Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-01-24
SCANDAL In IRELAND
Many Old Age Pensions Paid in Post
office-Saloons.
MONEY GOES TO WORST OFFICIAL
Pensioners Told Proper Way is to
PatroniZe Bar.
MOVE is MADE FOR REFORM
Proposed to Have Bar Separated from
Postal Department
REMEMBERS REBELLION OF 1898
remarkable Centenarian of Limerick
Is Dead at Age of 110-Flagrant
violations of Iriuh Truck
Act Are Reported.
REMEMBERS REBELLION OF 17s

complaint Is being made of state OF af-
fairs in the remote parts Of the west and
south Of Ireland which has been disclosed
in connection with the first payments of
ole u pensions. 1t is we'll known that in
.ctin, I On .ote villages most OF the postof-
IN Nre located in the local public house
or saloon, and 1t is difficult to see how
this state of affairs is to be avoided, for
In many villages the public house is the
only building architecturally suited for the
transaction of public~business At any rate,
grave scandal has arisen over the fact
that large numbers OF the old people who
received their unaccustomed allowance of
Sl.25 a week. for the first time, promptly
walked from the postofflce counter to the
drinking counter and spent good sized
portion OF their money. In many districts
It Is said that the report was industriously
circulated that it was the right thing for
the old people to drink the postmaster s
health" when they received their pensions.
The matter has been brought to the at
tention of the treasury and the postmaster
general and 1t is proposed that in all cases
where the postoffice is located in a pub
lie house the room occupied for postal pur-
poses must be properly divided from the
bar and provided with separate entrance.
IL Is also pIOpObtu 10 ISSUE ClICuldIS I'LL
pressing on the old people that they are
under no obligation to the postmaster or
anyone else for the receipt of their pen
sions.
Dies at Age of 1I0.
The death OF another remarkable CEN
tenarian has just been reported to the
Limerick Board OF Guardians. She was
Mrs. Catherine Leonard of Cappamore, who
was born in 1870 and who was, therefore,
nearly ll9 years old at the time OF her
death. Mrs. Leonard distinctly remem-
bered the events of the rebellion of 1898,
when two of her uncles were hanged and
her fathers house was burned by the yeo-
manry She often met and talked to Daniel
O'Connell and she never tired of describing
his eloquence.
Mrs Leonard married when she was II
wears old and she had fourteen children,
most OF whom emigrated to America. Two
of her sons were killed In the American
civil war, one fighting for the north and the
other for the south. Two sons who re-
mained at home were members of the
Fenian Organization and one of them mar
rowly escaped transportation for life for
his political activities Until within few
DAYS OF her death she was never attended
by a doctor and she was bright and active
until a month or two ago. Two months
ago she declined to apply for an old-age
pension, saying that 1t was not worth her
while, but one OF her daughters, who is
% years old, applied and was placed on
the pension list. She has grandson liv-
Ing at Cappamore who Is 60 years old. All
told. she had twenty-five grandchildren and
forty-seven great-grandchildren.
Truck Art DisreEarded.
A royal commission which has been en-
gagged in investigating the working of the
truck act which forbids the payment OF
wages in any other form than money, re-
ports that It is flagrantly evaded in con-
uection with the cottage industries In
Donegal The industries in which the
worst evasion takes place are "sprigging
or embroidering handkerchiefs and table
linens sewing shirts and collars. and hand
and machine knitting The greater part OF
this work is given out by large manufac'
turing firms through local agents, and is
paid for not in money, but in provisions
which are charged for at an exorbitan'
price. The manufacturers are not to blame
for this, but the agents, who are generally
small shopkeepers are, and It is extremely
Aifficuit to punish them under the act, be
cause they comply with the letter OF 1t by
handing the workers payment in cash. II
is perfectly we'll understood on both sides
however, that, II the money or the greater
part Of II, is not spent Immediately oveI
the agents counter no more work will b,
given out
New Territory lSr Tourists.
A new district OF Donegal is opened tC
tourists and trade by the formal inaugura
tion OF the new railway which has JUS
been constructed between starabane anC
Letterkenny. The railway, which is nine
teen miles long, has cost 81, 100000 Stra
bane is an important market town and {
leading junction station on the Grea
Northern railway between Belfast anC
Derry. so that the new line throws opeI
the country tapped by It to tourists from
either Of the two northern ports. II als'
gives an outlet to the for the manu-
factured and agricultural products OF III,
district There are already importan
wooden mills at Convoy, which is one o
the stations on the new line.
His Wealth In Engine.
novel savings bank has Just been dis
covered in Belfast, The man who ha,
been employed for twenty years to run tn
engine IN saw mill became III suddenl!
and was taken to the hospital The MAJ
who took his place decided to give the en-
Eine thorough overhauling before becom
ing responsible for H. and in the manhol
beneath the fire he found a tin box con
taining nearly 5000 In bank notes. Tn
money was taken 10 the hospital where
was claimed by the old engine man, VIII
managed TO tell his successor that II h
looked he would find more cash. The ma
did look and In the oil bed below tn
crank OF the engine he found another bo
eontsining nearly 500 In gold.
A tall hunting story comes from Glen
arm, County Antrim, where farme
named Robinson says that he was crossin
a field with his gun the other day when h
saw a hare come bounding towards him
He fired and killed the hare, and on pick
Ing II up he found dead weasel clingin
TO the hare's neck. Apparently the weass
had been out for a ride on the hare. an
was killed by the same shot from IN
farmers gun which killed its steed.