Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1910-03-18
ST. PATRlck's DAY.

AS we 60 to press, the feast Of st.
Patrick is being celebrated by sacred
concert In st. Joseph's church. The
date of the great apostles birth is dis.
puted, but all accounts are included be-
tween the year 373 the date of his
birth and 1893, the date of his death.
According to these he was taken car
tive by the Irish army in 3S9 with
many thousand persons" as he states
In his "Confession" and given to O.
chieftan in Antrim as a herder. Here
he, spent over six years and made his.
escape, but during his captivity he be-
came familiar with the Irish language.
After his return to his home he had Al
vision that young man named VIC.
torcus brought him numerous letters
from the Irish requesting him to res
turn to them. He resolved upon a res
ligious life and In 1872 was sent asE
bishop by Pope Celestine, ''to the
Scots believing in Christ" All ac-
counts agree that the saint landed IN
Ireland in 433. The more moderate
claim that he was born in 3S7 and
died in 465, thus limiting his apostle
ship to 80 years, while the extreme ac-
counts place his death at 493, giving
him an apostleship of so years. I'll
There is ample material for debating
whether he was born in the country
now known as Scotland, or the country
now known as France. The most sig.
nificant fact that we have found iii
this matter is that in the hymn COM
posed in the 9TH century or early
part of the sixth, by ST.. Nech in the:
Irish language and translated into Lat
In by Colgan, the place Of the st. Pat
rick's' birth IS said to be "Nemthur I
which when translated means Holy;
Tower There is only one place that
corresponds to this ana that is Tours
on Loire in France, q place where the
saints uncle, st. Martin was bishop:
His mother was the bishops sister: !;
There were numerous Christians In
Ireland before st. Patrick, hence the
words in the commission 'to the.
Scots believing in Christ" The saint
in his Confession" says that his faith
er was decur1on in the Roman army
and son Of Potitus, a priest, and his
mother Conchessa.
The name "succoth" was given him
by his parents, but he was given the
patrician name by the Pope.
st. Patrick attempted a landing in
the South Of Ireland, but was not well
received and withdrew and sailed to
where he was formerly held as a cap
tive and was there met by resisting
force, but the Saints appearance dis
armed the leader and the latter was
converted. Patrick's old master Mil
cho Inundated by the progress Of his
former slave, burned himself and his
effects, a tragedy that sorely grieved
the apostle as he desired to bring his
old master to the knowledge of Christ.
The most notable event in the saints
progress in one Of the most wonderful
missionary achievements in history,
was his preaching to the assembled
chiefs and princes at Tara. The ban
quoting hall at Tara was described
nine hundred years ago, and though 1t
had lain in ruins for four centuries
after the Ordinance Survey under di-
rectionsof Sir VIM. Petrie made in the
18th century verifies the old chronicle
and gives the dimensions as follows:
Length 760 feet, breadth nearly ninety
feet. There was a double row oil
/ benches on each side running entire
length Of hall, which would give fotir
rows Of men, if we remember that the
guests were all seated on. the same
side of tables. Allowing the ample
room iof three feet to each man, this
would just give accommodation toEsa
Thousand. The king sat at the south.
fern end OF the hall and the servants
and retainers at the northern. It. was
4 to&a place like this that Patrick made
his way on Easter Sunday 1477 years
I ago. He was challenged to maintain
This doctrine and succeeded IN convert,
ing all but the king. It was on this oc,
casfon that he used the little shamrock
to illustrate the trinity and the little
4 plant has In consequence become the
national emblem, 81 al;
Il many more suits are b started
against the STANDARD OIL Co, the
Treasury department had better give
the company an open account.
The goose that laid the golden esq
I IA.