Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-14

You may imagine Christopher running
| barefooted and barelegged great deal ol
| the time. That was the custom of the coun-
| try and the boys delighted in it. They
played ball up and down the narrow streets.
| For exercise of lungs and legs they raced
along the streets, up and down the noun
tain side upon which much of the city was
| built. Some of these streets were so steep
| that carriages could not be drawn up, and
even donkeys could scarcely hold their foot
ing. To run up until they dropped ex-
! hausted with breath all gone, and to run
down until they could no longer keep their
balance, but would pitch headlong forward
unless they stopped by seizing hold of q
post or doorway was great sport
In quieter mood they would assemble in
the plaza or square in front of the cathedral
and play "morro." In this game one boy
| called out sharply certain number-ssy
eight-and at the same instant threw out
his hand from behind his back with several
fingers extended-say four. The other boy
in the game was expected to call out imme-
diately the number of fingers extended and
and himself show the same number. IF he
made mistake he paid a forfeit. Unless
one was very quick-witted he was
apt to be confused and answer
with the number that he had
heard called instead of giving the num-
ber of fingers that he saw. The eye had to
be quicker than the ear, as you will find if
you try it. But the Genoese boys always
used to say: "You can't catch Cristoforo
very often" His GOODNESS and quickness
of perception generally made him come out
winner. This game was SO popular with
the people that it has survived to this day
1t is still played in the cities and towns of
Italy, and has been introduced in this
h,-4 h., al hor bo
over in the immigrant ships
When moro" became tiresome the bows
led by Columbus would wander about the
olive groves and underneath the orange
trees, which abounded in Genoa, where
they would pelt each other with oranges
1t was merry outdoor life that they led
when away from school and away from
work.
There were more serious moments though
to most of them, and especially to young
Columbus You probably know that the
people in those days were very religious,
and that the Roman Catholic was the only
church. Then, as now in Italy, the cathe-
drals were handsome buildings adorned
with beautiful statues, pictures and altarS
Columbus was early affected by religion.
He was pleased when he could array him.
self in his holiday dress ofdoublet and hose,
short jacket and jaunty turban cap, and
thus attired go to mass or attend some spe-
cial church service. Nothing delighted
him more, unless 1t was to take part in some
of the many church processionS that made
the life of the city in that period so bril-
liant Marching at the head of the COM
pany of boys, decked out in fine robes and
carrying q church banner or q cross, it is
not strange that he considered himself one
of Gods chosen servants.
In after lie be always declared his belief
that he was set apart by Divine favor for
the wonderful work that he accomplished.
His first object at all times was to help the
church to which he belonged, and his voy-
ages of discovery were made principally
through religious motives. He wanted to
discover new lands ia order to secure
wealth with which to lead a crusade to res
cue the Holy Land from the infdels, and
also in order to carry the blessings of
Cbrist's religion to benighted heathens.
No places in Genoa were more popular
with those fifteenth century boys than the
docks and beaches where they saw the ships
sailing forth and coming back richly laden.
and listened to the stories OF adventure told
by the sailors. Genoa was then one of the
important governments of Europe Her To-
cation on the north shore of the Mediterra-
mean, and tine fine harbor formed by the
Genoese bay made her great power on the
sea Her ships sailed on every known |