THE KILDARE OBSERVER
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1881.
THE EARL OF MAYO IN AMERICA
HIS EXPERIENCES IN THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS
AMERICAN HOSPITALITY
We take the following from a copy of the “St. Louis Globe-Democrat,” received yesterday:—
Dermot Robert Wyndham Bourke, Seventh Earl of Mayo, is stopping at the Southern Hotel, where he arrived last night from Denver, Col., in which place he spent only one day, having just returned from the Big Horn Mountains, where he has been hunting for the last three months.
The present Lord Mayo succeeded his father, Richard Southwell Bourke, to the Earldom on the death of the latter in 1872. At that time his father was Governor-General of India, and was on a tour of inspection of the British Provinces of India. He had reached the penal settlement of Port Blair, where he was assassinated — stabbed in the back by a Mahommedan convict, who broke through the guards surrounding him. He fell on the spot. The Earl was appointed Governor-General of India in the latter part of January, 1868, and his administration was distinguished by great executive ability, and the introduction of many reforms. His son, the present Earl is 30 years old, about 5 feet 7 inches high, slender in build, but very wiry and active. He has golden hair, auburn moustache, whiskers trimmed close to his face, and blue eyes. His expression is very kindly, and he is very pleasant and democratic in his manners. Indeed, as some one in the lobby remarked, “He hasn’t half the style of a dry goods clerk.”
The Earl wore a suit of light grey clothes, and was accompanied by his friend and fellow-traveller, Mr. H. H. Porter, who was very much such a looking young gentleman as the Earl, and similarly dressed. Both were very unostentatious in their manners, and could easily have been mistaken for two quiet St. Louis young gentlemen. They expect to spend the rest of this week in St. Louis, and are the guests of Mr. Richard Everett, of the firm of Post and Everett, metal merchants, who has been acquainted with them for some time.
A reporter of the “Globe-Democrat” had an interview with the young Earl in the lobby of the Southern last evening, and, after introducing himself, was greeted by the visitor with the remark that he had often read the “Globe-Democrat” and liked the conservative positions it had taken in regard to Irish affairs — not going off wildly as some American papers did, without knowledge of the subject they spoke of.
“How have you employed yourself since you have been in America?” asked the reporter.
The Earl said that it was a long story, and he began by stating that he arrived in New York in the beginning of August last, and after spending about a week in that city, went out to Wyoming, where he has been hunting ever since. He stated that his outfit for hunting consisted of five riding horses and eight pack horses loaded with the ordinary hunting and camping equipage, in charge of two guides and a cook, besides whom he was accompanied by his valet, who is still with him.
HIS SUCCESS IN HUNTING
Mr. Porter here interposed that their party had killed eighteen buffalo, which was as many as they wanted to kill, though they could have killed a great many more; three grizzly bears, a number of mountain lions, elk, Rocky Mountain sheep, cinnamon bears, deer, antelope and small game. They have with them a number of buffalo hides, panther skins, elk and buffalo heads, and other trophies of their hunt, which they intend to carry home with them.
The Earl impressed it upon the reporter by repeating it three times during the conversation, “Please tell your paper to pitch into those skin hunters who are killing all the buffalo cows and calves for their skins, and leaving the bulls to gore each other to death. It is a perfect outrage, and the ranchmen out there are terribly opposed to skin hunters, who are exterminating the buffalo so fast that there cannot possibly be one left for the next generation to shoot.
“We saw,” he continued, “over 400 buffalo while we were hunting, and there were not a dozen cows in the whole lot, and fully 375 of them were old bulls.”
“What was the state of affairs upon you estates in Ireland when you left?”
“Well, my estates are located in the counties of Meath, Mayo and Kildare and there was no attempt to Boycott me while I was there, but I have since learned that I must not hunt upon my estate in Kildare, which means, I suppose, that if I did I would suffer personal harm. I do not believe, however, that my people would hurt me in any way, if I should return there now. I intend to return to my Kildare estate, and to hunt there in the spring, and I don’t think I will be shot at, although the English correspondents of the American press have had me boycotted and shot at both, which, thank God, is wholly untrue. My principal agent, Mr. Christopher Rynd, is a very clever man of great executive ability, and my tenants have paid him very well, I believe.”
“Will you tell me something of your family history?” asked the reporter.
Here the Earl blushed and looked at Mr. Porter, who came to the rescue and stated that the first Viscount of Mayo was made by Queen Elizabeth, and the earls came later, but died out for lack of male heirs. The title of Earl of Mayo, however, was conferred on the issue of one of the female heirs of the family by George 1., since which time there has always been an Earl of Mayo. Lord Mayo sometimes resides on his estate at Palmerstown, in the County Kildare, but is a great traveller, having spent a great deal of his time in Europe, Asia and even Africa.
“How do you like America, and what do you think of Americans?”
HE LIKES AMERICA.
“I like Americans very much indeed, and have been treated splendidly everywhere I have gone. I think the American people can not be outdone in hospitality, and I haven’t been here long enough to judge how hospitable they really can be when they desire. I have met with kindness wherever I have gone, and do not remember a single unpleasant occurrence, except a small matter of difference with an American lion on the top of Crazy Woman’s Mountain. He was certainly a native American of true grit to the death. I can not say too much for the American people, and I could spend a year filling invitations now extended to me. I expect to leave St. Louis for New York in a few days, and hope to return to England on the steamer Cynthia this month.”
“Don’t forget to scalp the skin hunters,” said the Earl as the reporter was going out of the door.
We also take the annexed from St. Louis Republican:—
The Earl of Mayo, of County Kildare — residing within 12 miles of Dublin, Ireland — and Mr. H. H. Porter, of Fermanagh, Ireland, are in the city, the guests of Mr. R. Everett. They have just returned from a hunting tour in Wyoming and other parts of the West. They say that they met with considerable success in bagging game, and had very fine sport. They incline strongly to the opinion that the Government should protect the game in Wyoming from the ravages which are made upon it, and particularly the deer. What are known as skin hunters shoot down the deer just for the sake of getting the skin. These hunters, they allege, shoot the doe early in the summer, when the fawn is too young to take care of itself, and the consequence is that the latter dies.
The Earl of Mayo had nothing to say regarding affairs in Ireland, as he has been away some time. Mr. Porter said that in his county — Fermanagh — there is little or no agitation, and, in fact, there is not a land league in the whole county. The people, as a rule, are more contented in his county than other parts of Ireland.
The two foreign gentlemen will remain in St. Louis a few days, and will sail for Ireland on the 16th inst.
A report from the Kildare Observer of 19 November 1881 on the Earl of Mayo’s travels in America
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