The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-05
REV.J.C.FLETCHER'S LETTER
Something About Amalfi, One of Sunny
Italy's Most Picturesque Towns,
Where the Compass Was Invented. Where
Banks Had Their Birth, Where Paper Was
First Made-RailWays Of Europe.
of the Indianapolis Journal.

lows beautiful lines thus begin:
Sweet the memory is to me
OF land beyond the sea,
Where the waves and mountains meet.
Where, amid the mulberry trees,
Sits Amalf in the heat,
Bathing her white feet
In the tideess summer seas"
believe that have never written from this
place, so peculiar, so mountainous-mountain
rising so steeply from a sea of deepest mingled
colors of blue violet and emerald green Who
could imagine a city built where there is no
plain land, and where, by the nature of the
rocky precipices, no one could believe that any
cultivation could exist? Yet an acre here pro-
duces more money than ten of the most fertile
in Indiana The product is of lemons
If 1 remember rightly, of all the Indianapoll-
tans who have come to the city of Ma
few weeks in looking at the won
ders of nature and art. not half
dozen have ever visited Amalf, only three and
half hours distant by rail or by carriage from
Naples. The only Indanapolitans that I recall
who have seen Amalf, besides myself and fam
lily, are Mr. John G. Wright, Mrs. Wright and
their daughter.
IT you ask me where paper was invented
would answer that it was not in Venice not in
Germany, as generally believed, but at Amalfi,
whore are large paper mills to this day. Amalf
still manufactures great quantity of paper.
If you ask me what people first introduced or
conceived the idea of banks, [ will reply the
AmalftaEi. Camera, the historian of southern
Italy, gentleman of infinite research and consci-
entious pafnstaking, and who proves from origi-
nal documents every statement that he makes,
says in his "Memorie Storico- Diplomatico of the
Ancient Duchy of Amalf" that lin the tenth
and eleventh centuries there was not maritime
city in the Mohammedau dominions where there
was not an Amalitan bank (banca Amaftana(
Amalf merchants traficked in Jerusalem, and
there founded public hospital to give hospital
ity to pilgrims before even the crusades were
talked of, Their ships carried European mer-
chandise to Syria and thence brought back pre-
cious material in change" AS early as $50
Signor Camera demonstrates from one of the
proclamations of Pope John VIlI-who regned
from 872 to 882-that the Amaiftan had bank
in Rome At the end of the tenth century
letter of credit could be given at Amalf which
would be honored at Byzaptium. Smyrna, Alex
andra, and at "Babilonia'-the modern Cairo
In his in eresting history, Sgnor Camera shows
that vessels built at Amalf freighted by Amalf
merchants, and manned by Amafitani officers
and crews were found in every part of the Medi-
terranean and assembled the Nile as far as Dab
ilonia (Cairo). If you should ask me who in
vented the mariners compass, | will answer
that it is disputed claim, but the best German
and other psychologists say that it was first used
by Amafitani merchants and captains, and
many claim that the Amaftan, FIavia Gioia, was
the inventor-or rather that he took the mag
netic needle, already known, and so arranged it
in 1302-that it became the mariners compass
Signor Camara gives indubtable proofs
that the bold mariners of Amalf did
not learn the art of navigation and
mercantile rules from the Arabs, but
worked out their own laws. They wrote
down for their own guidance in these matters
certain maritime laws. which, under the name
of the 'Tavolina Amalhtana," supplanted for
centuries all maritime codes and governed the
maritime world
When the crusades began the people who had
had in their hands the commerce of the Medi-
terranean made money 'hand over fist" They
did not acquire 80 much glory as did the knights
who careered and "cavorted" after the Saracen,
but what would the mailed knights have done
il Venitan, Plsan, and, above all, the Amalfi-
tani ships manned oy hardy mariners, had not
been ready to carry the aforesaid champions of
Christendom against the Saracenic holders of
the Holy Senulcher? Yes, the Amalftani. with
their commercial marine carried the crusaders
and their commissary stores.
But as wish to write few things about the
management of railways in Italy, I shall put
off until my next letter more about the rise and
fall OF Amalh-how great maritime power of
the middle ages fell, how it's ships disappeared
from the ocean, its harbor destroyed, and
how portion of the city sunk fathoms down"
into the bottom of the sea; and
how this romantic. coast became the
most beautiful terraced cultivation of
and something more in my next But now
for contribution to the Journals railroad de-
partment. l copy from French paper, and as
read | feel like shouting that we United States
mem are so far ahead of the rest of the world in
quantity, at least, of miles of railroad. Please
remember that every kilometre is equal to five
Fights of our English mile. According to French
official report, for the year 1884 1--WE are some
what behind in Europe) there were in all Europe
1S9, 487 kilometres of railways Germany is at
the top of the pile, which will make Herman
Lieber, and other Indanapolltans from the Faith
erland feel glad. In 1884 Germany had sc. 100
kilometres France had 3l,216 kilometres, and
Great Britain and Ireland 30,730 kilometres
There is no use in mentioning the other coun-
tries of Europe, The railway net work of the
United States amounted, in 1884, to DOL 735 kilo-
metres or IL, 258 more kilometres than all Eu-
rope. OF course there has been great increase
since 1884.
please my friend, V. T. Malott.
and other railroad chiefs Dead
heading" is unknown, and clergy, editors,
and other exempts in our country have 'no
show" for passes. They must all pay up like
little men. In Italy. and in some other coun-
tries, whore the state controls the railways by
paying a regular subsidy. there is always a re-
bate on the fare of the military and the civilian
officers and underlings; and. in Italy, On the
fares of the members of Parliament Railway
employees, also, with their families, have the
privilege of the same rebate. That rebate is
very considerable, as, for instance from Naples
to Rome the frst-class fare. for passengers by
express trains, is about Sc, but for officers sol
diers civil employees. and last. but not least,
members of Parliament. it is only ST. 30. Then
there are second and third and even fourth
classes, with prices proportionately lower If
two regiments, or ten regiments, are to be trans
ported from Rome to Naples, or vice versa, the
price per man is the same.
In Italy, and France and Germany every
freight car is measured and it's capacity as war