The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-03-03

men. and perhaps that Is why no dis
aster could daunt the hearts of two
emigrant boys who set suil from Ire
land. within u few weeks Of each other.
just thirteen years ago. and of whose
signal good fortune he who runs may
read. says the New York Herald.
The stories of their careers and of
the triumphs which eventually. and so
recently. crowned those careers are
the making of two as pretty romanccs
as ever were conceived. and not the
least unlntercsting feature of it all is
The curious fact that in spite of the
many condolences therein, Michael
O'Connor and Robert Hughes never
heard OF one another until the day.
several weeks ago. when newspapers
all over the country published, side by
side, brief announcements of the Alad-
din-like transformations that had taken
place in the life of each.
Offered ones choice, 1t would be dill
cult to say Just which fortune one
would prcfer-that of the blue eyed.
fair haired merry mouthed youth from
old I.eitrim town or of the dark. ascetlc
young fellow from Belfast. Both
fortunes are equally dazzling. and how
they came by them equally interesting.
but inasmuch as the boy from Leitrim
happened to land on these shores first,
and inasmuch as he can claim II
priority Of three weeks in citizenship.
let his, Michael O'Connor's story be
told first.
1t will be necessary to imagine ones
self transported across the sea to the
ancient village Of Leitriln. where the
O'Connors have lived since time i'm
memorial. I.eitrim is on the banks of
that much sung stream the River
Shannon beloved of "Tom" Moore and
immortalized in his songs. There. close
upon its banks. stand the ruins of the
great old feudal castle which was once
the seat of Michael OConnor's illus
trious ancestor. Rhoderick O'Connor.
tho last King of Connaught, Prince of
13ranffny. About the crumbllng walls
the little town nestles closely. There
is the white house of the village squire.
| the apothecary shop. the cobbler's shop,
the wagonmakers' ana the village forge.
In the little white houses between dwell
the villagers. descendants every one OF
them of Irish kings.
The ground floor Of one of these
dwellings, contains general store. The
people Of 1.eitrim may buy anything
in this small, store from pound of
tea to n yard of gingham or n peck Of
potatoes. The proprietor of the store
Is Michael O'Connor's father. today the
most prosperous citizen Of Leitrim
and tho happicst and proudest man in
all the green land of Ireland.
For his son, his first born. the boy
who thirteen years ago set sail for the
alien land of America, has made n
fortune beyond tho dreams of Leitrim
avarice and like fairy prince has
bought back not only tho castle of his
long deposed ancestors, but the entire
town of Leltrim, his native place.
Michael. the fair haired, blue eyed.
merry mouthed boy who sailed away
thirteen years ago, is master Of the
town and its castle today. He it Is
who owns the long village street, the
forge, the apothecary shop, the cobbler
shop He it is, little Mike O'Connor,
who owns the squire's white house,
and the brown rectory, and ali! even
the pretty little church and the chapel
stands on Michael O'Connor's freehold
ground.
Formal announcement Of the pur-
chase of the village was made on
January 13 in the Leitrim Observer,
published at Carrick- on the Shannon,
and the same issue contained a de-
tailed story of Michael O'Connor's ad-
ventures in the land of his adoption.
Strangely enough, he did not make
his fortune after the manner usually
adopted by heroes Of romance. Heroes
from time immemorial have won their