The Detroit times., 1911-05-09
MAKE STRANGE
TRIP To ATLANTA
Members Of Clan 0'Hara Journey To
Southern City To Bury Dead
Every IL Months.

ATLANTA. Ca, May t.-Beyond
the outskirts Of the city where the
Fortified Hills look down upon the
Chattahoochee, magic city has
risen, a city of tents and wagon tops.
II might be an army encampmeni
were II not that the tents are tat
tered and battered and of many col
ors and filed to overflowing with
laughing children. The canvas-top-
ped wagons and the dogs. the ponies
staked out under a hundred trees,
give the magic city the appearance
OF one of the caravans OF the plains.
That guess Is nearest right. II Is the
Atlanta camp of the Clan OHara, Its
nearest approach TO home"
The clan has been gathering for
week, and on strange mission. II
IA its annual Homecoming to bury Its
dead. And there are mary this year,
an even dozen children and their eld-
ers having passed since last April
to the last camp ground. Some died
on the road In far-off state; some
Of the babies In their mothers arms
beneath the battered canvas OF the
family wagon. And each, as soon as
the priest from the nearest town had
sped the departed soul. was sent
home to Atlanta to wait in a cemetery
vault the coming Of the clan.
"Gypsies?" No! Neither Old
Thomas O'Hara nor any Of his kins-
men will accept the classification be-
slowed impartially upon all who live
upon the high road and sleep at the
Inn OF the Silver Moon. They are
Irish all, sturdy ck-haired men Of
the north Of Ireland, and their wives
are as Irish as themselves. They
may have been born under the stars
and stripes-the younger OF the clan
but the north Ireland brogue OF
their fathers clings to their tongue
and they still swear by their Irish
saints.
The Clan O'Hara has been gather
ing In Atlanta for It's burial OF the
dead for 20 years and more. Once IT
was but a family of Irish horse trad
ers whose head died near the grow
ing town and who was laid to rest In
Oakland cemetery. When the first
death was followed by another, he
too was laid in the O'Hara lot. Then
a woman OF the clan followed her
husband, and a child or two was add
ed TO the little group under Oakland's
sod
Then the O'Haras bought a larger
lot, a half-acre of ground, and avowed
that never a member OF the clan
should rest separated from his fell
lows. The O'Haras are half a thou.
sand now, men, women and children,
and never a one is too far away
when spring transforms the southern
woods to green 10 turn his caravan
toward Georgia and trade his way
back to the only reunion the clan
recognizes.
Promptly at noon the other day the
Clan O'Hara, 500 strong. wendell Its
way from the camp near the river 70
the Church of the Immaculate Con-
ception. They did not ride the horses
OF the camp nor drive the buggies so
plentiful among them. They rode IN
carriages, for which every undertaken
and liveryman was drawn upon, and
they gave little appearance OF being
the Bohemian strollers that they are.
Suits of sober black and gowns OF
finest silk we're there, with here and
there a shawl woven In old Ireland
and worth its weight In silver
Jeweled cricifxes and rosaries of
rare value we're worn by the women.
and upon many mans finger shonc
diamond worth his earnings for a
year. Thcy are not poor. these
O'Haras, as the bankers Of the south
will tell you. Though they are home