[From Mona's Herald 7 April 1880]

[It requires to be read aloud (and with some knowledge of Manx prononciation)]

At Kirk Michael on Easter Monday

To the Editor of Mona's Herald

Misther Editar

They had a terble big day at Barrgarrow las Monday - I mane Essther Monday, over the layin of a foundation stone for a new Wesleyan Chapel. It appears to me, Masther F. that the owl chapal was gettin too shabby for some of them an' nothin less than a new one would do, an so they set about a collectin all the money they could catch a howl of from every body they came across. An mighty plucky they have been too ! Thou would be surprised man, if thou new how much they were promised and got. I'm proud scandelous of Mr Caine, Ballaskyre an the rest of them at they Spirit they have got ; it shows to me thou see Masther F. that they are not goin to be behine the Ranthers shown in the village Them fellars thinks themselves above everybody else, but thou'll see they'll be a long way to the luard of us chaps up here after we get our new chapal into ship shape. Well man, as I said before, they had a terble big day on Easter Monday there was the Rev Mr Butcher, and a few frens from Douglas includin Mr Caine, the Tanner and Mr Douglas, &c then there was the Rev W. G. Dawson, an the Rev F. H. Naylor an their frens from Ramsey, including Mr, Mrs and Miss Shimmin ; Mr and Mrs Joseph Joughin ;Miss Naylor, Miss Beewick, Mr:Lang, :Mrs Cannell, on a hole crowd of them that was anxious to have a good sthrike at the bun loaf an jam. An, man alive, after we all went in how they did wire in ! Thou see they wer’nt used to the mountan brezes like us up here an when they got a couple a dozin sniffs the could ate a house very near. It was a dhredfull loosin game to see so much good vittals out of sight an hearin for one bob. An then the Mikal boys and girls came in sthrong force too I watched lot of them, an nice the looked too in their Sunday close; but I had me eye on a couple in particilar— the too of them were terble shy on it because ther was a rival about; an I was laftn dhredful all the while. Thou see I new what was the matther, the shy looks that was goin would have made a cow laf but they say the youngest fellar is the favorate But I’m goin asthray now; liss see if I can gel back to where I lef of. Oh, I was sayen that ther was a sthrong musther from all quarters. . Wel afther the stone was layed by Mr John Cain, of Ballaskyre, Michael, a few words said, an after the tea.: was nearly all ate up Mr Butcher made speech. Dear me, what a nice man he is! thou: would think man that butther wouldin melt in his mouth he was so fine an easy; I was delighted uncommon with him.: He said that when Mr Wesley died in 1791 then was 300 ministers and 1,000 local prachars, an 80,000 members, and there is now in the wide Worl belongin to the Methodists . 30,000 Ministars and upwards of 4½ miillian members, an a big multatood : (I think he called it) of local prachars an tachars of school. And then he said in the Isle of Man the Wesleyans had 54 chapals and 10 ministars and 154 local prachars and over a 1,000 tachars, an about 3,000 membars in the sociaty. Mine thee, Mr F., this 3,000 is only about a12th part of the number on the Islan that calls themselves Wesleyans. This is a uncomman big increase since Mr Wesley himself prached at Barrgarrow. - The Rev Mr Naylar then thryed to open his mine a little bit, an then Mr William Clague, the cerkit stuard, of Ramsey opend his less still, but he looked midlin happy over it. Mr Shimmin an Radcliff and Nayler and Cowley came out with a few words too, but I did not mine them very much that as I thought to look at them in a lump that I woulden mis much, so I took a, little sleep, an I was towl after that there was nothin weghty bout them like Mr Butcher at all, altho Mr Douglas made a nice little juvinile speech on Volunterry Princerpels that went down : like pinjane. An the singin, Mr F., that was the bes of the lot! . There was Mr Willie Corlett from the village, he can keep time aganst a clock and then there was Miss Ann Kelly, she can play the Harmoniam against some of your Douglas pofessers, there was Mr Evan Clucas the station master he could charm the leg of a wheel barrar with the fidlin; I’ll back him against any one of the Kinsla's for a gig. And then there was Mr J. Caine, Ballaskyre, and John D Kelly the. Village —two mortal nice silver-toned tenors and Mr John Cannell, of Peel and Mr Thos. Caine, of Cammal, had a cuple of mighty base voices an they gave shouts that was fit to raise the roof. Well, man, with such a tremengous set of singars (for there was lots more that I have not mentioned, includin Willie Cowley who could go down to duble B, flat dhredful) what would a fellar expec but good singin. I’ll jus give thee list of the pieces, that I managed to copy of the program on the sly, so that they are about rite, an I’ll critasise it as I go on. Anthem, ‘ Awake put on thy Strength o Zion" by the quire (Good) ; ‘ Arm Arm ye Brave," by Mr John Cannell, (only middlin) — Anthem, "I will praise thee, O God’ (Good) — Quarette; "Now Pray we for our Country" (not so good) the four singars was Mr John C. Cain and some fellar else an Mrs Moore, and Mrs J. Joughin; then there was a Anthem, "I" ll lift my eyes up to the Hill’s" (Good) ;—then Anthem ‘, Blessed is the People" (Good); an then came the gem of the evenin. a duet called "The Moravian Nun," by Mr John C. Caine an Evan Clucas; boylar, how they sung ! , thy were all charmed at the way the two of them sung —the clappin of hans was terble, an after they sat down there was a lots of votes of thanks an a lot more nonsence— Mr Thomas Kneen the lawyer for the Ladies, an Willie Radcliff, of Ballaradcliff, for the singers. An then the Doxology was sung, which put the finishin sthroke on the fust meetin. After the frens who came from a distance took their hook (some of them ought to have stopt at home an not came attall for what profit they were), there was an after meeting called; the singers were to get a feed for nothin and the rest wore all to pay Sixpence a head. Talk about six pennath! one an sixpence worth is nearer the mark. There was a cuple of strangers come in; I was towl they came by the last train from Douglas. An boy veeden, what a raw appatite the had !—They needin. come again in a hurry, for if they do we’ll get two or’ three big pots of porrarge ready for them to slash at; half-a-dozzin bun loafs was nothin between the two of them. I could hear a shout for more tea too, but I’m afraid they ran short, five cups each was reckoned by the waiters plenty. Well man, after the tea was stopped them was a few speeches given by Mr Willie Radcliff (Chairman) Mr Thomas Kneen; (that’s the boy if thou like ! lave him alone, thou’ll see he’ll be a Deemster yet) and Mr .W. Cowley. I dont know what to make of Willie exactly he begun by praising the Station Master, then he towl a big yarn about some fellar that was always grumblin at his wife, and I think he finished up a wondarful speech alltogethar by somethins that was done to a live frog, an then he sat dow’n amid loud applaws. Three chairs, were then given for Mr John Cain and three for Mrs Cain, and three for the young Cains of Ballaskyre, and then H. M. Constable—Thomas Teare, proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman, in a very tall.manner. I felt for the bough a good dale, I’m sure a strong cup of coffee would have done him good, for ho appared dhredful nervus, but he managed to say somethin, and .then the meeting broke up about a 11 o’clock, alter every one enjoyed themselves to their harts content.

I’ll have somethin to say the nex time rite about the journy from the Chapal home, an about some straglars that was seen early in the mornin on the shore and other places —I muson forget to tell thee, Mr F., that I hard they cleared £25. That was mighty gran, wasin it ? I’ll not say no more now, but I will be ritin agane.- I remain for- ever.

JACK BOBBY ROB