The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-16

"AIiliLl Lne PEOpdDHlIleS Ilats q Few
years hence, the books that are read
by the Queen of England and the royal
children may be chosen for them by a
former NAVY, and a former tramp. Tt
may be said here that day laborers,
who build railways. docks and roads in
this country are called naVvies.
AT present the job of picking out
mental pabulum suitable for her mai
esty, Queen Mary, and the youngsters
Of the royal household is in the hands
or the erudite librarian of Windsor
castle, the Hon. John Fortescue, and 1T
now appears likely that before much
time has passed Fortescue may have
an assistant in the person of Patrick
MacGill, a young, freshman, 90 years
old, who at present is known to fame
as the NAVY poet. In fact, it was said
IN the ondon newspapers the other
Gay that young MacGill, who in the
course of his short career has been a
farmland, q plate-layer, and a drover
as Well as a navvy and, for q bit, a
plain tramp, already had been appoint
ed assistant librarian at Windsor cas-
tie, but that proves to have been a case
of anticipation. >
to which the NAVY poet, who, critics
assert, is going to be a big man in the
English writing world some day, has
just been appointed, is that Of assist
ant librarian, not at the royal castle
itself, but at what is known as the
chapter library at Windsor. In this
capacity he is now compiling the chap
ter records of the castle, with other
queer and historical documents. It is
stated by n in the know at Windsor,
however, that the kings chaplain, Can
on Dalton, who discovered MacGill and
gave him his present post lis determin-
ed to pusf1sthe young Versifier and that
the navvy's appointment as assistant
to the librarian of Windsor castle it
self is only a matter of time. So,
considering that John Fortescue is 81
at present, it may not be looking too
far ahead to see the young navy and
knight of the road installed in the job
of royal. librarian, with the added role
of literary faster to2the feminine and
Juvenile department of the royal
household.
Despite his extreme youthfulness,
MacGill already is represented by
three published books of poetry. Crit
les who count say that it is real poetry.
His first volume, which he published
at 19 years, and Of which over 5000
copies were sold, was called Gleanings
from a Navvy's scrapbook, and his
second was Songs of a Navy. Both
have met with almost unstinted praise.
MacGilfs new volume. which he calls
Songs of the Dead End, has just made
its appearance and is being quoted
from c%opiously by the big literary re-
views, all of whose critics predict
great things for the young author.
James Douglas, for example, says:
There are all sorts Of moods in
these songs-bitter, rebellious moods:
black moods of hate and scorn; and
moods that suggest the laughter of
hell; sweet, wistful moods. heavy with |
the heartcahe of the Celt. There is
biting realism, the realism that goes
through you like a sword. Patrick |
have not seen since kipling burst upon
u.s." |
In the NAVY poet one expected to
discover a typically husky, horny
handed son of toll, but MacGill proved
to be a g~ood-looking, well-dressed
young man, with clear blue eyes, a po-
etc mass of curly black hair, and hands
that might eve have welded any
thing more ponderous h a a fountain
pen. Here is the story of his career
in the exact words in which he related
IT as We sat in the quiet cloisters at
Windsor where he is now at~work He /
was born, by the bye, at Glenties, a
little village in n of the widest dis
tricts of Donegal, IN the north coast of
Ireland.
81 am the oldest of a family of ten
he said, and I went to the national
school at Glenties. I left at the age of
10 and went to my first job as a labor
er in the Irish Midlands at the age of
IL. Markets are held there three times
q year, to which parents take their
children and sell them to the highest
bidder. 1t is really a crude form of
slavery. / worked as a laborer in the
turnip fields for about two years, doing
about seventeen hours a day. In the |
we uSed to start work be-
tween s and s In the morning and An
ished at IL at night. / earned S27.5
during the first half year I had pota-
toes and buttermilk for breakfast, the
fare for dinner and the same I
again for supper. Still I kept pretty {
healthy. After two years of this life '
shipped to Scotland and started farm !
work In the west of that country, I
working in the fields as a potato dig
ger. We worked in gangs of twenty !
slept in barns or pigsties, the cat !
tie being turned out at night to make )
room for us. I received 81 a week for {
this work during the season. and put !
In about ten hours a day. After this I )
about h country for a fort !
night in search of work and eventually !
q farmer gave me employment among !
his cattle. This comprised milking and !
cows and similar work. I !
stopped with this farmer for about 9
years, and received $55 or $50 !
every half year, and while with him / !
lodged in a shed near the farmhouse, j,
which a a fireplace and a bed. I !
used to start work at 2 in the morning :
and finish at Z at night, and, after the !
morning milking, T used to get two !
hours in bed from 6 to 5. After this I
:arming experience I started as a nav :
w or plate-layer on the railways be- :
Greenock and Glasgow, where I :
vas n OF what vas termed a flying !
squad. worked as a p~lateIayer for a !
short time n then went on a job at =
some waterWorks. but after about ;
eighteen months I went back to the .
'ailWay. again. 1t was then I started :
writing verse. :
All this time / had been endeavor- !
to educate myself. I joined vari- !,
JUS circulating Libraries, and read the =
works. Of Carlyle. Victor Hugo, Rud- !
ard Kipling, Bret Harte and Mon i,
aigne. I treasured in my mind every =
hing I read, as it opened a new world !,
Q me. ] was very fond of Kipling =
nd ONE people say that my style is s
ounded on his poems. When / was q
8 ! published the volume OF verses +
n - q - 49, ~ -MLl HEEtE Il