The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-07-05
IRELAND AND THE ROSARY
THE ROSARY is NOT ONLY RE-
CITED DEVoTEDLY IN IRELAND
BUT ROSARY BEADS ARE MAN.
UFAcTURED IN DUBLIN.

CITED DEvoTEDLY IN IRELAND
BUT ROSARY BEADS ARE MAN.
UFAcTURED IN DUBLIN.
| What a wealth of beautiful pictures
does the very name of prayer beads
bring to the Catholic; a garland of
roses it means in all its literal sense
A chaplet of beautiful flowers waited
upward to the Queen Of Heaven. A
circlet to bind the drifting thoughts,
and draw them away from the world,
and let them rest on the better things
for while each day.
! What wonderful circlet is this lit
tie chain of beads to the Irish man
and woman who carry and use it.
For it not only keeps them close to
the Queen of the Rosary, but it also
binds them to each other. The very
picture of the family at home saying
the rosary, as they kneel around the
hearth before going to bed has kept
many an Irish lad true to the tradi-
lions of his native land and true to
| 110 0OO u0 huOW1CuSO VI CuO O1u
mother whispering her prayers by
the fireside for the girl in America
has often aided many of our Irish
girls to fight off the terrible discour-
agement that comes to her in the
struggle against odds in our big cities
sweetheart slipped into his pocket as
he left Ireland for America, has often
given strength to that faith that was
dying in the soul of many sophistical
Irishman
Oh, there are many beautiful pic
lures that one may draw as examples
of the beauties of the Rosary; that
is, aside from the purely religious
vein of Mary's own chaplet. But, sac
religious as it may seem, the writer
cannot help ask the question: Where
and by whom are those beads made,
so full of beautiful associations? Does
it not seem almost sacrilege that a
Catholic country like Ireland was de-
pending on the continent for it's ros-
airy beads, as we'll as most of her
other devotional articles? But now,
owing largely to the inspiration of
Charles D. Gatty, an Englishman,
whose Celtic blood led him back to
friend of his adopted brethren, way
has been opened to remedy the situa-
ton.
We first hear of Mr.. Gatty in 1892,
when he was Home Rule candidate
for Dorsetshire, England. Not being
allowed to serve Ireland in a political
way, he turned his attention to the
industrial side Of Ireland's life. We
next hear of him in connection with
the Irish Art Companions, having a
shop in Dublin and another in Lon.
don, where only Irish goods were sold
1t did seem like the dream of a
. visionary, for the agitation for Ire.
land was not considered then except
politically. The project of establish.
. ing an Irish industry was not taken
seriously by many. But it was nc
vain dream. After time the venture
succeeded so we'll that there was nc
further need for the Irish Art Com
/ uC plOACOA WIN hcA OOOA
done; and as result every shop in
Dublin has Irish manufactured goods
specially featured today.
Afterwards we find Mr.. Gatty with
another idea for Ireland's welfare
This time it was an old snuff box
that arrested his attention. This box
was made of horn, which convinced
him of the fact that the horn industry
was once a profitable one. He then
began to search for an opportunity
to put the idea into practice; and
, found the only horn factory left, where
combs were made Comb making had
already ceased to be a profitable
enterprise. And snuff boxes were
out of the question. Well; what could
they make out of horn? Mr.. Gatty
began to think what does everybody
in Ireland use. Then came the
thought, Rosary Beads.
, Mr. Mitchell, the last Of the comb
makers, sent his son with Mr. Gatty
across the channel to get some in
sight of how things were done over
, there. Then through the earnest co
+ operation, energetic efforts and prac
teal business experience of young
Mr.. Mitchell the theory of Mr.. Gatty
was evolved into feasible and profit
able undertaking.
The results speak for themselves
There are about iseventy-fve girls
making rosary beads in the Waterford
Street factory in Dublin. They turn
out rosaries which are second to none
They are light, durable, translucent
beautiful; and the Irish trade mark
is attached to EACH
. These beads are made in large san
. itary rooms, in a purely Catholic en-
vironment, under the shadow of the
crucifix, by people who know the pur
pose of them. Whereas the beads we
) use, and carry as relics, sometimes
all our life, are very often not made
, by Christians. And if our Catholic
people who have no Irish blood in
their veins were to visit the Gatty &
{ Mitchell factory in Dublin, and then
cross over to the mainland Of Europe
and study methods there, the fate OF
the Irish industry would be assured
and many an Irish mother would be
spared that tragic separation which
she has to endure when her children
emigrate. Thus the making of Mary's