Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-08-23
AN ECONOMICAL TRIP.
IN the SsssragstO Italy for twenty
five Dollars.
How a Poor Man Can Travel to Europe
The Underground" Passengers Board
and LOdgings---Interestng Stud-
les Of Surrounding Hu-
manfty.

ouired the rate of passage to Naples.
The polite young man behind the desk
ierked out $3.50"
Have you not cheaper rate.
Second cabin, $50.
"But your cheapest rateT
The Young man looked at me. You DO
not wish sleersge, do your
Certainly. =.
"Phuim and the polite young man whis-
tied. You are aware that the steessge Is
no paradise% ,en
AT any rate | shall learn for myself.
VERY we'll The cost is S25.
A few moments later received my ticket
"A large piece Of yellow paper with the
picture of a ship and lot Of Italian on 1t
and hurried to my hotel to complete pre-
parations for the departure OF the steamer,
to take place that same day at noon.
A half hour sutficed TO divest myself OF
the modish raiment that, when taken IN con
necton with Storage passage, had 80 sur
prised the shipping clerk, and, IN Their place,
a SLOUGH hat, a coarse blue flannel shirt and
heavy sack coat warm and compacf
around the body. A knapsack strapped over
the back holds all the baggage needed; thu
rest ia packed in the trunk and shippeH
home by express. Then, free and easy, With
hardly more impedineut than lady carrie
in shopping, sauntered down to the Wal
Street Ferry. crossed over to Brooklyn and
walked up the gang way Of The independence
inst as the last bells were ringing and the
asst good byes being said.
What q scene wss that on the wharf the
last half hour before sailing A crowd Of
women and children and men, some stag
geripg under huge bundles Of clothing and
Bedding they were bringing on board; 9th
ers collectipg skilsls ard pans and bundles
tied in red hsndkerchiefs-sll hurryiDg and
skurryiug around like q swarm OF disturbed
bees, The isbberiug in Italisn was some
rbipr wonderful. Always rapid takers, Cd
this occasion they kept up at rate tina,
would have driven q stenograPher mad
Time pressed, and every mothers son OF
them seemed determined to say enough in
that half hour to last until his return, be 1t
six months or six years.
The Joy of Italian Kissing.
Many Of the passengers were men oea!d=t
Ike the psrd; this, however, did not prevent
their fellow laborers, who come dom to se'
them of, from giving them showers OF kisses,
and loud, smackipg kisses a, that One OF
the ships scullions-a particularly grmy,
greasy loo king fellow-stood on the wharf
until the last moment talking with friend
EQUALLY grimy and greasy. As the last bell
rang The scul'ion and his private friend at
fectionately embraced, took mouthtul OF
kisses s. and the last | saw of them they were
blowing Kisses at each other across the wa
ter as the steamer slowly ghded from her
moorings and started on her long journey
across the sea. For my part from their
seeming total unacquaintanse with soap, an
Italian kiss seems not over desirable, even
when bestowed by black-eyed and we'll
formed lass of sweet sixteen OF these lat
ter there are several on board and, all un-
washed as they dc, :hay Z. =. q P!cssan'
contrast to the majority Of the emigrsnts,
who are either old people returning 10 Italy
10 pass the short remainder OF their lives In
their native land, living on the hoardlngs OF
years in America, or Italian laborers taking
advantage of the recent reduction in steer
age rates, going over for their families
AS the shipping clerk said, the Storage Is
not paradise. But if it is not paradise,
it is also not hades, as many people I'M
agine. The hunks are in the hold IN the
fore part of the ship, in row two deep, one
about four feet above the other. The upper
berths if you are lucky enough to get one,
are but foot or 90 below the line OF the
portholes, and in fair weather an abundance
of crisp, fresh air pours in above the head
of the sleeper With pillow and bed and
fresh sir, what more could a body WANT
Privacy A good thing; but man alone
in a stateroom misses scene to be remem-
bered for life time. Lanterns hung from
the ceiling give just sufficient light to rem
der visible the rude beds aud their slumber
inc occupants. Some of the sleepers lie
still and heavy as logs; others sleep only
too audibly for the peace of their neighbors
Those two girls over there-pretty, both OF
them-dark, olive compilations and black.
lustrous hair, show even in sleep the more
than usual amount OF Southern grace with
which they have been blessed. Their arms
thrown easily around under the head sup.
pie figure in graceful posture, they seem out
| of place in that seml-dark room, with the
| stalwsrt forms Of lot Of men and women
of every d, scription around them. They
| don't teem 10 mind it, though, one bit, but
sleep a. swee,ly as if alone in grotto Of
roses HSbit does every thing for us. Ac-
customed always to private chamber, the
first night or TWO 10 this strange place, those
curious characters around me, my eyes were
clio, ed in sleep less than an hour. The third
light an hour 5 pacing to and fro on deck
before retiring overcame such squeamish-
ness, and slept like top.
sleeping In Bag.
The steerage passenger allowed mat
tress and pillow, but no sheet or pillow
case. had provided for this emergency BY
having made in New York long bag OF
ordinary cotton sheeting, six feet long BY
about two wide. Into this bag | crawl at
night. gather the ends close around my neck
and there / am secure against the attack Of
any small strangers that may happen to be
around. This bag is very useful. 1t weighs
but little, occupies scarcely any space, and
besides serving in such places as that just
| mentioned, will prove good thing to the
pedestrian in wsyside hotels, or to crawl into
some wearisome day when, after a twenty
mile walk, yeu stop under tree for short
| nap To be sure, peasant walking along
some by-road of Italy and suddenly encoun-
tering you asleep under a tree would be
rather astonished. but the bag is too ser
viceable in keeping the bugs away to De
dispensed with, and the peasant must stand
being surprised or not pass that way.
A life on the oc an wave is, OF all thing
considered, rather montonous. The hrsi
day out the seasick passenger groans and
walls and. as Hoarce Greeley or sOmbodY
else said, fears he going to die. The next
day he fears he won't die. After this he is
ali right, gets his sea legs on, and BY the
enormous appetite developed speedily dissP
points any hope the steward may have form.
Of getting ahead OF him on the subject Of
board. At s in the morning q big bell
strikes eight; black-bearded Italian shouts
"Colazionew remigrsnte HES himself on
deck and receives q bowl Of coffee and q
poue of bread. At o'clock there are two
bells, the black-bearded Italian cries
''Pranzom and a liberal allowance Of potato