Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-05-14
REX THOMPSON
IS IN KILLARNEY
Soldier Son of Mr.. and Mrs. F. l..
Thompson of DecOrah is Doing
the Land Of the Shamrock,
Visiting Many Points
of Interest
SAYS HE KISSED
BLARNEY STONE
Donald Haugen, Son of X. I. Haugen,
is With Him on TIP Through
The United Kingdom
International Hotel, Killarney,
April 10, 1919.

April 10, 1919.
Dear Folks:
The last few weeks have been so
busy that have been very neglect
full about writing but now I will try
and tell you something Of what
have been doing. School does not
start until the 28th of April, SO I
resolved to take trip through the
United Kingdom while l had plenty
of time. Donald Haugen of Decorah
is with me and we are making the
trip together.
We left Paddington Station, Lon
don on the Great Southern and
Western Railway and our first stop
was at Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff is a
busy, thriving commercial and in
dustrial center. We spent most of our
time in Cardiff at the docks, where
everything is hurry and hustle. There
are huge docks everywhere you go,
and the harbor is crowded with ship
ping from all over the world. Huge
cranes rattle and squak as they
swing tons of material from vessels
holds to waiting freight cars.
Switch engines scurry back and forth
as they push out loaded cars and
pull in empty ones. In the dry docks
the smell of tar and paint hangs
heavy in the air and the rattle of
the riveting hammers sounds above
all the other noises of hustle. The
American soldier is a very minus
quantity in Cardiff, but the U. 8.
jackies are everywhere. From Car
diff we went to Fishgaund, where We
took boat for Ireland The trip from
London to the coast took us through
very pretty country, but pretty
with the level, regular, ordered style
of the south of England. We left
Fishgaurd in the face of rather
stiff breeze, but nevertheless the trip
across st. Georges Channel was not
very rough. | appear to be rather
fortunate as regards boat travel in
that / never get sea sick. The only
effect the salt water trips have on
me is to give me tremendous ap-
petite. We landed at Rosslare, Ire
land. ! was on deck as we pulled in
about $3.50 in the morning. The APP
proach to Rosslare harbor has sever
al ricks and islands, and the various
lights We're winking their warnings
as we neared the coast. We went di-
rect from Rosslare to Cork and stop
ped over at Cork, making several
trips to places of interest. OF course
We went to Blarney, which is only six
miles from Cork, and saw Blarney
Castle and kissed the Blarney stone
/ had always imagined that to be
a simple process, but found out diff.
ferent. The Blarney stone Is a stone
in the wall of the castle, and forms
the top ledge of window very near
the top of the castle. In order to
kiss this stone you must go up to the
top of the castle to a little opening
which is just over the top of the
window ledge of which the Blarney
stone is a part. You then lie on your
back, and with the assistance of two
people to hold your feet, you GRASP
two bars running down to the ledge
and slide down until you are able
to kiss the under side of the stone
Then your friends pull you back and
you can have the satisfaction ot
knowing that you have accomplished
one of the popular stunts" We alsC
saw Shandon cathedral, noted for its
bells. The church is in fine condit
, ion, although built in 1920. In thi
grave yard outside the oldest in
scription is 1890 and in one of the
graves the composer of The Bells
OF Shandon," is buried. We climbed
the tower and saw the bells, eight in
number, and Afterwards the old care
taker played "Annie Laurie" for us
with the bells. From Cork we went
to Killarney, where / am at preseai
writing. The trip through the south
OF Ireland has been very interestinf
and delightful. The country Is much
more varied in contour than Eng
land, and even this early in the year
warrants the name of "The Emerald
Isle" 1t is divided, into an infinite
number of small fields by quaint lit
tie low hedges which wander ovel
the earth with an absolute disre
gard of geometry. Everything il
green, with the exception of the
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