The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-04
IN SUNNY Italy.
cRAWFoRO's NOTES OF y IT,,
aero TtlE CONTINENT.

TraveI-Goyernment Railroad can. -.
in ltaiy--An Inter. stang sight
Before leaving England ! hnd been
given the most extrayaeant de,eripi tons
Of the beautiful spring TO BE found ia
sunny Italy. | have now been away
1 from London "a week aud have found 80
place where the climate Was rs mild and
even rs ia the city Of London Itself Tie
] further south / have gone the more snow
and cold have found. When ! reached
the border OF sunny Italy, where my i'm
aeination had pictured al atmosphere OF
/ tropical warmth, wa; confronted with y
tremendous snow storm, which blocked
the trains ,uade me miss ny connections,
and lost twenty-f0ur hours en- route
The trains from Paris south are run
/ with great rapidity. The Paris Lyons
/ aud Mediterranean express really merits
/ the name Of being Il rapid train it makes
| no stops for eating, and on the line OF tie
route taken by me- via Modane, there was
nothing offered during this long Journey
/ nj any Of the stations by any Luwkers, in
spite OF the fact thar The train was
] crowded from end 10 end with people
! nearly is fami>hed IS wolves, who would
have been ready TO pay almost any price
for something 10 eat. The hideous dis
| comfort OF night travel Oh the Cont
| mental trains IS something beyond descrlp-
ton 10 needs % be actually experienced
iu order to he fully realized II had not
/ been warned by friend Of some of the
possibilities III taking trip south az this
/ time Of year, | should undoubtedly have
/ suffered much more than did. But toll
| lowing his instructions had made nearly
the same preparations that | would ii /
] had been going to join an Arctic eNpedi-
] ton. had thick WOODEN rug a cardi-
rau iackc; over my wai-tcOat. and over
all heavy English box coat, much
! heavier coat than have ever found neces-
sary TO wear in any climate in the United
! States. With all of this bundling up |
/ have Just managed H. keep warm IN my
visit to sunny Itaiy up to the present
/ time. when the weather has shown some
/ sign OF moderating.
Fl was not until the Alpine country was
reached that / really saw snow Every
| thing before hat was q mere play IN COM
| parison Ia the neghOQrhOod Of the
| Mont Gems tuuuel tie snow fell IN great
! white feathcry masses, piling up in the
most fantastic way. IN some places The
! snow WIS ~ least thirty or iovty iccr deep
GA the heights. The trees were shroudet
10 If in blankets The mountain cAalcla
were covered with enough We-lt 10
almost break In the roof Yet it was
considerably warmer Ia the mountains iu
| the midst Of this tremendous pile Of SLOW
than IN Paris, es the air was much dryer.
The track had been cleared that morning,
but the train proceeded very slowly
through the mountains although It ran
with great rapidity through the famous
Mont Cents tunnel | have heard this
tunnel designated rs one of perfect horror,
SO far rs the disCOmtOrts or passing
through IL are concerned. Imaginative
travellers have described it as "A place
where passengers run almost the u5k u
suiocatiou The train passed through
this tunnel IN thirty-hye minutes AT no
time was there the slightest discomfort IN
| breathing The ais was much better than
on the underground railroad ia the city in
London The only disacl cable feature
connected with the passage was the in
tense cold, which came into the loosely
built cars, giving one the sensation for
tie time OF being confined in an ice
chest. The little foot warmers filed
with hot water which were put into The
carriage from time 10 time made but little
impression I'm contcndlHg with the cold.
which constantly siftcd III through the
loose Joints of the cars.
The Italian government controls the
railroads ot this country Slower and
more maddenng trains il would be hard
to find IN any country in the world. |
took local train from Turin 10 Milan IN
order % make connection for Venice,
and | was over five hours going a dis
lance Of sixty miles. The train always
started out with great reluctance and
began stopping as soon ~ the station Was
remotely visible, slowing down So grad
ualiy in order not 10 jar the nerves OF tins
never hurrying people that You could
hardly tell when the tram came 10 a stop
The most irritating part ot tae travel was
tie long wait at each station The guards
would visit with the officials at the va
rious stations and walk up and down and
! gossip until they felt inclined to start the
train once more On its headlOng career to-
ward another station about half mile
away do not think that the train ever
made run Of more than TWO miles with
out stop
The starting Of a train IN Italy Is very
interesting sight TO stranger. The
guards wear military uniforms. Their
caps are round with a low visor Red
bands cncircle these caps Their great
coats are black. with cOwl like capes
hanging down their backs These coats
are ornameuted with brass buttons
When the train stops the guards rush up
and down calling out in the most sonor-
Gus and musical OF voices the name OF the
stazione. This sounds exactly rs II they
were chauting When the train stops the
facchinos or p0r,ers IN blue blouses,
come running up TO assist passengers TO
alight anu to carry their baggage FOR
them. NJ matter how small your pack
age you are not permitted carry it.
You must employ facchino or ight. I'm
posing looking gendarmes, with the same
cooked hats worn by similar trench
officials and mufIled up in a long black
cloaks. stand about exactly ~ upon stage
scene in an opera. No one ever saw them
do anything except pose.
Men in gray cloaks and huge fnr collars
stalk about talking chatterin-, smoking.
News vendors, with the Italian papers,
run I'D and down outside OF the train call
Ing their wares under the windows. Many
OF these news vendors ere w0mcr They
carry books, novels and newspapers tn Il
tray ia front o! tncm, and ia httle leather