Show I I r A Famine in ireland I I With the hope ho that it may ma servo the tho purpose of oC making tho the people grateful for the abundance that thal surrounds their lives Richard Ayers Aers tells the story stor of the famine In Ireland as ho he recalls It There Thero was wan a failure allure of the potato I crop the mainstay of ot Ireland in the I fall of oC lS G the people had enough laid by to enable them to get gel through I the winter but with Ith the spring of at 1817 1847 81 there thero came a famine which was wan attended by hr disease suffering and alid I death and which made mache Ruch a lasting hasting I Impression iOU on ho mind of Mr Ir Ayers then a n boy of S that though hl hi hair hairIs Is IB white the tears t come to his eyes I when he lie tells It IL His father was In business In Kilkee Kilk e County Clare Chare a I Ismall small village on Kilkee bay bl a pleasure resort on the tho west coast of Ireland There wore were horse racing hurdle matches bathing and other amuse amusements e moots ments during the summer and the thebo boys bo s father did a good business and prospered pros red But It was a credit busi bitsi business ness and with the famine caino camo the tho Inability of the people to meet moet their bills and Mr Ir Ayers Aers unable to meet his had his hll stock taken from him and anti his store was closed There was WM only one ono thing thinS to do and that was to Lo come com cometo to America and ho he sailed for Canada with tho the purpose of or sending his wife as soon as he had earned a 3 little money mone He left leCt a wife and four tour chil chit children children dren Iren and shortly after aCter lie lw had gone tho the fifth was w s born The Th mother went out ever eler day as long as she was ablo able to collect a little of oC the he due her husband but It was useless Tho rho people had no mon mo moe mone oy e to pay flay Four of the children died of the tho privation pM and anti fever that attend a famine Richard Ayers A ers recalls that one morning he woke up and anti found his hII sister dead in lieu bed She had died of or starvation There Was vas no money monc to buy bit a coffin and a friend made matho a rough box out of the shelving in the tile store and In this the child was burled buried Many who died tiled in this LeI ter terrible period did dILL not fare are BO so well hun hue hundreds hundreds were pit out of oC their homes by their landlords and died In the streets and wore carted c to the graveyard and burled without shroud or coffin coffinA A soup house was WS opened and Rich Richard Richard ard Ayers Aers says everyone was glad Slad to tolay tolar tolay lay lar aside pride and an stand In line for Cor fora Cora a soup bowl ticket A T P Stewart the New York dry dr goods prince Rent sent senta Renta a Cl shipload of corn com over but hut travel was slow in those days and much of oC It Il was spoiled d The boy bo of oC this story had bad a fow kernels which kept life lICe In him one da day and he recalls three black days when he had nothing to eat ent atRIL The Globe has always alwa contended cont that children never nover forget or t ta a kindness One day when Richard Ayers was wa on the street his hie iii uncle came canto dp tip I mind and nd asked d if It ho lie were w re hungry Or Of course ho lie w hungry all of Ire Ireland Ireland Ireland land was hungry i Id those thO C days and md his uncle took b him Into a shop and bought him a l large cake oake something like liko pancake I never forgot the tho kindness Bald Raid Mr Ayers One day having exhausted every eer resource Mrs hR Ayers took her only on remaining child by b the tho bo hand bond and started with him to Lo Lotho tho the poor loor house The hospitals anti anil the poor houR bouR houses a 3 were filled with the sick and dying and an terrible tales had como out of or the manner In which they the wore treated but It was the only oaly ref refuge 11 refuge uge loft lott When they th y reached the poor farm gate ato the boy hung bung back Then Thea overcome by b fear he ho turned and ran mn bock back as fast as he could to the house houge of or a relative where rc ho he found foun d a home The father In the meantime had I found employment In Canada at IS a month Think of or the bleakness of rdo do that must have come corne over a man who was aB working for relief for Cor a stary starving ing fatuity family of oC six and earning only 18 lS a n month It was waa ISIS 1818 that ho sent for Cor his wife and aon and nd they the were wore six alx ix weeks and anti five fie days on the tho th Balling sailing vessel ossel coming over The Thie boat was filled with Ith refugees r u and much sickness BI result resulted d iu thu n th l ard ald Ayers must IDUS live brave 1 vc been heon k it D ble soul Ins In Instead of fretting over the tho four little graves she had leCt turned turnell a n brave face faco to La the suffering around ar Und her and took look care of th the sick on board all the way na over Ocr On arriving ing jUt In Canada Cnn a they thoy made wade their hone home e eti ti c i f J L J In and aud shortly after moved to Chicago and a fow to fe months later they the Joined a colony colon that settled near Davenport Iowa Richard Ayers moved moed to La Kansas KanBas In the spring of 1881 locating on a farm four miles west of Twelve years ears later hater he moved to Atchison With r their com coin coming coming coining ing to this country all privation ceased and his mother lived hived to o enjoy the good things of oC life and of which her rare courage entitled her to a 1 large share There were wore no more chill chil children dren Just Richard and the four Cour little I graves 6 occupied by famine victims back hack in Ireland Kan Kati I Globe I |