, 1881-02-20
FLORENCE. .
From Paris to the Tuscan City
The Mt. Cents Tunnel.
American Painters and Scu1ptOrS
The Drive Oh the Cas-
cine.
II usical Street. -0ries-Donkeys- -Oheapness
Of Labor-0ost Of Living.
The Baptistery OF San GioTannt-1ts
Gates and Its Ancient Font.

Gates and Its Ancient Font.
Special Correspondence Of The Chicago Tribune.
FLORENCE, Italy, Feb. 1.-The route from
Paris to Florence-distance 593 miles, time |
thirty-six hours-is one Of great Interest to /
the lover of grand and impressive scenery,
especially that part Of it which brings the |
traveller within the mountain-rnnges OF the
Alps. Leaving Paris in the evening, these |
are reached the following morning, and dur |
ing the entire day the tourist is in the lmme-
diate sight and presence Of these gfahd
mountains,-their snowy crests piled, crag |
upon crag, high overhead or in the distance, |
and their immense rock-masses rising almost
perpendicularly In many places from the rail-
road-track. We wind in and out among these
crags, following the course Of the sWlft-rusll-
ins River Arc at their base, gradually ascend
ing the mountnin-side, and every moment
making the awful chasils and preciptces
deeper and deeper, more fearful to behold,
until. about o'clock in the afternoon, we
reach Modane, on the frontier between France
and Italy. Here We are delayed an hour Tor
examination Of baggage.
we are now within few minutes OF the
mouth Of
TIE GREAT MOUNT GEMS TUNNEL
the most wonderful achievement Of engln-
eerfrg skill in surmounttng natural difficult
ties the world has ever known, being nearly
nine miles in length. and costing over 4N,-
600, GOO Of francs. The engine which is used
TO draw the train Is of the most poWerlu1
description, the speed Of about fifteen miles
an hour, requiring about forty minutes 10
pass through the tunnel, which IS lighted
the entire distance by lamps placed about ooo
yards apart. Emerging ut length again INTO
the welcome light of day, we enter
one short tunnel after another, un-
der tho projecting masses OF rock, ano
frequently on the very edge OF most glddS
and dangerous-1ooking preclplces, sheer
down thousands Of feet without a pfeah.
There is no protection, in case OF an acc1-
| dent, to prevent the entire train from pehg
dashed into fragments on the rocks in the
| he'd of the rushing river below. Iassure you
q man. however brave. is apt to catch his
| breath more titan once as the train, running
now at full speed, swings around these
| frirhtful places. The ladies Of my party,
fortunately, were on the side Of the car
nearest the mountain, and was very careful
| not to cali their attention to the view on my
side. Ammonia and canphor, have no
doubt; would have been Immediately i'll
| IEJul5Il4Oi4 I N~~AA A0~-"--
have done so. am sure
I AN not ANXIOUS
oenIn tn make the acquaintance of what the
raiIroad officials describe as the most grand
+ and magnificent scenery in the world" 1
thought when crossed the Alleghenles IN
1873 before the tunnels were cut on the BAL
timore & Ohio Railroad, that had about
reached tho acme Of dangerous railroad
travelling: but pshaw! that was but penny
whistle to 4 thunderstorm as compared VIII
| this. I recollect the very emphatic remark
| of one of my fellow-passenEers. q MISSISSIPPI
steamboat-captain, whom / met few days
after Mt Wlllard's. He had come to Wash
1ng1on to attend the Inauguration OF Presl,
dent Pierce, s'Look here. stranger" sa1o
he. "if it had been ME who had been elected
president of the United States, aud l knew
beforehand had to travel over that roat te
be inaueurated, by the holy poker, l would
stay o., the other side" When l return tc
Paris. nv present impression is, will take
} the Mediterranean route from Genoa to Mar
, seillcs.
We arrive at Turin at 6 p. H., and reacl
Florence the following morning at O'Clock
When We left Paris the weather had alreau1
hecome very cold and disagreeable, and herf
ve found ourselves in the midst Of sumne
| and hrtchtest sunshine. think, without ex
ception, Florence Is
THE MOST DELIGHTFUL crrf
} 7 have ever visited, and ny opportunltle
lave not been few. It has been appropriate
! " called the Garden Of Italy. Its situation
and surroundings are certainly unFlvalc'
t and unsurpassable. Lying rs it does Ill III
S beautiful Valley of the Arllo, the bright an
y rushing river of That name passing throuel
q it's centre, spanlled by noble stone bridges
$ embellished with statuary; surrounded U
all sides by hills green to their SUBMITS, an
dotted with villas at every available polh'
} Imagination stops short IN an u
. tempt to describe its many charnu
Q features. To one accustomed 10 VI
+ level sau1eness Of our great pralEles' III
Il charm Is simply indcscribable. AND inc le
G the air is so delicious, perfnmeo WIN III
: bursting bloom of thousands OF flowers, eve
+ now In midwinter; the skies so pine' "
d sunsets SO gorgeous. anu 1ho ""'ha ~
). drives so interesting and picturesque. ton
pared with our bleak and wlntry climate
this senson. it is indeed a perfect Paradise
+ do]ct far niente to the invalid, and II
t. oyerworked brain of the student and man p q
ia h,,sincss. many Of whom find their way hel
Il ron, ali quarters during the wlnter-seaso
~ rain. it is the city par excellence, aoo'
IL any other city OF the world Tor
y ITS TREASURES OF ART
~ which have been carefully pieser'ea a az ne
u md NM . grand Old churches a,e filled with u
# works Of the ancient masters, and soIne nt
-. The 1l brigntest names on the roll ct ran m
elaimed Florence f15 TIER o'f{n9iile aile
Rfn5e 2sss B9sesS5o hnseio' cimaSae'
" VIZ; Tel Sarto, Beuyenuto Cellln
- vrsnucci. tsra, Pisano, Donatelo, and mat