Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL
Newspaper Page Text
sv?(t- H4 ;H JWP5f9P wp Idalk 5o?r sro?y Philanthropy by Proxy. Though the Irish Land league ihowled at him and cursed him tor an absentee landlord, Lord Strathcannon could well stand comparison with his peers. He was ever the first to dip into his pocket when famine or distress X held Ireland in its grip. Dunn, his agent, went across . the channel to England quarterly to give an account of his steward- ) ship. lis improvident they are, your lqrdship," he said to Strath cannon. "They wont hear of co operation at all, and they're cut ting their own throats with their old-fashioned ways." "What they want is some good, profitable industry that they will take up with enthusiasm," said his lordship. "Sure, your lordship, you're too lenient with thim. It was only last year you bought every soul of thim a churning machine and or dered thim to use thim under pain of dispossession, and then you made thim plant castor oil and it wouldn't grow" "Shut up, Dunn," said Lord Strathcannon. "This time I'm going to start a new industry al-. together on my estates." "It wouldn't be cabbages, your lordship?" suggested Dunn. "Shut up, you dunderhead!" shouted his master. "No, it isn't cabbages. It's Angoras. Do vou j know the profits in a herd of good Angoras? "Profits, bedad!'- muttered Dunn, dismally. Buy every man on my estate a pair of Angoras," said Lord Strathcannon. "They'll have the milk from the ewes, and the wool will find a ready sale on the Lon don market. And then, when they're making their fortunes, why, we 11 raise the rent on em, l concluded Strathcannon, glee- C luiiy. "But but " stammered Dunn. "Not a word," shouted his lord ship. "It's settled. Understand? Buy 'em at once and report prog ress to mp. in three months from today." The tenants were accustomed to their master's whims. The Angoras were purchased and tended carefully. They increased prodigiously. Lord Strathcan non chuckled gleefully when he read his agent's report. "Now is the time to shear them," he wrote back. "Establish a milk industry, sell off the kids, allowing for some natural in crease, and lej me know how many pounds of wool you get." "He's mad," groaned Dunn, when he received this letter. "Be dad, I daren't show my face among among the tenants, and they wont pay the rent." So he wrote back formally announcing his resignation. Lord Strathcannon grew pur- . pie in the face. He packed his va- & lise and left for his Irish estates on the night boat, appearing un expectedly at Dunn's house the following afternoon. , "You scoundrel," he shouted, "how dare you resign? Take