Page:Irish In America.djvu/116

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THE IRISH IN AMERICA.

one fact, the exact parallel to which may be told of the Irish in Montreal, is in the highest degree creditable to the moral tone which they maintain, - that there is not in the Irish portion of the town a single house of bad repute, although as many as 10,000 sailors are frequently at one time in the port, and although the Irish keep lodging-houses, and places of entertainment, which are frequented by a class whose influence is not always the most favour able to public or private morals.

The Irish Catholics in Quebec, who number about 12,000, possess Church property of their own creation, to the amount of 40,000l.; and the manner in which they respond to appeals made to their charitable feelings, was strongly impressed on my mind from hearing the Pastor of St. Patrick's announce from the pulpit that the bazaar just held in aid of an hospital for old and infirm people had realised the net sum of 800l. To this handsome amount the wealthier classes had contributed a fair proportion; but the larger amount came from the pockets of the working people. Indeed, to employ the language of a gentleman long connected with Quebec, they form an exhaustless resource in every charitable or religious under taking.

I was afforded a favourable opportunity of seeing at one time a large body of the working class of Irish, that is Irish-born, or born of Irish parents. The occasion was a funeral of a young man who had fallen victim to a daring feat, which resulted in his death. The nature of the death created a lively sympathy among his class, who might be described as 'ship-labourers,' engaged in various departments of the great lumber industry of the port. The procession occupied a considerable time in passing the place at which I stood, and the papers of the following morning estimated the number who 'walked' at 1,200. There was not of that large body of working men a single one badly or shabbily dressed; all were well and com-