The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-15
INTERESTING. SCENES
OF EUROPE DESCRIBED
BY MARGARET MOONEY

Very interesting letters have been
received by friends of Miss Margaret
Mooney, a teacher in Vale school. who
is touring Europe. this summer with a
party OF friends. Miss Mooney, who
is very well known IN Richmond for
her activities as a teacher, writes with
a humorous ouch of odd and unusual
characteristics of the people and Gus
toms of the countries in which she
has been.
She describes in superlative terms
the superb acting ability displayed by
the peasants taking part in the plays
n tableau of the Passion play at
Oberammergau,, and the excellence of
perfection with which every member
carried out his part. And remarkable
in comparison with many American
audiences was that which Miss
Mooney described thus: In all that
vast audience Numbering between
four and five thousand) there was not
a sound or scarcely a movement dur
ing the entire day"
The party in which Miss Mooney
is travelling made its first stop in Ire
land. The countryside of Ireland, she
says, is very beautiful, with "stone-
walls everywhere covered with ivy
and wild flowers: wondPously beauti
full scenery, with ferns, holly and
myriads of flowers everywhere
The people are very poor, the chill
dren ragged, but geese and donkeys
abound, and every family seems to
possess a cat"
Concerning the economic condition
of the country, Miss Mooney says:
ireland has great possibilities if it
had a little American push and CAPT
tai. There seems to be no incentive
to repair the dilapidated cabins in
which people live, for the rents are
Immediately raised on the property
as being improved
Millinery business would be rather
dull, as all the women wear shawls
over their heads she says. In some
of the old towns, the streets are so
very narrow that it is necessary to
walk single file. All passage TO Dub
lin was cut off at the time Miss Moon
ey was in Ireland.
Holland, Miss Mooney characterizes
as 'spotlessly Clean" so clean that the
housewives spread their washings in
the street TO dry. The Hague, accord
ing to her letter. is a more modern
CITY, WIN pdIdIldI nOLICo ohu
streets. but in other small villages in
Holland. the men still wear the leg
endary full boomers and the women
wide skirts.
Italy Backward
After seeing the Passion Play, the
party ~journeyed on to Italy, which Is
described as somewhat backward in
many ways. Women are seen carry
ing heavy burdens, a small harves'
is made by hand, and at the time MISS
Mooney was in the country, the Theat
crop was fattened on the ground by
heavy rains. Grapevines abound
Exchange in Austria is lower than
in any other ~place-abOut 200 kron'
ms to a cent. In Italy the Ira has
decreased in value from 20 cents to
five cents, and wages are appallingly
low.
Speaking of England, Miss Mooney
has much to say concerning he art
treasure, old armor, paintings, anC
wonderful old architecture of some OF
the ancient castles, which contain al
these, but lack any modern convent
ences except electric lights.
Closing, Miss Mooney wishes thai
all of her friends could enjoy her tril
with her. and gives her address a
which any of them may write TO hel
as : Rue Scribe, Paris, France, car
Of Canadian Pacific company, Membe,
Mentor Tour.