The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-08-11

If you hasn pretty large oneA
You'd better bring me free.
How a HOosier BOY Saw the Tower
4 of Pisa.
4 During tour of several months In
/ Europe arrived In the ancient city of
Pisa at IL o'clock OH lovely summer
night. Being of course very eager to
see the famous Leaning Tower, I re-
solved, as the moon was shining bright
| ~, not to wait for daylight, but to visit
the Tower before retiring. On my ask
ing the proprietor of the hotel to tell
me the way TO the Leaning Tower, he
became greatly excited and exclaimed {:
/ 1T is impossible to 60 tonight |" l
/ laughed at his fears and told him moth.
ing was impossible to all American boy.
He still hesitated, but finally came out
reluctantly into the middle OF the street
and pointed out the course / was to
! take.
Of started, full of the self confident
fearlessness of impetuous youth. Be-
fore turning the corner looked back
and saw the old man still standing and
! gazing after me, I felt sorry for him,
thinking bis tears for my safety were
/ groundlcss.
For few squares the street was wide,
and the full light of the moon cheered
me onward; but soon my way was not
SO clear.
Coming suddenly to the end of the
wide street, found myself by the side
/ of the ruins Of an old cathedral The
irregular walls covered with ivy, the
light OF the moon shining through the
ruined gothic windows, and showing the
decayed and messy interior gave to the
scene a solemn GRANDEUR that filled me
with awe. just III front of the cathe-
dral was the river Arno, narrow
stream, and the water low Within It's
banks. Walking around the corner of
the edilice and up the bank of the Arno,
[ presently saw the outline OF boat
close to the shore, and, as drew nearer,
l not only found the boat, but discovered
the owner thereof lying fiat on lis back.
The Light OF the moon SHINING on his
face gave 1t rather CHASTITY Expression,
and Tor "a moment ! paused; but, with a
laugh at my fears, L stepped into the
boat and kicked one Of his feet so as TO
waken him. This unceremonious Treat
ment reused HIM quickly enough, and he
sprang up AMI glared at me tiercely.
| Not being al expert Ia the Italian Ian
| guagc; l went through o series Ut panto-
Nun IS, which he Ii sally understood to
mean thai | wanted INN 10 taAc me
across the river. Wnereupon, selz!ng a
long pole, he pushed his craft out INTO
the sluggish stream. AS We reached the
middle, It occurred to me that here
woul4 be fine opportunity Tor M Ter
lyman to collect whatever fare ne
W shed Accordingly, l courteously de-
c.lned his invitation to enter tue 3..Ulu,
as L much prefe.re standing where L
could see all around me and watch MS
movements. However, had no trouble
witt Aly sleepy hoatma1l, and our craft
soon reached the opposite side OF the
river.
After long, tedious tramp saw what
appeared to be nre long way ahead
OF me, but shortly discovered that 1t was
merely the light OF the moon shining
actoss an open space. Pushing on rap
idly, came to the end of the street, and
there, to my delight, [ saw directly in
front of me the Grand Plaza of Pisa, with
the massive Cathedral and tie BapUIst-
cry and the beautiful Leaning lower
standing close together and cleaning in
the moonlight
After pausing few moments to enjoy
this first grand vision of the Tower I
turned toward pair of beautiful orna-
mental iron gates which attracted my
| oft R,7f ryI,apn T 4~>
and looked through the sight was not
one calculated to add to my cheerful
ness, for found myself facing the great
Campo Santo, or burying ground of Pr
sa. The bright light of the moon on the
marble monuments and tombs, the weird
shadows Of the porches, the perfect still
ness of the night, inspired me with q
strange feeling of ave. Leaving this
solemn place [ walked over to the grand
old Cathedral and the Baptistery near
the Leaning Tower. From that point
the Tower was distinctly outlined, and
the sight OF its eight stories and the col
umns of pure white marble, glittering in
the moonlight, amply repaid me for my
| tedious walk.
Advancing to the base of the Tower, I
went inside and looked up. The bell
ropes touched the sides near the top and
hung down close to the wall. think
that man looking up from the bottom
of deep well would have very good
idea of the appearance OF the Tower as
seen within from the base, especially if
the we'll happened to be quite off the
perpendicular.
[ began to climb leisurely to the top,
but I could not prevent myself from
edging toward the center as I walked
around on the leaning side. It seemed
to me that my weight alone would cause
the whole structure to topple over.
This wonderful Tower is about thirty
feet in diameter at its base, and is one
hundred and forty-six feet high.
If any one of my boy-readers should
climb the one hundred and ninety-fnur
steps to the top without feeling inclined
/ to hold on to the higher side and tread
very lightly on the lower side, he would
/ have steadier nerves than the "Hoosier"
boy who climbed the Tower that night
! The stairs are worn by the tramp of
millions of feet, for the curiosity of peo-
1 pie since the year 1174 has led myriads
of them to climb the steps of this re-
markable edifce, to reach the place
where Calico was wont to go to study
4 the heavens.
There are in the BELT six large bells,
which are stiIl used. The largest one
is said to weigh six tons, and is hung on
the side opposite the over hanging wall,
perhaps to aid in balancing the tower,
which is twelve feet out OF the perpendic-
/ ular. / believe that it is still unsettled
whether its obliqne position is the result
of accident or de,ign. The foundation
is in q low, wet place, and, it is claimed,
shows signs of having sunk many feet
/ farther into the earth on one sidethan the
/ other. The top story also leans back per-
ceptibly from the lower side, as if built
to counterfeit the sinking of the founda-
4 ton.
/ After resting awhile at the top OF the
! tower, I descended and walked over to
the Baptistery. Its magni6cens-bronze
| doors, so celebrated as works Of art,
4 could be seen to advant9re that nieht
Only on IL side on which the moonlight
/ fell
Close by the Baptistery stands the
NJ fpiel,ad