Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1888-05-02
A RIDE IN A GONDOLA.
The Boat Of veaiDe srs ~ UncomSortable
- COfnns-Drunken DOstsnen.

The Boats Of veaioe ars ~ Unc0mG0rtable
- Comns-Drunksn Boatsnen.
At Venice I had my FIRST experience in a
gondola, after arriving late at night. 1t was
certainly a very new sensation to walk from
the station down wide, slippery steps to
embark in a funeral-looking craft, the COW
cred center Of which looked for all the
world like a coffin. The gondalas are COW
cred with black and the central portion Is
studded with ld-fashioned coffin nails.
Anything more uncomfortable than these
would be hard to find. Perhaps upon q
pleasant evening one could recline upon a
pile Of rugs and BY lying perfectly Nat get
his head low enough to be able to get .
view out Of the window. But in the prac-
tical riding Of every day life your head il in
the top of the roof, fully a foot above the
top line Of the window. II is 70 cramped
that a person cannot sit upright. / shall
never forget my departure From Venice the
following night.
During the day I had taken . short ride
in Of the open gondolas and found 6hat
q fairly com ortsble way Of going about.
But when night cam again II rained in
perfect torrents. The hour Of star ing
was late. The two bostmen in charge OF
the gondola chartered to take me to the
strtion had been drinking and were very
much excited by it. They were in dripping
oil skins. / climbed into my coffin com
partment with q young English friend,
and, our baggage being placed in front of
us, filled the box mp completely. Then
the gay gondoliers started OF with us and
made short cuts down through the darkest
Of side canals where there was not q single
light. I could see nothing except the mar
row light of dim light cleaning from the
h1ank wnfArr kkr0vr<h A. ~~~~N~v ~w:rIn-
The ~gondoliers a and chanted uproar-
ous songs and cries whenever they reached
D corne or q bend in the canal, so a. to
warn approaching boats against collision.
The two gondoliers tried 70 outrow each
other, by way Of variety. and succeeded by
their muscular aud furious struggles in
making the boat wabble to the right and
left in q way that threatened every moment
TO upset their funeral craft.
Every time the boat would lurch in the
Widest possible way the bOatmen would
roar with laughter, IS il they had an idea
that the occupants of the conn were
thereby paralyxed with terror. They evil
dent'y labored to produce that disagreeable
impression upon the people who were
called upon to carry through such . storm
at such q late hour at night. But NO re-
montrance came from the coffin. Neither
the representative Of England nor Of the
United States felt like showing any nerv-
BUSINESS. Our silence and composure were
construed in a complimentary way, for
when we filed out Mt the station after our
ride the boatmen saluted us md said:
AAmericanos. " as VIC passed. The peculiar
feature Of the gondoliers is the way they
demand their pourboiers. They never wait
until they get 10 the end Of their journey.
When they are near port they cease row.
ing, lay down their oars, and demand their
drink money with the ferocious air Of
b,iSands, leavingi IL to be inferred thai Il il
ii is not promptly forthcom ng the pas
ssngers will never reach the shors.-NeW
York World.