Semi-weekly herald., 1908-08-31
WEST COAST or ERtM
( BARREN AND DREARY

| CLIFDEN. Aug. 10.-This b the q
ttreme western point of Ireland, ant
for that reason Marconi selected 4
for his wireless telegraph station IL
Communication with Canada and tn,
United States. 1t Is 1920 miles in
direct line OF st. John. New Bruins
wick. and. as gentleman With whou
was talking today remarked, There
not a spheck Of droy Land upon whicl
q burrd could rist the sole OF It's fooi
bechune this blessed spot and Amer
icky." II you win take the map you
will understand the situation better
and a geological chart OF the island
will show you that the western coast
from Mixxen Head to Bloody ForeIand
is protected by a chain OF mountains,
bleak, rugged and abrupt, which ma.
ture has placed as q buttress to sup.
port the rest OF Ireland against the
fierce attack of the Atlantic. They
have terrible storms over here, and
northwest gale several times year
that is terrific. The east winds, which
we dread. bring good weather In Ire
land. but the west wind brings storms
and cold and mists that are almost as
bad as the London fog.
This is the congested district, but
1t does not bear that name because the
population is overcrowded. but because
there are too many people for this IT,
hospitable land to support. The inhab-
itants are scattered over vast area
The other day was told that / could
see from one point as far as a radius
OF twenty-five miles and there wasn't
human habitation In sight. nor vac
there any inducement to build one be-
cause the country was bleak. barren,
rocky wilderness without soil for crops
or shelter for cattle. Here Ia the
greatest degree Of poverty and suffer.
ing In Ireland. and here the govern
ment is doing its greatest benevolent
work In trying to place the people
upon farms that are large enough to
support them and finding them other
occupations by which they can earn a
few additional dollars.
A railway WAS built from Galway
along the edge of the ocean TO Clifden
few years ago and thu track hugs tho
coast as closely as possible. An hour
after leaving Galway nature begins
to disclose her untrlendliness, Tie
mountains begin to loom up to height
o. 1000 and 1900 feet. the landscape
becomes stern and forbidding. and
there is no vegetation except hea. her,
which is now In full bloom and adds a
purple hue to the wilderness. Heather
seems to be as brass. as enduring and
as selfreliant as the sage brush that
decorates the arid plains OF oir west
ern states. and nothing seems to dis.
courage It's growth Alternating with
the rocks are peat beds. In which peo-
pie are busy getting out a supply Of
fuel for next winter and stacking 1t in
little piles to dry.
The most prominent feature of the
landscape is group of mountains call
ed the Twelve Bens-sometimes writ
ten the Twelve Pins. They are 80
called because Of their conical, dome
like peaks and the similar Individual
ity Of each. They rise almost from
the level Of the Atlantic and for that
reason look higher than they really
are. The highest is Ben Buan, 2,393
feet, and the lowest is Ben Brach, l.
922 feet. Their sides are SCARED with
the wounds Of terrestrial commissions
and gracial action. and they are COM
posed very largely Of quartzite. which
frequently furnishes a white surface
that glistens In the sunlight and adds
to the picturesque effect. From these
mountains comes the Connemara mar
BILE, the most valuable stone In the
United Kingdom. often az Ane in grain
rs the malachite and lapis luzuli Of
the Urals and the onyx Of Mexico. It
is used both for construction and for
ornamental purposes and the quarries
are very profitable.
The landscape is dotted with little
lakes and ponds which have NO visible
outlet, but are all connected some
how underground. Most Of them cover
only an acre or two. but Lough Corrib
is the largest in Ireland except Lough
Neagh. near Belfast. Lough Mask and
Lough Cong are also several miles In
length and two or three miles in width.
There are said to be 1856 lakes in Ire
land. and one would Judge that the
larger number Of them are IN Conne-
mara They are fed by springs ana
rainfall and are said TO abound In flsh.
The railway companies advertise this
IS the best fishing ground in tho world
and announce that they have leased
several Of the loughs In order 70 pro
vide free fishing for all excursionists.
That is great attraction for city
people when they take their vacations,
because elsewhere as a rule when Q
man wants to go fishing he is com.
PEELED to take out license and paw
handsomely for the privilege-from
$3.50 to IS a day. Therefore the ~.
vertisements Of free fishing in Come
mara combined WITH f6o sNonaev