The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-08-03
Soon the Empty Prairies of Roscommon, Sligo
Mayo, and Galway Will be the
Homes of Small Farmers.
A Movement Now on Foot to Utilize the
Bog Fields in Several Counties For
Generating Power.

finds the cattlemen shooting into the
crowds and shooting for results.
The writer paid visit to the De
Freyne estate in Roscommon. This
property of Lord De Freyne is mere
agricultural slum and the peasants
live in the direst poverty on patches
of bog land which only produces in
response to incessant hard labor It
is one of the most congested districts
and one of the poorest in Ireland, and
three years ago the sheriff was busy
there evicting peasants who found it
impossible to pay their rents. The
government has decided to take the
majority of the tenants away from
the estate and plant them on grass
lands in other parts of Roscommon,
but those whose neighbors they are to
become declare that they will not all
low this and will drive them back IT,
Frenchpark. ~ They say they want the
land for themselves and will not allow
strangers TO come IN and take up. any
part Of It,, This, aspect OF the case
gives the estates commissioners some
concern.
1t would be almost impossible to
drive through a more snoyrnful. de-
serted and depressing region than those
midland counties of brown bog and
empty prairie. Hour after hour one
passes along by undrained peat land
covered with reeds and grazing land
loaded with stones and nettles. The
| fiat country stretches from horizon
to horizon, and now and again one
comes to the little white cabin of the
peasant who works hard day after day
on the little patch assigned to him
trying to make ends meet At the
moment the vast bogs are dreary
wastes save for the bits Of fuel cut
fEom them by the peasants, but in the
near future they may be the means OF
bringing riches to the country.
| A prospecting party Of German and
Irish engineers are at work on the
Bog of Allan. They say that the gen.
GRAFTON OF. power from peat has been
most successful in. Germany and that
Ireland offers greater scope and a
promise of bigger success than has
attended the industry in the father
land Accordingly they have made
final arrangements to float company
which will be largely financed in Ger
many for the purpose of utilizing the
bogs in half dozen counties, and
they calculate that in addition to the
revenue cheap power will bring in the
sale of the by-products will yield con-
siderable wealth.
Regarding the grazing war the At
torney General has departed from his
custom up to the present by ordering
bills to be presented at the assizes
against men who were tried by Ma
tlOHdllSt magistrates ana acquitted
This; determination has amused the
people. who declare that the govern
ment will not get a jury to, convict
unless they send the cases for trial in
outside counties. which is improbable
Kings county and Sligo are the only
counties in the western province where
a bench has: sent men to Jail for cattle
raiding, and the prisoners in the latter
case were men sent there from tbs
County of Roscommon.
In the meantime more and more po-
lice are being: taken from other dis
tricts and sent to the disturbed areas
The entire reserve has been exhausted
and the authorities are begging fol
|'recrnits. % They find it hard to gel
them. whereas a few years ago crowds
of young men would have .focked tc
the depot to put on the uniform. II
is found that. hundreds OF men whoss
names We're on the recruiting roll have
emigrated: and of those who remain
few are willing to join the police III
1.-THE present circumstances. It Is