Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1913-08-21
rwo DAYS IN IRELAND

BY J. II. Eagle

/ sLoulI ;. - you i tie OF my Two
days xppi 'ence IN lralSnl before
NY impressions grew cold.
Leaving London .pte sunday nisit
We left lInlyheao. Wa e'. hDo;ii
daybreak and ate breakfa': on Irish
soil. We passed much beautiful
scenery in the night but II was the
price that had to be paid 10 gain
even this hurried study OF western
ireland.
BY nine o'clock we had reached
Dublin and taken quarters IN the
Russell Temperance hotel. Nearly
every city has a number OF these
that boldly advertise their absence
of 4 bar. | wish could say that
all of them are we'll patronized or
even we'll managed. This one is
fairly satisfactory. We reached the
place on a curious two wheeled rig
known as an Irish jaunting cart
which accommodates two pairs OF
people, hack to back, facing out
ward, in addition to driver and lug
gage, and all OF the load is drawn
over the cobble paved streets and
up quite steep grades by one little
horse barely more than a pony. The
Irish horse, especially in the south
portion, can boast neither size,
style nor weight and is in most
striking contrast with the far-fam-
ed Clydesdales which we see here
in the Ayrshire country of Scotland.
Scotland, 1t has been said, is noted
for its fine horses, oatmeal and
shorter catechism. But that's an
other story. I'm talking about the
Irish now and the Irish country
We soon found that there was
enough to see at widely scattered
points to render driving necessary.
So we selected likely looking young
fellow, who proved a good selec-
ton, and hired him 10 take us with
his cart for the forenoon. Even at
this hour, nine, many of the bust
ness houses had not yet removed
their shutters from the windows and
in the large dry Toods stores the
dust sheets had not yet been remov-
ed from the goods on the counters.
They are fearfully slow in Dub
lin. The city was a great disap-
pointment to me. expected much
of the vivacious Irishman. 1t really
seems as though she had sent her
best specimens to serve as police
men in New York city and other
metropolitan centers of the world.
Seriously, Ireland has been drained
of her finest blood and those that
remain labor under great difficult
ties. 1t is no credit to Rome that !
after a thousand years of undis-
Nuted sway in Ireland she should |
be unable to produce better condi- |
lions. The people themselves as |
cribe the situation to political causes
and are exceedingly anxious for
home rule-those in the Catholic |
portion of Ireland. But the city of |
Dublin suffers another handicap |
which in my opinion is the imme-
date cause of the distress which !
abounds, and that Is rum. Mr.. |
Guinness, Lord Ivy, the manufac-
turer of the world-famed Guinness
Stout, dominates, If he does mot
own the city-like Adolphus Busch
of ST. Louis, only more so. ! have
been about a good deal but with the
obvious exception of Algiers and
few other Mediterranean cities in
Mohammedan lands, have never
seen so much filth and slovenli-
ness and apparent poverty as, in
in which the public benefactions of
a liquor lord have more completely
blinded the eyes of the dependent
public than in this instance. Be-
yOnd this fear my prejudicess will
not warrant me in speaking further
Of Romish rule but the church of
the infallible pope should present
a better spectacle.
We made a hurried excursion to
the Bank of Ireland, to Trinity, Col
ege. with vacation from May to
0ctoberl where the traditions of
Oliver Goldsmith and Edmund
Burke (both students l believe) are :
warmly cherished, and to the castle
where King George is entertained
when he visits here. A portion of