The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-06-27
IRELAND'S FAMOUS SEMINARY

national ideals are welded and the
picked talent of Ireland prepared for
the country's service"
At dinner we listened to a number
of anecdotes concerning Maynooth;
the following one is typical: the late
Empress of Austria once found her
self in Maynooth in pursuit of stag
which took refuge on the college
grounds. The chivalrous DR.. Walsh
offered his professional robe to cover
her riding dress, and the Empress af-
terward gave him diamond ring.
Subsequently she made to the college
a less tactful presentation in the shape
of silver eff1gy of st. George and
the Dragon. When she learned her
mistake, the gift was withdrawn and,
instead, she forwarded vestment of
cloth of gold worked with shamrocks
md other emblems "understanded of
the people"
The Dunboyne Establishment.
We spent a few minutes with the
Prefect of the DunboyGe. He has
charge of the select handful of stu
dents who are allowed a postgraduate
course on the Dunboyne Establish
ment From their number the pro-
fessors and future Bishops of the
country are chosen. The Prefect has
a unique influence. His critics claim
that he is considered the most liberal
and advanced theologian in Ireland;
and he has held the Dunboyne for
over twenty years.
An American Topic.
We were not permitted to leaye the
grounds without addressing the stu
lents on some American subject The
spacious assembly hall is quite mod
ern in all it's appointments, and ac-
commodities large audience. Wish
ing to steer clear of modernism with
all its work and pomps, we selected
for our topic the Mandan Indians. 1t
excited much merriment in the
audience to learn that this particular
tribe Of Indians comes from a Kettle
source. For a recent German scien-
.ist proves conclusively that the
original followers of st. Brendan who
discovered America in the early CEN
turies (840 A. d. were dispersed on
the continent and afterward drifted
out to Mandan, North Dakota. 1t is
striking fact, as this scientist re-
lates, that these Mandan Indians have
retained to this day the Keltic cross,
the Keltic words used in making the
sign of the cross, fragments of Cath
olic prayers, part of the ritual for
the dead, and other evidences of a
Catholic and Keltic origin. The form
of the skull, contour of the face and
general temperament all seemed to
point in the same direction. Perhaps
the most convincing proof adduced by
| the German scientist is the shape of
the foot and the modified protrusion
of the high cheek bone. The same
authority adds in a footnote that
forty per cent of the Mandan dialect
consists of words of evident Gaelic
lineage We gave the theory for what
it was worth, evincing no inclination
! toward ex cathedra statements, but
humbly fulfilling our promise to dis
cuss an American subject which
might have curious interest for the
divided household of the Gaels and at
any rate one which never before had
been discussed in Maynooth.
On leaving the ancient seminary
which has done SO much good in this
wicked world, we charitably COM
mended our country to the prayers
of the faithful present. Eyes, Doctor" "
came a witty voice, "and we'll pray,
too, for the Mandan Indians"