Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-09-12
THE MODERN NAPLES.
The Viiest Becomes the Most Beau
ttful Of Cities.

The Viiest Becomes the Most Beau
tiful OF Cities.
Naples is really destined to become
one OF the most beautiful cities OF the
world. A portion OF it has been for
years a deserving subject of admira-
ton to all. even to those accustomed TO
the magnifcence of Europe and Amer
lean capitals. But the opinion has
been held by tourists that, fine as the
new part OF the city u.s. the older quar-
ters are so repulsively dirty Snd gloomy
that residence in Naples would hard
ly be desirable, since one would be fire.
quently obliged TO traverse those disa-
greeable, narrow streets. especially in
the vicinity OF the railroad station.
Now ali this is TO be changed, and a
new era has Sawned, even for the old,
neglected part OF Naples. The good
King Humbert and the beautiful Queen
Margaret have initiated the enterprise,
In the very sites where darkness and
squalor have so long reigned.
The discourse of Mavor Amore
brought tears to the queens proud
eyes, and moved deeply the vast aud
Il
sent us the following translation:
Your Majesty-Beneath the portico
called "Dei Na-tri, " which is to be de-
molished, there is an old stone with the
Latin inscription of the time OF the
pest in A. ID. 1856, mo Entrance
Here. For two centuries all were
kept back by this inscription, and no
one dared to move stone. In A. ID.
1900 the owners OF the adjoining build
lngs were courageous enough to make
some changes in the site, but the mag
lstrate then in power prohibited the
demolishment of the inscription
guarded walls, under a severe penalty.
The terrible secret has now been dis
closed and skulls and human remains
have been found where there was
neither church nor cemetery, demon
strating TO all what IA horrible waste
oil human life and what governmental
compassion were commemora ted by
the famous inscription.
An epidemic, scarcely less destruct-
i've than that of 1856, invaded Naples
five years ago when an Italian prince
OF the glorious House of Savoy was
watching over the country's destiny.
In 1856 the rulers shut themselves ND
in their castles, lar from the infected
sites, allowing their representatives to
treat the plague as an Internal mon
ster, waliing up the afflicted localities
ana prohibiting aid! In our DAYS, TO
the contrary, the king of Italy leaves
MS castle ind goes, personally, in the
midst OF the epidemic. visiting hun
dreds of those sick in their beds. re-
lieving with bounteous aims the public
misery, establishing an asylum for the
orphans OF the dead and moved, by
seeing with his own eyes the deplora-
Die condition OF his Neapolitan sub
lects, proposed, by means of his min
listers, law.
And this law was not TO preserve
squalid localities by means OF a defend
ing inscription. but TO demolish them.
as also the adjoining narrow streets
through which, If triumphing kings in |
plague and sedition had followed in |
their train.
Let us not grieve Continued the ma
yor) that the records OF twenty kings |
and sixty viceroys. who did nothing |
for Naples, are TO be DESTROYED. A |
few monuments will be respected. es-
pecially those that recall Frederick H..
Alphonso of Arragon and Charles I'LL, |
the only three princes to whom Naples
had debt OF gratitude. Instead of the
monuments in memory of had sover-
eigns and worse viceroys, will rise
palaces and new monuments, recalling
TO posterity as donors to Naples OF
lealthful and integral prosperity the
House OF SavOry.
Raise then the pick concluded Sig
,or Amore), beat down those houses,
ct the malefcent germs OF infection
all beneath the ruins. and free pas
age be given to air and light swift
bearers OF prosperity and life. Viva
llng Humbert, viva Queen Margaret,
IVA the Prince of Naples, our fellow
itizens!-Boston Transcript