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The History Sale 2015
www.adams.ie662
ARTHUR LYNCH AND ‘DON PATRICIO’
An interesting ALS, 4 pp (single folded sheet), from Arthur Lynch in Paris, 20 Aug. 1898, to ‘Don Patricio’ (MacManus, in Donegal), mostly about ‘the great Telegraph
Agency scheme’ [a proposal sponsored by the IRB for a newsagency aimed at the American papers, to weaken the influence of the British-owned Reuters agency].
‘We want someone to go to America, see some of the principal journals, make arrangements with them to take our service (all this to be set forth in clear instructions).
For this, including a stay of some days in America, about €80 only is available, but the fare I think is only a small part of that. You see there is not much in it, so far,
unless you wanted a trip to America in which case it would come in very well. If not, Gribazedoff will probably go ..’ With the original envelope. With a second ALS
to MacManus, 3 pp (folded sheet), dated February 1900, from Annie Lynch (Arthur Lynch’s wife) in Ealing, London explaining that ‘as he left me to act as his private
secretary I opened and read [his letter]. All the information you want I am sure Mr. Gribazedoff could give you .. ‘Arthur left for the Transvaal on 3rd Dec. .. Of course
he was in great spirits over the results of the present campaign. He went for & was sent out by “Le Journal” but he had also promised articles to the “Morning
Leader” & “Daily Chronicle”. He took a camera and has had good offers from “Harpers Magazine” for photos & exclusive articles .. Miss Gonne is in America, she
will soon be back now. I have not yet seen Dr. or Mrs. Ryan ..’ Arthur Lynch [1861-1934], sometimes described as Colonel, was a journalist, adventurer and politician.
Born in Australia of Irish extraction, he was “Daily Mail” correspondent in Paris 1896-99. He went to Transvaal in 1900, initially as a journalist, and fought on the Boer
side with Major John MacBride. In 1903 he was sentenced to death by the British for high treason, but was pardoned. He qualified as a medical doctor in London,
and was an Irish Party MP for some 10 years, representing Galway and West Clare. Dr. [Mark] Ryan was a medical doctor, active in the IRB. (2)
€200 - €300
663
WILLIAM BULFIN [1864-1910]
An interesting collection of four ALS to Senor Patricio MacManus, October-November 1907, 9 pp in all, various sizes, with three associated envelopes (one of them
with ‘Southern Cross’ heading), giving detailed progress reports on crops, livestock, sales, prices, weather, reclamation of land etc. at the estancia [farmstead] at San
Patricio, Melincué , evidently owned by MacManus and managed on his behalf by Bulfin. The livestock mentioned are mainly sheep, lambs and horses; the crops
include wheat, maize and alfalfa (used as fodder for the lambs). In the first letter he discusses ‘600 squares of virgin camp [plain] that has been put out on contract
.. now divided up and each coleno [tenant farmer] is ploughing from 25 to 30 squares for maize. The sowing of this maize begins this incoming week. Each coleno
wires off his ploughed land and the estancia stock remains on the camp until next March when it will be disoccupied. The stock now on it will be put into the new
potreros [pastures] which will be ready after the harvest. All the alfalfa sowed this year promises well .. We have exempted three of the alfalfa potreros in order to
give them a chance of the spring growth .. I sent a double wagon of lambs with as few borregas [sheep] to the market about the 12th of last month .. The total net
was $639.55 which I brought out from town as it was needed here for current expenses .. There were only 100 quintals of maize this season and we have let it go
at $5 per quintal. The sheep -- the few that are here – are all right. Probably next year there will be room for about 1,500 more .. Everyone here is quite anxious
to have you and the senora come and are waiting to welcome you ..’ There are further detailed reports, describing the pattern of farming and development. William
Bulfin, born in Birr, Co. Offaly, went to Argentina in 1884 with his brother Peter, where he found farming work on the pampas. He began to contribute to the ‘Southern
Cross’, a weekly paper for the Irish community in Buenos Aires, under the pen-name ‘Che Buono’. After four years’ farming he returned to Buenos Aires, where
he became editor and owner of the ‘Southern Cross’. In 1902 he returned to Ireland, and travelled much of the country by bicycle. Articles about his travels were
later collected as ‘Rambles in Eirinn’. By 1904 he was back in Argentina, working on one of Patrick MacManus’ properties. He returned to Ireland again in 1909,
and sailed to America with Michael O’Rahilly, to seek funds for Griffith’s daily Sinn Fein paper. He died at home in Ireland in 1910. His son Eamonn was a pupil at
Pearse’s school, St. Enda’s, and fought in 1916; his daughter Catalina later married Sean MacBride, lawyer and Nobel Prize laureate, son of Maud Gonne and Major
John MacBride. The DIB entry on William Bulfin does not mention his association with Padraic MacManus.
(4)
€300 - €500
Lot 662
Lot 663