crying their eyes out because the
king" had given notice that they
would be evicted on the morrow. 1
determined to see that spectacle Of
medievalism, and so ordered the man
to take me to the nearest town where
l could find bed for the night. He
did so, and the next morning drove
to the little village where the eviction
was to take place. His majesty's Off
GERS were there ahead of me. The
women We're weeping, the men stood
stolidly by, furtively eyeing the con-
stables. The inmates of all the sur
rounding cabins had gathered there in
the pouring rain, only few having
umbrellas, the majority in clothing that
had long lost all shape and was now
simply cloth to cover nakedness.
y constable at last entered the house,
followed by two sub-constables, while
two more sub-constables stood outside
to see that there was no breach of the
peace. Formerly, 1 was told, the con-
stables used to arrive at the place of
eviction with rifles a-shoulder. Now,
however, there was no display of arms.
In fact, the whole thing was orderly
enough, the only disturbance of the
peace being the wailing Of the women,
which made the scene resemble all
the more funeral. The constables
brought out, first, the Inevitable ward
robe, then the usual benches, then the
wooden plates, then the old black pot,
then even the peat from the fireplace.
1t was the sight Of the outcoming old
black pot, in which many a potato
had been cooked, that more than any,
thing else gave rise to fresh outbursts
of grief on the part Of the women. The
constables explained that even the peat
was brought out, because absolutely
every article must be turned out Gin
the kings name," otherwise it would
not be deemed clear possession.
Tenants dispossessed in the United
States usually have some place to go,
or friends to turn to. But in Ireland
the evicted people are usually without
IL single source in the way Of shelter.
The family evicted before my very
eyes was in just such plight. There
they stood in the pouring rain, the
children standing barefoot in the mud,
and their household good lying exposed
like nobody's property, absolutely
homeless and penniless. Friends they
had among the assembled neighbors,
but what can one expect from friends
who are as desperately in want as
ones self? cut laves nothin' for than
but the worllhouse," observed one of
the neighbors. And so it proved. The
constables brought up their cart, and
presently drove off with the evicted
family-to the workhouse.
County Donegal is in the extreme
north of Ireland, where conditions are
supposed to be at the best. Yet in
this county, in the villages off the rail-
ways, 1 saw poverty as abject as that
in the southern counties, where the
conditions are supposed to be at the
worst. In the middle of this county
noticed almost a total absence of cat
tie. "Why are there no cattle in the
fields here?" asked. Because" was
the reply, 'every man in this part Of
the county who can afford cattle is be-
hind with the kings rates. The ten
ants know that their cattle would be
seized by the kings men, We all
have to drive the miles to Donegal sta
ton when milk is wanted for the
babies"
I went on into the heart of West
port to the hotel, finding there a swarm
of tourists. "What fine country!"
exclaimed school teacher from
Wayne, Ind. "Why do they say Ire
land is so poor? We have just seen
the loveliest people, all living in the
sweetest, cleanest vine-clad cottages"
1 tried to explain to the lady tourist
from Indiana that she had seen only
that part of Ireland reached by the
railroads, and attempted to convey to
her some idea Of the conditions away
from the path of steam power. But
she only exclaimed, "Incredible!'
ended my journey of investigation
at the seaport town Of Galway. There
I abandoned the lopsided car and took
the railway back to Dublin. AS 1
neared Galway my car overlook a
number Of women, young and old, all
wearing red skirts, nearly all in rags,
and every one carrying huge basket
of produce to be sold in the town. They
all hopt foryvar1 ,1ndar tho Uoipht Of