The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-25


The first great English poet. and
the Father of English Literature p
was Godfrey Chaucer, who died 513
years ago to day. Oct. 70, 400. He
was born in London about 1928, the son
of a vintner. He won high favor at
court, and went. on several diplomatic
missions for the kind, who, in addi-
ton to other rewards, gave the poet
a pitcher of wine daily while in Lon
don Like most of his successors,
Chaucer was unable to make a living
from his literary labors, and held
many public Offices, receiving from the
city authorities a house rent free. He
married a lady OF the court, but his
poetic commentaries on matrimony
led to the belief that he did not
enjoy any large measure Of domestic
bliss Chaucer commenced as a trans
Iator and adapter of French poems,
later turned to italian sources, and
eventually wrought out an original
and native type of treatment, although
Boccaccio and others furnished the
inspiration for much of his work.
Chaueer's works cessarily. had a
small circulation in his day, since only
a few could read, and it was not
until three-quarters of a century af-
ter the poets death that William Cax-
ton introduced the art of printing into
England.
The Rt. Hon. Sir Horace Curzon
Plunkett, the father of agricultural
cooperative finance in ireland and a
mem Der of the British Parliament, will
begin his sixtieth year today. He is
well known on this side of the At
lantic having made several American
trips the last early this year, and
is the author of s"The Rural Life Prob
lem of the United States published
tree years ago. He is a practical
farmer and live stock breeder, having
been engaged in cattle ranching for
ten years. and is tn eowner of af1ne
farm in County Dublin
Sir Horace was the third son of the
sixteenth Lord Dunsany, and his
mother was a daughter of Lord Sher-
borne. From his young manhood
he was interested in agriculture and
live stock, and after years of study
OF the problems connected with Irish
farm life he originated the Irish Agri-
cultural Organization Society, of swhic
he has ever since been president. In
the course of his American addresses
Sir Horace has placed the response
bif1ty for the high cost of living on
the farmers, because of their failure
to cooperate in eliminating the mid
d1eman and reducing the cost of distri-
button
Sir Horace was the leader in the ar
rangements for the recent visit to
Ireland of the United States and Can
adam agricultural commission, and
thanks to him, many of the commits
sioners agreed that in Ireland the1
came nearer to a solution of thei
problems than in any other countr!
visited.
The Irish Agricultural Organization
3ociety was launched in 1874, aftei
several years of vigorous propaganda
y Sir Horace. The society assem-
bled a staff of trained workers, VIII,
rent about the agricultural section
of the Emerald Isle explaining tn
working of the continental co-opera
tive associations. and advocating tn
bounding of similar associations il
Ireland In the matter of organiza
ton the Irish farmers are now ia.
ahead of those of England and Scot
land. The scheme has, in fact, work
ed nothing shore of regeneration II
rural Ireland.
Trran-n IZilIaa n, -Er-r..r- Mora 1nrns