MAN WHO FOUGHT A NATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10413, 10 April 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

MAN WHO FOUGHT A NATION.

INTERVIEW WITH CAPTAIN BOYCOTT. " Do you want to meet a iimn who contributed a new, word to tho English language? If so, come over to Morrison's Hotel and 'let mo introduce you to Captain Boycott." So ran the invitation received by the writer. In tlin smoking-room sat (,'aptaia Boycott, pnlHng placidly at a dingy briar pipe. The once famous land agent is a •middle-sized old gentleman, with a long grey beard. Ho was attired in rough tweod, and looko'J tho email country squire that he is. The obstinate nature which precipitated (ho bitter Irish land war of 1880-81, and tho attendant evils of "boy- 1 ' coning," was indicated by ft firm mouth und steely blue glitter in the small, rather deep-set eye?.

" Yes, I am the original Boycott," said the captain, with an amused chuckle. " You may be surprised to learn, though, that I am nowadays 0110 ol the most popular men in my county, if not in all Ireland. Where my nnine was execrated by the peasantry, it is now well received. Every year I exhibit horses or prize cattle at the bier Ballsbridgo Show, and I assure you that there are no entries more loudly applauded. Ima on the very best of term? with all my noighbours—landlord and tenant alike. But sixteen your* ego it was different-ah, how different!" Every student of word lore knows that the now accepted verb " to boycott" originated in the fierce conflict between this elderly gentlemaifaiid the tenant? umler his control during the winter of 18S0 and the spring or ISBI. Captain Boycott was a "small "squire" at Lough Mask, in the wild Connemarn section of County Mayo. He was also laud agent or fuctor for several landed proprietor*, notably tho Earl of Erne. He was about 50 years of age, well preserved and vigorous, with a strong local reputation fur obstinacy. Grim poverty stulkcd abroad in the land, The peasantry could not pay their rents, especially in the barren sections wherein Boycott dwolt. Bub the captain (hid title is derived from tho militia) was a determined man. He deemed it his duty to collect rents at all hazards. He-soon found himself at loggerheads with the people, and his name became a synonym for aggressive " rack-renting." Several times he was threatened, but threats, had no effect upon him,

" My morning mail," said the captain, "seemed incomplete without one or two bloodthirsty warnings, crudely drawn piceuros of coffins, and the like. Once I was actually shot at, but escaped -death by my horse leaping in a hedge." At length in September, 1880, Mr. Parnell precipitated the crisis by his speech at Ennis, in which he urged tho people of Ireland to abstain from agrarian crimes and adopt instead a policy of sending landlords, agents, and bailiffs "to Coventry." "Sending to Coventry" was indeed the old word for " boycotting," and had been found a highly effective method of warfare. The idea became popular at once, and the victim of the Ennis programme was Captain Boycott, of County ilayo. " I was warned that if I did nob ceaao acting in tho interest of my landlord omployers," said the captain, " I should bo left 'severely alone.' This did not scare me, and I continued working as before. Then tho 'boycott' began. My own harvest was late that year, and when I tried to engage harvesters I was everywhere met with refusals. Not) a man among the labourers of my parish or barony dared to work for me. The corn remained standing. Bab this was not the worst. My servants left me in a body, and my wife and children were obliged to do all their cooking, washing, etc., themselves, Then tho village grocer' and butcher declined to sell me provisions, and when I sent to the neighbouring town for supplies I found it absolutely impossible to get anything. Bui; I would not giyo in—not I." Here Captain Boycott brought bis large fist down on the table with a resonant baug. One could well picture how obstinato a land agent he had been in his prime 16 years ago. " Things went from bad to worse," he continued. " There was no fuel in the house. Nobody would cut turf or carry coal for me. I had to tear up my floors for firewood. Finally I sent my good wife to Dublin in care oi friends, and prepared for a seige. Meanwhile, however, the story of the ' boycott' bad gob into tho anti-Par-riellite pipers. People who did not believe in tach methods, and who knew that I was merely a faithful servant working zealousy for my employers, formod nn association known as the 'Emergency Men. , They gathered together several score of stalwart harvesters, and marched them under police protection to my aid. Nearly all these men were from the North, and belonged to Orange lodges. That irritated my Mayo friends more than ever, and constant attacks and sallies became the order of the day and night. Finally a detachmenb of loldiere came from Oaitlebar to our aid, and the belated harvest was reaped and garnered. We had to guard the cornhaggard witb fixed bayonets, revolvers, and blackthorns to keep our' ricks' from being burned down. Next came a train from Belfast, loaded with provisions for the little gajtrueu, »ud with id two imparted EoglUb

serrants as cooks. Bub the servants who had ' boycotted , me got at these poor girls and so frightened them that they left the next morning, and we had to do our own cooking once more. Of course, all the newspapers were full of my beleaguerment, and little by little tho word ' boycott crept into editorial usage. I did not notice this at the time ; 1 hsd other things to think 01. A fund wns raised for me in England and Ireland, but it did not come near reimbursing me for my expenses and worry. Yon see, at that time, agrarian ' boycotting' was not illegal, nor was id made so until tho Crimes Act of ISS7. By that tiino the systora had become so widespread that it threatened to eap tho whole soei.il condition in Ireland. Ib was indeed it iiibst powerful and insidious weapon, as I am now free to own. My Christmas and New Year's Days of 18S0S1 were anything but enjoyable fnast.*. Not a day, scarcely an hour, passed without a fight or a personal encounter between the opposing forces. Our Christmas plum pudding was sent by admirers in Londonderry, packed in a mail sack. The besiegers respected the mail s.Acks, and wo enjoyed the pudding. At last in the spring of ISSI there was an armistice. I was left with an armed guard, however, and all my provisions wero sent by rail from Belfast or Dublin. When I had time to take breath and read tho papors, I discovered that my name had been a household word, though I did not even then fancy that it would become embodied in the dictionary."

But nowadays there are fow more popular men in County Mayo or in all Ireland than Boycott. Tine popularity came about from the secret pleasure which the peasantry found in fighting against so brave and straightforward an enemy. Moreover, the captain treasured no malice against his persecutors, and some of his best friends today are Mnoiig the very farmers who boycotted him in 1880 and 1881. At the famous Dublin Horse Show, held in Billsbridge, annually, his venerable figure is a familiar one, and never fails to attract vigorous exhibits. He always has two or three exhibits, for he is a notable breeder of horses and fat cattle. Another cause for Captain Boycott's recent popularity is his embracing the new anti-taxation cause.