The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-12-17
FAIRIES IN ireland
Many Strange Visions Seen
by Native Woman
AN INSIGHT INTO FOLK LORE
People 10th to Tell Of superstitions
The lrishmsn at Home Is Not
Witty as Is Generally Supposed by
Outsiders.


BY CHARLES BATTELL LOOMS.
Ennis, Ireland.-'1H niyer forget
wan gintleman that KEN here from
America. Fled been BORN here, but
had gone to Chicago whin he was q
lad al he had made fortune He had
hundreds under him, an he told
me he had niver touched drop
Of liquor. Oh, be was the kind
man. He hired me car every day
he was here, an he said amy time
! wanted to sind amy OF me sons over
to sind them to him an he'd take
them on an pay them good wages. on,
ne was the ginerous man-too giner-
GUS in fact He'd scatter his money
ike water whin he'd be in liquor"
"Why, I thought you said he never
touched a drop, Michael
~Ohi" with toss Of the head.
Sure that was in America. Bein' on
a holiday here be tasted It. an nkin'
the taste, he KEEP on. Sure he'd ding
money out be the handfuls If Id let
him. ! told him If he done that the
news Of 1t would spread an some Of
the wilder ones would demand it Of
him. an vance. / refused to so amy
further till he'd promise to stop throw
In money away-half sovereigns,
mind We. All, but he was the kind
man, drunk or sober. The day before
he left-an' he was here two or three
weeks huntin' for his birthpIace-he
said: Michael, I've drank too much,
but It tasted good. After to-day not
a drop / touch, an me goin' back TO
America. Sure, / hope he didn't, for
he had a fine business Of manufac-
lures Of some sort, an he says Sind
them along, Mike, when they does be
old enough, an III give them good
jobs. Only they must Fave liquor
alone All, kind man he was an a
true American. Vance met Lard
Kinmare, an l took of me hat to him.
Who's that? says he Lard Kin
mare, says I. Why do you take of
your hat to himT says he; he's only a
man like yourself I'll never forget
that Only man like meself"
asked this same jarvey II he would
ike to see home rule.
Sure. better wages would be bet
ter"
There are many like him IN Ireland.
men Of the practical kind, who would
rather see prosperity than home rule,
and who evidently do not believe the
two are synonymous terms
One needs to live long among the
Irish peasants TO get at their folk lore.
They are invariably agreeable to
strangers, as Michael has shown him
self TO have been to me. and are more
than willing TO talk about America and
the sorrows Of Ireland, but if the sub
ject OF fairy folk Is broached they seem
to be anxious to change the subject
was fortunate enough to get a little
insight into their beliefs, but before l
touch on the topic / would like to
scatter a few thoughts on the subject
Of Irish wit.
Here ] have set down a conversa-
ton Of typical Irishman, but You viii
notice that there is nothing witty in
what he says. In books he is witty,
and in Scotland the Scotchman is wit.
ty. as / had occasion to notice many
times last year when was there. but
in ireland II record personal impress
sions) the Irishman Is not witty, as
met him in the peasant class. ! have
eonversed with dozens and scarcely a
witty reply have had. Humor often,
but wit seldom. I sometimes think
that It is because have used the
wrong tactics. Perhaps II I had ban.
tered them they would have retaliated
7 fancy that their reputation for wit is
largely Of English manufacture. and
that the Engllshman calls It forth by
his undoubted feeling OF superiority
The wit is at his expense
We we're passing a little opening in
the woods the day rode with Michael
and ! said to him THAT would be a
fine place for fairies"
He quickly turned his head and
10 ,ked At me. SO it would, said he
@but they're all gone now Whin
was a boy the old folks did be talkin
Of them. but there's none Of then
now"
4 suppose So said ! sympathetical
coat Hospital National school, with
". "but a friend OF mine in connecti
cut an Ifishman. told me he'd beer
led BY them into bog with their false
lights"
"Oh.n said Michael, quick as wink
80 have l. They'd l'ade you to foil,
the lights. an tho first thing ye',
know ye'd be up to your waist IN 8
hog. But there's none Of them here
abouts, now.
And that ended Michael's remarks
about fairies. And that was further
than NEST Of them would 90 until
met an old woman on the west coast
She, after I had gained her confidence
talked quite freely with me.
asked her II she had ever seen an,
OF the red leprechauns q am not sur,
Of the spelllng) that are SO mischley