The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-12
A WONDERFUL SPECTACLE.


 Italy. That sad event which cast a gloom over the entire community occurred in the year A. D 78 and everybody who was present at the performance perished ,miserabIy, either from sufflCa.ion by gas and ashes on the spot, or subsequently 'f-om old age and other kindre1 diseases sUnlike the Texas veteran and George Washington's body servant the survivors of Pompeii have gone out of the business 1t is some years since anybody has held out his hat aud said:
 ''l vas poor sufferer man von dot fire in dot Pompeii. vas burned entirely out"
 No, was not present ISoo years ago, when the inhabitants ot the doomed city were showed under by hot ashes and lava. AS luck would have 1t l was somewhere else when the accident occurred. None of the charred remains subsequently sx- humed are mine, otherwise l could not be smoking ten cent cigar while pen cil these lines. If l had been present on the occasion could not have eaten seven roasting ears and other unconsidered 1rifles as did for dinner to-day.
 The destruction of Pompeii that wit messed took place as is usual on Coney Island, or rather Manhattan Beach. The city was entirely destroyed by an ernp- tion of Mount Vesuvius. This dreadful catastrophe occurs every day in the week except Sunday and Monday ; general ad- mission twenty. five. cents; reserved seats titty, no dogs allowed inside the enclosure, performance begins at seven and half sharp; children half price.
 saw by the advertisement in the Ncw York M0rning Journal, that the property owners of PompeIi were very much alarmed 2t the prospec. of an impending eruption, which was to take place that evening at half past seven sharp, so got on the train at Long Island City and in less than an hour was on the grounds.
 The doomed city, including Mount Vesuvius and the adjacent mountains, is fenced in by high board f:nce, which is erected for the purpose of preventing outsiders from gloating gratis at the de- tructlon of the real estate. After you hlve paid your admission you can gloat as much as you please Smoking is also allowed if you have the cigars to do it with.
 During the day visitors are invited to enter the enclosure and examine the doomed city before purchasing tickets for the perform ance. l walked in and found the landscape really beautiful. There was lofty range of mountains with an ancient Roman city al their base, about thirteen miles from Naples. A short, stout man, with hls hands full of tickets, approached me and asked me If didn't want to secure ticket for the evening performance. hesitated. He did not SC m to know that l was a member of tue press and unaccustomed to pay ia cash for things. N. B.-These ancient Ro- mans are very ignorant set.
 Says to the man with the tickets:
 !" suppose there is no mistake about the time at which the sudden and unex- pected eruption is to take place. I'd hate to buy ticket and then have to wait here a week or so for the volcanic out break to occur"
 The fat man smiled. He was a good natured man who was not destitute of humor, for he replied very seriously:
 "When we advertise a volcanic out. break it is sure to come of unless pre- vented by the inclemency of the weather, and then we always refund the money for the tickets. If we were not on time with the destruction of the city, the public would lose confidence in us. It will only cost you a quarter, and when you take into consideration the loss in real estate alone, it is very cheap"
 "Why don't you have your property insured%
 (" It's too risky. had a brother who insured his store, and after 1t burned down, he was sent to the penitentiary for setting fire to it. He is there yet. No, don't care to take such risks. Better take ticket. It will only cost you quarter"
 l handed him quarter, sat down on vacant seat and gazed on the wondrous landscape, with its soft Italian sky The sloping sides ofVesuvius were scared and scanned with lava, except in places where you could see the pine boards. Vegetation was visible below the timber line, while lower down could be seen the elegant country villas of the Roman aris- tocracy. They did not seem to be more shan two or three miles distant SO clear and transparent is the pure air of Italy.
 Pompeii or Pompey-eye, as the fat man with the tickets called it, lies at the base of Vesuvius, where any fool might see 1t would be in danger whenever the volcano stopped over. asked him If all the other Italians pronounced it Pompey-eye, and he didn't reply when suggested that he !. called it Pom-pay, with the accent on the pay end of it.
 Pompey. eye must have been beauti- full city before it was completely destroyed. The principal building seems to have been a skating rink. The fat doorkeeper said it was the Colosseum ; that as he paid the carpenters for it, he ought to know. ! There is city hall, and many other tenn. ples and much statuary. From the num- Der of men going in and out of one of the temples, inferred it was either saloon or variety theatre.