The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-23
GOSSIP FROM SUNNY ITALY.
Our Italian Correspondent Happy Over
Indianapolis Newspapers.
A Few Words on Personally Conducted"
Tours to Europe Death of Mr.. Turner,
the Well-KnOWn Naples Banker.
Correspondepco q the Indianapolis Journal.

fydavya that am very happy man, because
am the recipient of two indianapolis Journals
and three Saturday Heralds, and have been
reading up city, State and national news. 1 can
tell you that there is something refreshing in an
American newspaper when, after months, you
have only had the perusal of Italian and French
journals, and an occasional English one There
is one thing that can also truly say, viz: there
are few papers in the United States which are
edited with such ability, vivacity and variety,
and real snap, as in general, are the Indianapo
lis newspapers This is neither hattery nor is it
the partialty of an Indianapolitan. l have
lived long enough away from my native place to
have some degree of cosmepolitanism and impair
tiality, and what have said above is from de-
hberate Judgment
Naples has just had touch-a very slight one
of what you are beginning to pass through
that is, political excitement. But when read
in the columns of the indianapolis journal how
you are beginning to work up the agony of the
coming election, and knowing how high that
same agony will be piled up before November
leone to the conclusion that the Italians don't
know any more about frst-class election ex-
element thad poet Riley knows about keeping a
hotel Nevertheless, there is something so odd
so quaint; so utterly un- American about Ital
ian political campaign, that / shall tell you
about one in nay next
We are having several of the personally con-
Quoted caravans" as the Italians call them,
travelling through Italy at this time. When
was a boy caravan" was the name given in
the West for any show of wild beasts--in short
it was the synonym of ''menagerie' Nine times
out of ten the boys of Holidays school and the
old Seminary they were within a square of one
another) used for fun to put the emphasis on the
second "a in the word, and when we spoke of
the big show that was coming, we pronounced
it as the grand earayvan. Now, what the
Italians call caravan is not one of wild
beasts, but it is conglomeration of all sorts Of
unsympathetic people from the United States
and England, who, induced by the cheap rates
advertised by certain firms called Tourists
Tourist Guides etc, come to the continent
and are moved about from place to place without
any more respect for their pleasure and their in
dependence than if they were lions of Africa,
tigers Of Bengal polar bears, and pelieans of the
desert in cages on wheels. Let me here make a
distinction. OF these various parties, whether
their name be Cook, Gaze or Kaygll, who I'M
dertake to make travelling on the continent
different classes of customers Messrs Cook &
Sons, and the other English purveyors of cheap
journeys from America to Europe provide round
trip tickets. at a reasonable rate, and
let the purchaser of the ticket
take his own course, go to what
hotels he pleases, iinger as long as he wishes to
in amy city, or go to see what sights accord with
his tastes. Such a traveller is very much like a
man in our own country, who purchases rail
way excursion ticket good for so many days,
irrespective of an excursion party. The ticket
is cheap and the man takes his own time over it,
lingering at one point and hurrying over Others
without any one ITO let or hinder" This class
of travellers, in taking ticket for the old world,
inyapiable have their steamship accommodations
and fare across the Atlantic and back included,
as well as the railway fares in the ''efete des
potisms and monarehies Of old Europe This is
all right, and man has as great degree Of in
dependence, and at a cheaper rate than if he
had gone ON his journey and paid his fare, as ii
were, at retail rates from point to point.
The secend-class, who take these excursions
to Europe consist Of persons who are led by cir
eulars, written in splendid sentences laden with
geographical, classical and historical illusions,
to buy tickets for one of the personally con-
ducteds tours. They can "do up Great Britain
and Ireland, they can visit the gay capital of
France. ride or steam along through pic
turesque Rhineland, look upon the sublime
scenery of the Alps and journey ainist the
classic cities of sunny Italy. The temptations
are great especially as everything, steamers,
railways hotels, guides ttpersonally conduct
ing gnides@, are all provided, and the expenses
are less than an extended tour in the United
States. The guides who go with the personally
conducted" are polyglots, and rattle of,
with the utmost intrepidity . miles
of French, German and italian, but are often
times somewhat lame and deficient in English
Now the Americans weak point is language.
Take him to England, or "Ould Oirland," or
Scotland, and he is all right, but the moment he
reaches the French side of the English channel
he feels like fish out of water and he is fire.
quentiy more ridiculous creature than the
newly arrived "Dutchmann In America, whom
he more often laughs at than he endeayors to
aid. So, just as soon as the personally con-
iucteds traveller is on French ground he feels
himself helpless, and the whole party for the
next six weeks in France Germany, Switzer-
hhd and italy are ike SO many sheep at the
beck and call and even orders, Of their polvclot
conductor. They must arise early in the morn
ing whether sick or WE'LL and proceed on what
is allotted for the day, and the day after and SO
on, or forfeit their money II they lag behind 1
have known them forced to break the Sabbath.
Many are led to places that they do not care fig
about. and places where they would like to lin
GER but they cannot because II is not in the plan
Of the personally conducted tour" They even
find out if they have any perspicacity, that if it
is in the winter time, they are placed in the
lneanest and cOldest rooms in the hotel, and il
they wish fire. it costs them as much as their