The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-20

49,
decade Of this century, and afterwards executed.
Many Of your readers who have sung Upon a
Rock Reclining" or have heard the opera OF
Fra Diavolo," have, perhaps, supposed that
that brigand was a creature of the poets and
musicians imagination. So far from that being
the fact, he was a real character, whose name
was Michele Pezza, and whose careerfor a num-
Der of years was that Of a wholesale robber and
murderer. But he was honored by the Bour-
bons of Naples because he left off private rob
berry and murder, and took to public crime OF
that kind under pretense of being a patriot and
hghting the French. The French generals told
the Neapolltan Bourbons that if Fra Diavolo
was taken he would not be treated as a prisoner
OF war, but would be hung as a brigand. In
1906 he landed from Sicily at Sperlonga, on the
coast seventy miles north of Naples, was en-
countered by a French detachment and defeated.
He escaped with a small band, lodging about at
night. and finally got to Baronissi, where he was
caught and hung.
But to turn from Fra Diavalo, let me say that
last night / dreamed of Indianapolis, and
amongst the persons 1 met with in my dream as
distinctly as if l were at home (lndianapollsl
men were Judge Martindale and Harry New. l
thought it all over again this morning, and l re.
called, in connection with an English writer, of
whom / shall speak Of, Judge Martindale's
proposition to make indianapolis "a summer re-
sort The idea was not SO badin some respects,
but Naples is a cooler place in summer. Re
Gently a common-sense literary Englishman
visited Naples-it was this very summer-and he
has the courage of his convictions, and dares to
write what your correspondent has always in
sisted on az the truth. This writer, in the Lon
don World" has written a most interesting let
ter from the island of Capri, which epistle he
has entitled 1.-THE Island of the Sirens" and in
which he, in a charming style, combats the
usual errors of John Bull in regardto the summer
climate of Naples and vicinity. He says that
he has slong been meditating the writing of a
series of minority reports, the object of which
should be to combat certain vulgar errors, and
to re-establish the truth" All this shows that
the writer is one of those men who do not be-
lieve in following the common herd. Like the
late DR.. Wayland, who, when the ultra temper
ance people attacked him on the score that the
majority" were against his views (which were
really practically for temperance1, replied by a
small publication, crammed full of convincing.
Human Responsibility and showed that
'majoIities were not always right"
if so. the crucifxion of our Savior
would be fully justified. There may be
something in Matthew Arnold's Saving
remnant after all. So our writer in the
London World in a mastery manner controverts
John Bulls most popular and favorite errorthat it
is too hot to live in Naples and neighborhood in
the summer time. You see that some tauric In
dividual forget that three churches for English
services Presbyterian, Episcopalian and
Methodist) are open all through the summer,
when those of Rome close before the end of May.
More than a hundred English and a few
American families live in Naples, Sorrento,
IL 11l % A4b (1N01 ALnaFAh1 OS5AOA@ 49,
the year round The writer / refer to says that
since he has enjoyed the cool breezes of Capri
at the same time with fruits OF
the tropics, it has given him new ideas of the
capabilities for a summer resort OF this favored
region NAPLES and vicinityl which was the
favorite resort of the old Romans in the summer
as well as in the winter. Indeed, modern Naples,
as / have often written, has always a larger
population in the summer than the winter, from
the fact that Italians from the inland cities and
from the large towns amidst the cool Apennines
flock thither to spend June, July and August in
the enjoyments of sea bathing. To quote the
writer in the World: 'tSince l have been in this
happy land, where the lemon trees both bloom
and bear fruit, | am strongly tempted to begin
my series of minor reports by demonstrating
that, contrary to widely spread prejudice, the
Bay Of Naples is q most delightful h b
he continues his descriptions in
a very interesting manner, but what | have said
is sufficient to indicate the trend Of his whole
letter.
cannot conclude without telling you how, on
my way over here, | was again, In a very round
about way, reminded of Indianapolis. / was led
to recall the arrival and the putting up of the
first bell of any size in my native place. 1t may
be thought curious that anything iii Italy could
make me think of that first bell, but you will
own that the connection was very legitimate.
On my way hither our train touched at Nola, a
city celebrated in ancient times and In the mid
die ages. Nola is twenty miles from Naples, at
Jno I0oG OF bne AppenlneS. anu on bn0 extreme
eastern edge of the fertile plain (Campania) out
of which rises Vesuvius. Nola was the place
where the Emperor Augustus died, A. D. Ia.
By the way, Augustus was the only Emperor
who died a natural death until the year ~, when
vigorous old Vespasian succumbed to the grim
monster without the help of man. In the fifth
century, A. D.. Nola became celebrated as the
place where church bells were invented. Poly
dore, Virgil and other writer's say that they
were invented by Bishop Paullnus, of Nola.
Now, in low Latin the word ''campanao is the
same as "Campania," the name of the ancient
province or plain where Nola is situated. Hence
the earliest bells were called ''campana,p which
is the general name for bells in Italy to-day.
The word crops out in English in campani-form.
bellshaped; campanula, bell flower; campanolo-
gy, the science of bell-ringing; campanalogians,
bell ringers, and campanile, a belfry. Well,
the first bells for churches in the world made
me think of the first church bell in Indianapo-
lis. 1t was either in 1886 or 81 that the late
Stoughton A. Fletcher ST., then a member of
the firm of Bradley & Fletcher, whose store was
three doors west of Henderson's Hotel, where is
the present Now York Store, purchased for the
First Baptist Church a bell weighing somewhere
between sixty and seventy pounds. This bell
was first hoisted on q sort of scaffolding in the
rear of the church, on Maryland street, the old
church occupying the southwest corner Of Me-
ridian and Maryland streets. The first ringing
of that bell was quite an event in Indianapolis.
Henry Bradley, the senior member of the firm,
was an ardent Baptist, and it was he who com
missioned S. A. Fletcher. ST., to order the bell
when S. A. F. went East to purchase goods.
What has become of that old bella
J.. G.. FLETCHER.