Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-07-02

A correspondent writes as follows to the
N. Y. journal of Commerce:
II seems odd to speak of a dead city as a
growing one. But that Is exactly the case
with Pompeii There are many cities in
Italy that do not grow half AZ fast ~ the one
buried by the ashes of Vtsuvius 800 wears
ago. person visiting it at intervals of a
year notices q marked enlargement of its
boundaries. The Italians, you know, are the
champion diggere. They make the shovel
fly when they attack the grave OF Pompeii.
We saw gang of them at work there. A
Government overseer watched them like a
hawk. He wanted to be sure that they peck.
eted no jewelry, coins, or objects of art or
utility yielded up the excavations. The only
produce Of their toll in that line az we stood
by was bit Of iron, which the guide called a
hinge, and the fragment of small marble
column. The spades busily piled were grad.
uslly bringing to light beautiful house
The floors we're mosaic, with simple but
graceful designs in scroll pattern nearly ~
fresh of colors ~ il laid yesterday The
walls bore frescoes of fainter tints -grinning
masks, fawns, cupids, birds, fish, aud fruit.
It had evidently been tue home Of a well-to-
do citizen of Pompeii. Tue nervous move
ments Of the workmen betrayed their anxiety.
They were hoping at every moment to make
n valuable find Perhaps they might hit
upon great iron chest studded with round
knobs like boiler and full of gold, money,
or ornaments or they might strike another
wonder in marble or btonz or they might be
startled by coming suddenly upon skull or
other human remains In the latter event,
the work is suspended TIL a careful inspection
is made.
The responsible and intelligent person in
charge proceeds to ascertain # the dead Pom
paiiau baa l1fI "A fupulI NJ htunaalF bsr
in the plastic ashes II 80, be prepares a
mixture Of plaster Of Paris, breaks hole in
the crust, and slowly pours in the liquid till
the mould Is full. When il has hardened
the casting is tenderly removed. Lo! there
is rough image, showing some poor crea
ture in the agonies Of death prone on the
floor, face downward
Thus, most usually, were the inhabitants
Of the doomed city caught 10y the destroy ing
| angel The skull, or leg or arm or what
ever other part Of the skeleton has not re-
lapsed into its original dust, may attach it
self to the plaster cast in the proper place or
may require to be ,ined on by a pardonable
restoration" In either case, the effect is
thrilling in its horrible reality. Nothing in
| painting or sculpture can shock the beholder
more than these SELF produced and truthful
statues exhibited in the museums, which is
the first and mot interesting thing shown to
vistOTs. But, though neither gold nor liver,
nor the minutest scrap OF a skeleton. nor any.
thing else Of importaL c, was un, artl cd for
my benefit, | quilted the new excavations
! With reluctance to examine those parts OF
| Pompeii with which the world is already ia.
miliar through the medium of books and
| pictures. found myself quite at home in
the bakery, the wine shop, at the oil mer.
chauts, at the houses Of Pansa, Of Sallust, OF
the Tragic Poet" and the rest. The high
stepping stones across the streets looked IA
mihar, as if had troddeu them before The
deep iuis cut by the carts IA they groaned up
the hill, coming from the ancient StaGia,
were like friendly landmarks So fully have
| literature and art made us acquainted with
this disinierrtd city.
| The guide tells me that only about one.
third OF Pompei has yet been uncovered
| take his word for il. He is also Of the opin.
| ion that the best parts of the city have al
ready been dug out He evidently wishes
that the work would stop. He is very hu-
man in this for he finds 1t liresome to show
| people about the present Pompeii. Treble
| its size, and his labor would be threefold.
| And he is forbidden to accept money. But |
! imagine that this very stern prohibition does
not prevent persons from Offering him (say
a couple of francs on ''the sly, or him from
accepting them.
II may be true, as our guide insists, thBt
the temples, forums, baths, theatres, and fine
houses now above ground surpass anything OF
the kind that may hereafter be discovered at
Pompeii. But the Italian Government is not
disposed to take that for granted. Liberal
sums are yearly appropriated to push on the
work. 1t bears fruits. new temple OF
amphitheater may not be struck every year,
but something is constantly being turned up
to instruct the world in the manners and Gus.
toms OF the old Romans, so well reflected in
the representative city of Pompeii. OF
bronze or stone statues, household nipple.
ments, and tools OF trades, the yield is i'm
mense aud steady. These may be counted
by the thousand in the splendid museum al
Naples. One can see so many articles of lux
ury aud use exactly similar to those he buys
nowadays, that he is fain to pause aud try &c
remember what besides the steam engine, the
photograph, and the electric telegraph We
modeFns have invented. There being nc
more room at Naples to store these treasures
the excess Of them is huddled together in the
courtyards aud houses OF Pompeii herself
1t ID estimated that at the present rate thi,
mine OF antiquities will not be worked out in
| fifty years