Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-11
IRISH EXPOSITION
IMPORTANT RISE OF MANY home
INDUSTRIES.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
DUBLIN. August ll.-This. the year Of
the exposition has been without doubt the
dampest season known In a hundred years.
, The rainfall since the opening Of the expo
, sition, has, in fact been phenomenal. There
| have been one or two respites. especially
| worth mentioning being the one during the
| royal VISIT. His majesty brought good
weather with him. but he took it away
with him once again. And Dublin lapsed
into the former state of gloom and show
ers, with now and then DEUCE lasting all
day
But in spite of it all the exhibition is
making brave attempt to be cheerful.
| The officials have laughed when any one
! tried to sympathze with them about the
weather. and prophesied that the next day
would be fine. Storekeepers positively beam
| upon the scattering and the smatterng OF
! visitors In general. and Americans In par
| ticular, and declare that the more 1t rains
! the more goods they will sell. for then the
people will have nothing else to do except
The exposition really deserves the best
! of seasons. Sim Foin's systematic boycott
did not cripple it much-did not hurt It
half as much as the weather. The build
! ings are artistic and we'll grouped, and the
grounds are laid out with exceptional care.
There is an art gallery which alone Is
| esting display of native workers which
| marks the growth Of the new Industrial
Ireland.
The Irish section gives a striking example
| of the new occupations being introduced
| into the country districts in the effort to
| stem the tide OF emigration.
Lord Ashbrook's Loom.
| AS for weaving there are some instructive
| exhibits, proving that good wages can be
made by workmen of average ability-as
| much, all things considered, perhaps. as IL
| they should emigrate. FOR instance, there
| Is Thomas O'Brien of Clareglen working
away on an old-fashioned handloom sucn
| as insures an expert weaver 80 shillings
per week. Such a loom can be seen in
| many parts Of Mayo Galway, Clare, Kerry
and Cork. Thomas grandfather used the
| same loom in his day, and doubtless it will
descend to Thomas, SON of Thomas, in the
same way.
Lord Ashbrook has invented an automatic
! handloom, rather better in arrangement
| than Thomas O'Brien's and far easier to
work. Patrick Sims of Durrow. in charge
| of this loom, proves daily that it can be
| made to yield weekly wage Of 30 shillings.
| Curtain-making started In Connemara by
| the congested districts board Is home in
dustry rapidly developing in the west OF Ire
| land
One could not ask for finer dress goods or
| blankets or rugs than those turned out by
| the representatives of the Munster wooden
factories. Carpet making is equally flour
ishing in Donegal, and there are now four
f1ourishing factories in the country. One
of the most interesting samples Of Donegal
carpets Is one With Coptlc design, by Mrs.
Watts, widow Of the late G. f. Watts,
r. A.
The Irish Midway.
Some of the Irish enterprises shown have
really succeeded far beyond the widest
dreams Of the promoters. Shirt making at
Mullaghbawn, for example. The factory
was started two years ago In the heart of
the mountains. 1t Is lighted and driven by
electricity. employs nearly 100 hands, and
the goods are sold to manufacturers nearly
three months in advance.
1t may be news to many people that Tip
perary gloves are finding a ready sale in
London shops, but this Is the case. And
1t is only one Of thousand illustrations of
what Is being done in various ways
throughout industrial Ireland
The exposition, of course, has its humor
GUS side-that side which contributed to
make the Midway at the worlds fair at
Chicago and the Pike at the Louisiana pur-
chase exposition, at st. Louis world wide,
world famous. The visitors who wander
| through the home industries section how
ever are usually appreciative and patriotic.
| but they show their patriotism and appre-
citation in different ways. The most orig
| inal was that of lusty farmer lad who
| came from Scarva with an excursion party.
| He walked a lot and drank lot. and then
| he came to the model village hospital, with
| its two sick rooms, each containing two
snowy cots. Promptly he went to sleep in
ward No. 1. Nothing could have exceeded
| his surprise and Indignation when he was
| awakened and elected few minutes later.