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Show T. ST. JOHN GAFFNEY. Announcement is made of the appointment ap-pointment of T. St. John Gaffney as United States consul at Dresden, Germany. Ger-many. T. St. John Gaffney of New York comes from a family which has been Identified with the commerce and public pub-lic life of Ireland for generations. He was born in Limerick in 1864. where his father was a magistrate and senior alderman al-derman for many years. Mr. Gaffney was educated at the famous Jesuit college, col-lege, Clongowes Wood, of which he was Imperator Primus in 1881. He came to America in the fall of 18S2. Shortly after his arrival he took up the study of the law in New York and was admitted admit-ted to the bar, in 1889, and has Pince practiced his profession In that city. Mr. Gaffney is a great traveler and visits vis-its Europe annually, where he is well known in the diplomatic circles of the chief capitals. In August, 1902, he was presented to President Loubet by the French ambassador to the United States. Jules Cambon. Subsequently, upon the recommendation of M. Del-casse, Del-casse, minister of foreign affairs. President Loubet conferred upon him the crass of the Legion of Honor. Last winter Mr. Gaffney spent in Rome with his family. During the preceding year he visited Russia. His home, 41 Riverside drive, is noted for its hospitality and few foreigners for-eigners of distinction . pass through New York without being entertained there. Mrs. Gaffney, who wae married to Mr. Gaffney about twelve years ago. is also well known in the society and literary circles of New York. She was president of 'the National Council of Women of the United States in 1899-1902. 1899-1902. and was the American delegate to the International Congress of Women Wo-men (Londdn) in 1899. She is a fre-uqent fre-uqent contributor to the magazines on the higher education of women. Mr. Gaffney. has written considerably on national and international questions ques-tions for various publications and for several years has been an active propagandist propa-gandist of the Republican party, particularly par-ticularly in the columns of the Boston Pilot, which came out for Roosevelt in the late campaign. His town house is 41 Riverside Drive and his summer home. Orchard Lodge, Summit. New-Jersey. New-Jersey. For many years Mr. Gaffney has enjoyed close personal relations with President Roosevelt, of whom he has been always a staunch advocate . and political supporter. IRISH MELODIES. The annual celebration of St. Patrick's Pat-rick's Day,' the mid-Lent festival, usually brings to notice the Irish melodies, mel-odies, melodies that are by all acknowledgment ac-knowledgment gems of beauty. - Periodically Peri-odically the subject of Irish music is taken up. and usually some new data are added to the general knowledge on this subject. ' The evolution of the Irish folk song has lately been given considerable attention at-tention in London. In New York there us a society which annually presents programmes of Irish music, thereby acquainting the patrons of the society with familiar and unfamiliar un-familiar compositions. In Chicago a similar interest is manifested, man-ifested, and a well known Chicagoan boasts the possession of one of the most complete collections of Irish music mu-sic known. The bards of Ireland who sang the songs and composed them were an important im-portant order In Ireland in the early centuries. Their training lasted for ten years. Their privileges and honors were almost royal. It is recorded that it was only owing to the interposition of St. Columbkill that they were not suppressed altogether by King Hugh of Ulster, who refused them the privilege of wearing the royal pin, which seems to have been the only right they did not demand and receive in their ambition am-bition to be equal to their king. Though they were not suppressed, they were banished temporarily. Mr. Etson, In his "Curoisities of Music," -say3: "The bards were an hereditary class, and their guild had three divisions: the Filedha, who eang both about re ligious and martial subjects, and -were also heralds to the nobility; the Braith-eamhain. Braith-eamhain. who chanted the laws, and the Seanacheaidehe, who were the musical mu-sical and political chroniclers and historians." his-torians." After Henry II's conquest the profession pro-fession began to decline. During the reign of Elizabeth all the Irish barda captured were hanged, as they were believed to Incite rebellion and discontent. Turlogh Q'Carolan is called the last I of the minstrel guild of Ireland. ' He lived 1670-1737. 1 . Mr. John Bunting, in the eighteenth 1 century, made a collection of Irish melodies, mel-odies, and to htm, to his zeal and de- 1 votlon, seems to be due the preserva- 1 tion of many of Ireland's national airs. Thomas Moore wae inspired by Bunting's Bunt-ing's work, and his devotion and interest inter-est in Ireland's airs was the next step taken to collect, publish and bring to the, notice of the public the .melodie3 that are 'every year being more, highly admh-ed.- 'Sir Arllliera; Stanford In recent re-cent years has contributed his'' time and taiente to the editing of many unknown un-known and beautiful aire. The harp is the national .instrument, and from time immemorial -it has figured fig-ured in Irish history. The remains of sculptured figures of harps are among I some of the old relics and "time marks. One has been discovered in the old church of Ullard, in the county of Kilkenny, Kil-kenny, which Is said to date previous to the year 800. Bunting, in his "History "His-tory of Ireland," says of it: "It is difficult to determine whether the number num-ber of strings represented is six or seven." The Irish Cruth harp had twenty-eight twenty-eight strings. Brian Boru's harp hart had all kinds of remarkable descriptions, descrip-tions, one being that it was studded with precious stones; that it was sent to 'the Pope and remained in Rome until un-til the reign of Henry VIII, when it was sent as a gift to him. Sir Hubert K. Parry says of the Irish music: "Irish folk music probably the mo3t human, most varied, most poetical, and most imaginative in the world is particularly rich in tunes which Imply considerable ympathetic sensitiveness." The Leader. |