The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-03-16
VINO WAS ST. PATRICK?
An Interesting Article Written For the
FULTON COUNTY NEWS By a
Former Fulton Bounty Boy.

~ JSiOpSuiuS oOOh w Ca Pl Ooo ViO
facts: He was born in Scotland
near Glasgow about 1913 A. D.
and died about 463 A. D. His
father was a deacon in the church,
and doubtless his religious ID
struction in his youth was done
with care. His baptismal name
was Sucat. When he was six.
teen years Of age, he was captur.
ed by pirates, carried to Ireland,
and sold to a pagan IRISH chief IN
the County of Antrim, (All Ire.
land was then pagan.) He lived
as slave SIX years. Then in
obedience to what he thought was
a divine command, he fled from
his master, and after much hard.
ship, reached the home of Martin,
the famous bishop of Tours,
France. This bishop was pro.
baby his mothers brother. lie
lived there four years, and then
returned to his home IN Scotland
where he renamed for several
years. A strong desire to preach
the gospel to the Irish was de-
veloped, and a few years later he
went back to France and was
consecrated to the ministry by
Bishop Amator. Qt was on this
occasion he assumed the of Pat.
rick.) He began his missionary
work In Ireland In 405 A. D., and
all the rest Of his long life was
spent laborlng there with Won
derful success.
There are many legends gath.
cred about him. Some of these
represent him as esaplng from
his foes by miraculous agencies.
The best known legend is, that
he banished the snakes from Ire.
land. | give you this legend as
near as | can as told to me by a
Scotchman who was born and
educated in Marlborough, Scot.
land. 1t is as follows: A Scotch
man by the name of Patrick,
visited the island of Ireland and
found it to be a vast wilderness
full of swamps covered with a
dense growth of grass and rush.
es and so full of snakes of all
kinds that 1t made landing almost
impossible for him. A happy
thought occurred to him; he re.
turned to the hills of Scotland,
secured shlpload of the hardy |
hogs which at that time roamed |
wild over the hills of that coun-
try, took them to this wilderness
Of an island and turned them
loose, telling them he would visit
them in five years.
On his return to Ireland, after
the expiration of the hve years,
a pleasant sight greeted his eye.
Instead of the wilderness and
swamps that he had seen before,
q beautiful green country stretch
ed out before him. The hogs had
multiplied in nun bers, had eaten
the snakes, made roads through
the swamps, and tramped down
the tall grass and rushes; and, in
their stead, the beautiful green
shamrock was growing. AS his
boat neared the shore, the hogs
recognized him, came running
down the beach, and stood up on
heir hind feet to greet him. He
noted their good work In reclaim.
ng the island; and, also, that IN
loing so, a change had come over
hem. They were no longer the
razor. backs that had roamed the
nils of Scotland, but were sleek
thrifty looking hogs, and IN re,
,urn for their good services, he
them into people under
The condition that they should
always observe the anniversary
If this day, which is the 18th Of
or they would be changed
pack into hogs. Hence, the
freshman and st, Patrick day.
IRA CovALT,
Philadelphia,
March seventh.
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