OCR Text |
Show ADVISED TO EXPLOIT IRISH SCENERY. Last ,Aveek Archbishop Glennon, when inter-vieAved inter-vieAved in Dublin, said the people of Ireland should endeavor to attract tourists to their country b advertising its many beautiful attractions, it-math; it-math; advantages and its interesting historical fen tures. This suggestion, which is a good one, has led ! the Globe-Democrat of St. Louis to editorialize a-f a-f oIIoavs : "Archbishop Glennon is of opinion thaf Iri-L curios and antiquities, as Avell as Iri-li seen-r.v. should be more exploited. During an interview, ic the course of Avhich he expressed the convict ieu that migration from Ireland should cease, in vie--of better present and prospective conditions, ami the fact that population is uoav reduced to a living ratio with soil and industries, he urged more and better advertising of Irish points of historic and artistic ar-tistic interest as sources of revenue for the pei.pl.-of pei.pl.-of that country. Such an eminently Avie judgment is not to be disputed on its practical side, and looking look-ing beyond the mere matter of dollars and cent- for Irish pockets, it is possible to see how Americans, Avho constitute the great bulk of tourists in all Ku-ropean Ku-ropean countries, might be distinct gainers from the deA-elopment of Ireland's possibilities as a hind of things worth seeing and hearing about. As it is tioav, and has been for many years, we fall far slum y of getting our money's worth from guides, courier- custodians and others who are only echoes of Ba--decker, monotonously, lengthened out. 'This is the cock that creAV in the morn, to wake the priest all sha-en and shorn to marry the maiden all forlorn who milked the cow AA'ith the crumpled horn that lived in the house that Jack built' i? the way they all run on, to the tip Avhich everybody is willing to give to get away alive. "Xow, the Irish could do better things by us. They haA'e wit and imagination, qualities rarely if ever found among custodians on this or the other side of the Avater. There are enough interesting inter-esting places in Ireland, of which we have all heard, to make a large itinerary, and the revival of interest inter-est in old Gaelic language and literature, and pre-ent pre-ent researches into ancient Irish history will surely give ul more. If a movement of American tourists to Ireland should set in, the circuit will be at once enlarged by the addition of places which, if not Avell authenticated, will be Avell illuminated, which iJ Avhut many unauthenticated places on the continent conti-nent are not. The full armor of a hero who has been a long time dead h a solemn thing to see when you are introduced to it by a continental custodian, cus-todian, but an Irish custodian who might present you would do it Avith a quip or jest to make the presentation a pleasing remembrance. Xobodv needs a genial and lambent wit as much as a custodian, cus-todian, but no other class appears so destitute of ir. If the tide of tourist travel turns to Ireland, touring tour-ing Avill be relieved of its deadly dullness and boredom. bore-dom. '"There are feAV people who knoAV how to absorb the atmosphere of an old, historic battlefield, if we are to judge by the literature resulting from such ; pilgrimages. It is the same Avith ancient cathe- drals and ministers. "What impressions these things ; may make on receptive minds capable of translating ; ,, them into word pictures, is no doubt obscured, i i not wholly lost, in the eternal singsongs of attendants attend-ants vvho reduce everything to gibbering terms of J imbecility at a lingual pace that makes atmospheric j absorption impossible. The Irish will change all j this. They wilt give us a renaissance of the lost art of touring literature. Thousands have gone to. i Hastings filled with fine fancies of seeing a Saxon ' banner go down in blood, only to leave Avith a mass of indistinct recollections of the dark corners of -i . an old abbey in which a grasping verger has droned his song. But none will ever leave an Irish field without taking in his ears the old Gaelic war cry of Faugh-a-ballagh. Archbishop Glennon''s suggestion is filled Avith promise of a literary revival." |