The Cordova daily times., 1923-02-14

DUBLIN, Feb. 14.-If you are temp ted to travel in Ireland take heed from the voice of experience and don't. Nowadays in Erin's green isle nobody goes anywhere except under necessity. The traveller never knows when he will be stranded miles from nowhere without food or shelter.
 Twelve months ago automobile owners gave up the idea of using their cars anywhere a few miles out side Dublin. In the first place, most of the roads were trenched, barri- Icaded and made impossible through the activities of the Republicans Sec ondly, there was the ever-present danger of the car being halted and seized by the rebels and the Occu- pant compelled to foot it home. As a general rule the raiders who seized the cars did not even pause to say, "Thank you."
 Railroad travel, however, has be- come the most risky of all. I re- gently made a journey to Cork, which in normal times can be made in three and one-half hours; it took us ten Leaving Dublin at o'clock in the morning in a train that was over crowded and cold we did not reach Cork until 6 o'clock that evening.
 Before the Republican rebellion six passenger trains ran daily between Dublin and Cork. Now only two make the journey, and they, as far as practicable, travel only in the day time.
 On the journey that I took the going was fairly good until we were about twenty miles outside Dublin. Then there was a delay. The Re publicans had raised a few rails the preceding night, and the rails had been only temporarily replaced. From then on, for the next 40 miles or more, our pace was reminiscent of the speed of old coaching days. The destruction to be seen on every side was so great that it will take years to make repairs.
 Freen State outposts guarded the iron road at every half mile. Sen tries paced the way, ever on the lookout for Republican marauders.
 At Thurles we were met by two armored trains, one of which ran in front of us and the other behind. These armored trains escorted us to Mallow Junction, their machine guns from time to time rattling forth volleys, as some Republican sniper, out in the fields, took pot shot at the trains.
 These episodes usually would be followed by a halt while the Free State soldiers searched in vain for the sniper. Women shivered, chil- dren cried, and men said: "Never again." It was more than miserable waiting there in the bleak, cold train, with nothing but swamps and water all about.
 At Mallow we found the station premises destroyed. Progress on our train no longer was possible. The ten-span bridge just outside the town, which was built at a cost of s5 ,OOO,OO0, was a complete ruin. Thru burned timbers and pools of brack- ish water the passengers trudged their way to waiting automobiles, which conveyed them to temporary station which had been erected few miles further on.
 Free State troops were very much in evidence. Sandbag dugouts, with machine guns peeping through loop holes, were the evidences of welcome we got on our final stage to Cork. The train consisted of two coach"~ and the 200 passengers were all mud dled up together.
 Keep as low as you can going be- tween Mourne Abbey and Rathduff, or the One-Eyed' may get you!" was the warning given by trainmen.