Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-02-18

JOHNSTON IN EUROPE. Col. John Il. John
sion, the artist, who has recently returned from
trip across the water, was not remarkably
impressed by the antiquities of the old wcrId.
In fact he is inclined to believe that there is
good deal of humbug about them, The follow
ing chapter of his experiences we find thus
summed up IN the Cincinnati Times of recent
date:
went to Alexandria, portion OF
ihe great desert ON camels back-easler for
a rich man,to go through the eye of needle
than for camel to paint portraitS-desert no
great shakes, got better dessert at an Ameri-
can hotel dinuer-throw sand in your eyes on
the desert-make you think it is big thing.
Went to Damascus-bought Damascus blade
--humbug blade made in Akron, Ohio. Went
&c Jerusalem hired guide for his board-a
regular guide e-board-never was So much bored
m my lte-Jerusalem full OF second hand
clothing stores-bOught fragment OF Solo
mon 5 sTemple-enough fragments OF Solomon S
Temple sold every year to build Cincinnati.
Visited the Nile-humbug-n water privileges
worth dam-don't wonder no one knows the
sources of the Nile-greatest wonder that any
BODY cares where they are-Licking river beats
;he Nile. Saw the mummies-made in Lon
ion, every one OF them, by a Massachusetts
man, and sent to Egypt
Looked at the pyramids. Recollected that
Napoleon said to his soldiers From the tops
Of yonder pyramids forty centuries are looking
down upon you. No such thing; weDG up
there and inquired; forty centuries hadn't been
up there at all, Saw the spbynx-capital like
ness OF Ben Butler. Went to Italy-bought a
monkey and hand organ, and learned to speak
Italian In two hours; monkey died and hand
organ exploded; haven't been able to speak
Italian since
''Saw Garibaldi at Naples. He wept bitterly
upon my shoulders borrowed halt dollar
and said ne wanted to come to America and be
\ second old George Washington.
''He is coming to Cincinnati next year TO
open lager beer saloon, as headquarters tor
distinguished organ grinders. | bought a
palace In Vienna, and am to pay for 1t In Con-
Sederate scrip. Crossed over the Bridge OF
Siehs-nO size at all-saw where the Doge OF
Venice married the Adriatic. There was a
Mormon there while ago. lie not only mar
ried the Adriatic, but all the streams IN the
neighborhood. Saw where Canova's heart was
buried. When Canova died his body was cut
up aud buried all over Europe. All big cities
wanted piece of him. They do it different
now. 1t an artist gets great reputatOn--hke
myself. for instance-they cut him up In the
newspapers. Saw the ruins OF Greece (depre-
ciated oil stock mostly) Saw the old masters;
yillainous daubs. One OF those old masters
couldn't get situation at hOuse-palnting If he
we're alive to day. Went to Rome dined by
Buchanan Reed and Randolph Rogers. ln-
quired for julius Cesar, but he wasn't in that
day-gone to a turkey shoot on the Isle OF
Crete-dOn' so much on the lie. Saw Hereu,
laneum-all humbug-the ashes that buried
1t didn't come from Vesuvius-drawn on IN
carts. All speculation to sell relies. Saw
the Hellespont-wad across it. Leander
drowned himself purpose, just to make
hero of himself Went and looked at the
Rhine-muddy little dike-castles all look like
stone smoke -houses--went across it-rather go
across the canal" Saw eruption of Mount
Vesuvius-country fire works on the Fourth OF
July beat it any time. Tell you Europe Is
aumbug Nothing 10 it. -