The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25
IN ROME, ETERNAL CITY,.
A State Of Civic Anarchy Has Pre-
vailed for the Past Few
Years.
High Hopes Entertained OF the
New Syndic, the Duke Of
6ermoneta.

e~~S e~~SAA~VSSs
Improvements by ths hoard of publie
Works--An Early Romaa sepuIchrs
Tho Vatican Galleries.
tspecia, Correspondence of THE INDEPENDEsr.1
NoME, Jan. THE Romans may thor
ouGhly congratulate themselves on Their
new syndic, mayor. For tho last year D,
90 the affairs Of the city have been in the
hands Of royal commissary. sort oi
specially appointed governor, who has en-
ueavored to unravel the tangled skeins oi
municipal affairs. At last 4 man has beer
found with sufficient brain power, energy
ana steadfastness Of purpose. to raise
strong hopes that the civic anarchy of the
past few years will soon b. at an end. This
man is the duke OF Ssrmoneta. He ia a
great favorite at the court, not looked upon
askance even at the vatican, enormously
rich, q sort of feudal noble of the nine
teenth century, whose estates comprise
Whole towns and districts lying between
Rome and Naples-whose principal strong
hold. tor it is nothing less, called like him
self Sermoneta, still frowns down from it's
rocky heights over the Pontine marshes AZ
it has done for many hundred years. In
the duchess OF Sermoneta ID most popular
Englishwoman, nee Wilbrahan, and their
charming parties are always the pleasantest
features OF the winter season in Rome.
The king himself is nightly pleased at the
duke Of Sermoneta's acceptance Of the post
OF chief magistrate Of Rome and at the re-
ception at the palace the other evening,
kept him in private conversation for half
an hour.
The golden rose" which the pope annu-
ally presents to some lady belonging to a
reiRning family, is this year going to the
Empress Elizabeth. Of Austria. Last wear
the queen regent Of Spain received Il, Stu
dents OF history may remember that, Just
before the break with Rome, the English
king, Henry VIII. received from the pope
as special mark Of favor. "golden rose
perfumed with musk"
The painter Gelsi has arrived here to
execRte two portraits Of the king and
queen, which are destined for the Quirinale
palace. How many more? The finest are
those in the great throne room-one at each
end of tho mis-shapen apartment but near
" every reception room of the palace has
its own portrait, not counting those at
tho palaces Of Mpnzs. Naples ard Turin. n
is good thing for the artists ANYHOW.
The office of public works in Rome has
had its hands full this year, what with new
projects to be considered and old ones to be
abandoned. Under the former heading
comes the plan of demolishing all the block
of houses lying between Bo go Vecchio and
borRo Nuovo. 1t is apparent to any one
VINO knows Rome what an immense i'm
provement this would be to the Leonine
Ia pope's quarter) city, as it would open up
an uninterrupted prospect of the piazza of
st. Peter with it's unrivalled fountains and
the great church in the background, or
course it would be a costly plan to carry
out and many difficult questions must arise
as to the housing of the numerous poor
families who would have to ''go'' with the
Objectionable block. An idea which has
been abandoned is that of throwing an iron
bridge across the ruins
ruins of the old Forum. to
the new Via Cavour with the. old
Via San Teodoro, and it thus appears that
the loud outcry and numerous protests
which the project called forth were not in
vain.
Whilst digging drain in Piazza Vittorio
Emanuele remarkable sepulcher of early |
Roman times has come to light. Unfortu- |
nately 1t appears to have been devastated !
before and was only recognizable bv its no |
sitlon from east to west. surrounded by the |
usual rectangular blocks of tufa. The few
objects found in it were nearly all covered |
with earth and broken to pieces. Among
them is vase of Italic earthenware. a
Imall cup, bronze vase, two iron lances,
three fibula, ring and bronze bracelet.
Prince Jerome Bonaparte, "Plon- plon,"
is still in Rome and seems to be chiefly in
Berested in the experiments made at the |
various hospitals of the city with Koch-s
lymph. On Monday last he visited the
hospital of San Spirito, where Prof. Bac-
,elli, IN his presence, made some expert
nents with the new discovery on severa!
persons attacked with lupus. The prince !
appeared wonderfully struck with the re-
suits and spoke of DR.. Koch's invention in
he most eulogistic terms
he decision of the authorities at tho |
1atlchn to charge one franc for admission |
nto the great galleries which have hitherto
'een accessible by ticket only, although APP
aised great outcry in radical circles, and |
ne hiforma, the journalistic organ of Signor
5rlspl. has openly p oclaimed it violation
u the law of the guarantees. This is ex-
remely doubtful, but the question has
'een raised and may bring some Disagree
lble consequences in its train. In the
mean time the pope and his ministers pur-
ne the even tenor of their wav as if there
we're no such thing as an Italian govern
nent in Rome. 1t is believed that the pope
will hold consistory in February, and it
would seem as il it were his intention to
reate only one cardinal, most unusual
proceeding. The new cardinal will, it is
aid, be Monsignor Piavi, the patriarch of
erusalem, though the names OF Monsignor
'tonor and Pere Mousabre, the great
aston Il the new year his holiness has
n sum of fifteen thousand
rancs to be distributed among the poor of
he city.
The opera season dra0s its weary length
by the utter incompctency
the principal singers and the dreadful.
70 had almost said CHASTITY, ugliness and
eneral worthlessness of the ballet, which.
4 the old days, WAS such feature mt the
polio house. The "Africaine'' was sunU
? an almost empty house last week, and
Faust" has not Jared much better in spite
q tenor with very sympathetic voice
nd perhaps owing to an indifferent Mar
usrlte Of stupendous proportions and ad.
anced age. On Sunday evening baby
lst asleep in the maternal arms woke with
'ud shrieks OF disapproval Of the jewel
,ng. In order to got away more quickly
rom the theatre, as they were far from tho
assage of exit, mother and child were
oisted over into private box on the pit
er. amid the loud laughter of the whole
thA st.s.ps suv,, All |