The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-02-10
serious structural damage" /"

When Mitchell, after his election, re-
turned to Ireland, O'Brien saw him en-
tering the Cove Of Cork from which he
had sailed away twenty-six years be-
fore in convict ship-and saw, in
stantly, that the giant had come home
words of thanks to the electors of Tip
perary. Let one of you boys scribble
something" he said. O'Brien scribbled
the something requested. When Nit
chel looked at it, he said, "They would
have transported you for that in my
day."
The scene when Mitchell reached
Limerick Junction was more like the
outburst Of rebellion than the sequel
to a parliamentary election. The crowd,
not knowing Mitchell seized hold of
poor old gentleman who stepped off the
train-hoisted him on their shoulders
and cheered so that the poor old
gentleman's roars of remonstrance had
as little chance Of being heard in that
/
hopper. When the crowd found the
mistake, they unceremoniously dropped
the poor old gentleman on the platform
half dead, and made rush at the
ghost that was Mitchell; almost tear
ing him limb from limb in their
ravishment at having the grand old re-
volutionist among them again.
In the days when George Henry
Moore was electioneering in Tipperary,
that county boasted of character
known far and wide as The General"
Peter Gill, journalist, politician, and
orator. 'Pether's" paper, The Advocate,
had, when circumstances We're trying
and finances low, habit of not pre-
senting an appearance some weeks.
Then the subscribers got a printed slip
stating that: In consequence Of the
absence of the proprietor on important
political business, The Advocate will
not appear this evening" The "polit-
ical business" properly interpreted
meant sometimes, "Pether's" arrest for
debt, other times, the strike Of the
"staff" for their pay for the week pre-
ceding the weeks before last.
1.-The Generals voice was a more
potent instrument than his pen. how
ever" Mr.. OBrien tells us: He had
an inexhaustible fund of rich natural
eloquence, set off by a mellow voice, a
mouth capable of the drollest by-p play. a
rolling eye and an eye-glass which, he
at one moment thrust into his mouth
and sucked as if it were a lollipop. and
the next moment fixed under his eye
brow arch during his speeches. con-
vulsing his crowd now with variety
Of humorous jerks and winks, and
again appalling his enemies with the
glare of basilisk. When "Pether" got
up to speak on behalf of a hundred
thousand personal friends in Tipperary,
his boast was not a serious exaggera-
ton. His humor and richness of
ina gination gave him a special distinc-
ton among the men of Tipperary,
direction of straight-ahead action
and deadly earnest. rather than of
flowery speech, and he repaid his ad-
miring county with passionate ad-
miration Of his own. They tell me-
once heard him roll out in his melli-
fuous tones over a Tipperary crowd
they tell me Peter, you are getting on
in years; isn't there nice girl any
where around in Nenagh that would
warm the heart of the poor old Advo-
cate?' Gentlemen said Peter. erecting
the eyeglass and glancing over the
crowd in all his majesty, my bride was
Tipperary, and we spent the honey
moon on the slopes of Sieve ma :
mon.'"
At one time George Henry Moore ex-
pected at a monster meeting in Thurles,
missed his train and would arrive three
hours late. 1.-The General" was put up
to fill the gap, and hour after hour
kept the multitude in alternate roars
of Indignation and laughter, as he
lashed out at some local tyrants with
weapons Of passion and ridicule that
never failed. Suddenly priest, with
his eye on his watch, called out to
him, ITS all right, Peter; you may
wind up" Gentlemen" pursued the
orator, II have detained you too long
(cries of mo, no!"): you must blame
the numbering tyrants of Tipperary if
in the Indignation of an honest Irish
heart / have had to stand so long be-
tween you and our illustrious country.
man, George Henry Moore, whom l
know you are dying to lay your eyes
|upon."
Il When poor Isaac Butt, the great
minded, much misunderstood, unfor-
tunate Isaac Butt, went down to con-
test Limerick city and found the
bailiffs hot upon his track, he had to
fly to Kilrush to throw them off the
scent. When the whisper went round
that the great Butt was in hiding
amongst them the people turned out
en- masse and had torch-light process
sion in his honor! Butt then had to
make tracks from the killing kindness
of Kilrush, and seek refuge in another
distant town. Pending his election. he