The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-01-04
PEN PICTURES
OF Two Prominent Men Of Letter. By
TIP. O'Connor,

T. Writing to the Chicago Tribune of
! the recent Protestant Home Rule
meeting held in London. r. p. O'Con-
nor says:
81, Thomas, or Tommy. l.n,Igh as lie is
! universally known in the House of
Commons. was the chairman. He is
typical Ulster Protestant. His
mother had prosperous provision
store In the town OF Cavan; but he
! was an ambitious and energetic fell
low, came to London and began life
as an assistant in biz merchants
! office. Soon he hal learned enough
/ of the tea business to start for him
self; he is ono of the COW numerous
tea merchants who have a brand of
their own. He sells what is called
| Tower Tea"--so called after the
over OF London, near which his
business is. Tower tea ia advertised
on every railway platforms; on dead
walls, in newspapers. and is ono. of
| The many favoritc brands of the etcr-
nal English tea drinkers. Tommy
LouRll has been liberal and Home
Ruler all his life. When he had made
money he stood for West Isinston.
one OF the suburbs of London and
! has held tho seat against all corners.
! Campbell Banncrman, who loved IL
joke, especially at the expense of his
political enemies, chose Tommy for
II place which had hitherto bcca re-
served for landlords and aristocrats,
The lord lieutenant of county in
/ England or Ireland is a great swell,
with many privileges which arc still
valued. The greatest of these prjvi-
leges is to make men magistrates
When some old peer at last came to
| an end and left the lord lieutena.,cy
Of Caran vacant. Zimmerman ap-
pointed Tommy Tough TO the vacant
| place. a shopkeeper, lord lieutenant
OF a county-and especially of an I'LL
ster collty-nlade all the Orange
peers and pceresscs grow purple with
rage.
Conan Doyle, the novelist, was one
i OF the chief speakers. Conan DOYLE
has gone through "a curious series Of
political and personal transformation.
He is a fine, big, burlv fellow: blunt
oltspoken. ririle; with certain ten
dency to admire write things, a sort
r,f tor, Epr,%
ling, the great laureate OF modern
jinsoism. Conan Doyle comes from
well known family--Irish and Cath
Ollie. Dicky Doyle was one of the first
great artists of Punch. He was a
Very brilliant and very genial fig
ure. and lie is to he found in all the
memoirs Of the literary men of his
period. being especially dear to
I ThackeraN. who, though he did not
like lrishmen in the bulk, was very
fond of them personally, and indeed
married an Irish wife. who. though
she became insane and lived forty
wears in an asylum, till long after
i '''S>'r''> - uSdlH. Luis lJlCkN DOtl9
was an intense Catholic and threw up
! his place on Punch when that journal
began to attack his religion in the
hftics OF last century when there was
good deal of mo popcry" feeling in
England
Conan Doyle was brought ,lp at the
great Catholic college at Stonyhurst
and settled down to practice as Il doc
tor in Edinburgh, but he suddenly and
unexpectedly discovered his talent as
writer of fiction, and soon his for
/! tune was made by his immortal crea-
f, ton sherlock Holmes" \ change
came over both his religious and po-
/, litical views: he became Protestant,
I; perhaps with a leaning toward az
Mysticism: he became a lingo and a
| protectionist and he stood for Edin-
hurgh as an enemy Of Home Rule
! some years ago. He gave eloquent
proof of the faith that was in him by
taking charge of an ambulance in the
! Roer war. He wrote for practically
nothing his version of the conflict,
taking up the defense of England, and
I 100000 copies OF the book were dis
tributed gratis. And then, ono day
he reread Irish history, he became a
Home Ruler announced the change
of opinion to the world. and has since
taken very active part in quiet ne
sotiatioa to bring about settlement.
Conan Doyle's conversion has had
considerable effect. mainly because he
is known to be 20 fearless and so
honest. I heard a story Of him which
shows what a good fellow he is. He
was out golnng one day with a young
journalist just making his way. and
Conan began to complain of how in
sufficient his pen and his imagination
were for all the demands made upon