Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1914-02-13
BY MATHEW S. puDcEoN

Quinn and Hss Pupils at n
Inniskeen, County Louth, Ireiand.~-
In America we are trying in more or
ieEs conscious effort to make the
tchoolh0uge the educational and social
center and the school master com
munity leader. IN Ireland without any
set purpose this result, Is already Sc
cured AT inniakeen. Ia county Louth,
Tor example. John Quinn. the school
master. Is the big man. by virtue OF
ms natural qualities aud by reason OF
bis secrotariai position IN the co-operf-
live association no b the farmers
banker. their business manager and
adviser. their agricultural expert. and
temperance reformer In fact he Is
the community leader His school
house n social center for 10 Il the
people 90 for cooperative association
meetings. for temperance lectures, and
for public gatherings Of all sorts.
We have been 20 County Donegal
ard have seen what the cooperative
enterprises conferred at DungIow have
done for n region which is naturally
anpfoductiye. Under the leadership
Of Paddy Gallagher, a native business
genius. cooperation has brought com
fort. relative prosperity and hopeful.
ness 70 community which was previ
uusly q deaoiate combination OF peet
bog and rocky hillside
We have stopped here to see the re-
tui,s OF cooperation when planted In
moro fertile productive soil. for this
portion OF County Louth would com
pare fayorably with the richest
stretches OF our own middle western
states
The Average Irish Farmer.
Anxious to and the average small
farmer who Is a member OF the coop
sratiye society and willing TO talk
about It's affairs. We we're directed 20
Edward Meeghan. who operated a
farm out two Irish miles from the vii.
iase. As we walked out TO Meeghan's
place the Consciousness was forced
upon Us that in this section Ireland Is
far from being starving ireland The |
fields are carefully cultivated
waited AS they seldom are IN the states.
The hedges aud walls are well kept. |
The heavy CROPS indicate high de- |
eree o. fertility Each cottage gives
evidence Of prosperity aud soli.respect- I
iug pride. Upon the faces OF those /
whom We meet we see nothing TO lndi
cate that the local Irish are poverty
stricken OF dospairing We find Meeg-
han on f9aere farm OF which he Is
evidently and justly proud Tho fer
tile fields. The STACKS Of rich grain. the
high grade live stock. an demonstrate
that q, s possible 10 make money
and ihat there Is a pfomis
ing future IN the local agricultural sit
natlon
Buying Farms FOR Lsfs Than Rent.
Aecglan himself 3 vigorous fellow.
fun 81 enthusiasm and hopefulnesa. OK.
plains thar bis father prior 20 his
death had tughi The land under the
inipefel laVd tenure acl providing for
ap as1lrsed value as between land.
lord ard eaat The value once fixed
DE government pays for The land. and
hen iefrlis she tenant who becomes
j purchaser 10 repay too purchase price
n sixty o9d ys4ys. each year keeping
lp tae Interest az two and three
'eugiAs per cent and paying IN addi
Don small ipssgiincut upon the
'fiaelnal lie teiis lew has father paid.
p rsut aioso. IS pounds per year.
p hiie Sc himself in buyins the farm Is
SOW paying Including both interest
I'D anaaal insallmeuts on principal
lnly "a poaudx pr year. Quite nat.
irHliy be has keen appreciation OF
ne land tenure laHs which enabled
lim gradually 70 obtain the farm By
De payment of less money each year
han originally sent for rent alone.
1his e not 20 him the important
hing. however. Ills father bad pre-
lioasiy been a tenant A new thatch
pa the barn. a new slate on the root.
y new shed for The COW. could net
- obtained IA any way from the land.
ord. II must be contributed by the
Prevented improvements.
enant. who knew that within thirty :
lays thereafter be might be put on the
lace. The natural result was to pre-
'ent all repairs and ali permanent i'm
lroyemeats. in this entire region We
AVE not been able TO discover a sin.
10 fruit tree that had been planted
lrior TO the acquisition Of the land BY /,
he tenant purchasers. In fact there
re 10 mature fruit trees here. Where