The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-01-09
"CORK'S OWN CITY"
MUlvANEY'S NATIVE PLACE A
LIVELY TOWN.
One Of the Busiest Of the centers OF
Population Of Which ireland May
Boast - Visitors Are Ever
Welcomed.

Leaving the depopulation and stag
nation of the smaller towns on the
way south the traveller is glad to
reach the lively city OF Cork, says a
writer in the New York Post Cork
has enjoyed the reputation of being
one of the most patriotic-not to say
rebeIlious-centers in ireland, yet no
spot wears the air Of having a griev
ance. She appears too busy for that
Every available industry seems to be
in progress there. although her fine
quays see not a large sea trafIic
The Corkians are ready to post"
newcomer on every point relating to
their city and pleased II the stranger
shows any knowledge of it. sailed
on the River Lee during one OF their
pleasure trips and the men especially
took pride in dwelling ON the city's
growth and fullness of population
above 100. .oo0-and in pointing out
how the prosperous business men
lived in pretty villas that dot the well
kept roads along It's fine suburbs, all
the way up to Monkstown.
A good man" said one. pointing
W d pot III k{iftllSNo DDI- uph
know that the beach is named brakes
point because it was there the great
sailor hid with few little vessels
while a Spanish feet was looking for
him. The harbor wasn't navigable
above that in brakes bay. II has
been dredged for miles above that
since. Many Americans. too. seem
surprised when we tell them twas
from brakes point William Penn set
sail to buy Pennsylvania. after selling
out an Irish estate which Cromwell
gave his father"
But II the suburbs of Cork are
charming, the city itself can hardly
be called so. st. Patrick's street is
broad thoroughfare and many streets
have some modern buildings but the
city's older parts are decrepit rather
than dignified. and there is a general
air of ambition having outrun achieve
ment. Exploring its byways. one dis
covers a strange discrepancy between
its inhabitants. though the same is
true OF all Irish towns.
In ireland you see people who are
able to control their own destinies and
within a stones throw OF these may
be found people OF the same lineage
so steeped in the hopelessness of ac.
cepted poverty that they have ceased
to regard themselves as entitled to
any rights as individuals and who are
apparently unaware OF the squalor in
which they exist
II is a hopeless sign. however that
the worst poverty is confined almost
wholly to towns and cities. In the re.
hottest country districts scarcely any
of its worst forms are visible. Every
where the people tell me the same
thing: that the country is much bet
ter than 1t has been and is constant.
ly improving. Almost always they
add: If you think it bad now. you
,ught to have seen 1t 90 odd years
ago. before the land agitation" An
other point they are always ready to
insist upon is that the land is coming
nto their own hands by purchase
through the government.
This land purchase becomes more
noticeable the farther south and south
west you travel. Wherever the land
is of least value the landlords are sell.
ing it, while in the interior OF the
country, where the richest land lies
t Is in the hands of graziers.