Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-31

| ~XNNN : ] Jndb one naQ TO make
| SaNA ~. choice between-s train
| NHG 4 MY leaving at 11:40, reaching
| NIN0 Rome at 9 o'clock, and
| N-Cg/ one at 4:4O, arriving at
Rome at lib. In either
case, the country nigh the Eternal City had
to be observed by moonlight. The tax on
one light trunk was nearly So. This has
tendency to prohibit the transportation of
dress suits, extra oyercosts, overshoes and
iron bootjacks in the future
These December days are the shortest of
the year, and we were hardly out of Pisa
! before darkness fell, as modified by moon
light. 1t was December night, and yet
the air was not chilly. One door of our
compartment was open for hours, and there
was no complaint. We found the car get
ting hot, and, 10! it was heated by steam,
and there was lever found with directions
as to turning the steam on and off We
turned it off. On the right was the Medi-
terranean, often visible; on the left, not far
of, mountains-occasionally, whole villages,
We had stores of roast chickens that had
been good ivers, bread and butter, grapes,
oranges, and red wine of the country, and
yet the ride seemed long-drawn out
Fast at Thirty Miles an Hour.
We were on what is known in Italy as q
fast train, and yet it would be an exaggera-
tion to say that we exceeded 80 miles an
hour. AT last we found ourselves on q
bridge, and the remark passed around: "The
Yellow Tiber. The cars had, however, to run
about halfway around Rome, and we hung
on the outskirts of the city, as is the fashion
in solving the mysteries of Detroit. We
'got there, though, as the boys say, and
the porters appeared in force, and we had
! to face the longest row of hotel omnibuses,
each with Vociterating agent, that I ever
saw. My trunk had been examined at
Genoa and paid for three times, but.I bad to
give up the key, which I found next morn
ing tied to one of the handles.
The Hotel Quirinal is small edition Of
the Grand Hotel, Paris, and there is the
same fine style of driving in at the front
door, as it were. 1t was midnight when
entered my room and extravagantly lighted
two candles. One young man called for q
room upon which the sun shone in the
morning, and he was complimented on his
experience and sagacity. The sun performs
a great part here. His rays are warm in
December. The trouble is that, though he
shines longer than in London, he has not
quite time enough to make winter days
warm. 1t is difficult for Americans to
appreciate the service performed for Italy,
France, Spain and England by the Gulf
Stream, that carries the warm waters of tho
far South to Europe, and by the hot wind
from Africa, that is tempered and made de-
icious by its passage over the Mediterra-
mean. 1t is to the tropical stream and the
south wind that Southwestern Europe owes
it's delicious climate.
Dreaming of st. Peters Dome.
Once upon time was asleep in Sleep
ing car, and had a dream. A bookseller
passed through the car, in which fancied
myself reading, and handed me a book of
poems 1 declined to buy and refused 10
look at the volume, when the youth who
was dispensing literature said: ''You should
buy this, for there is poem in 1t by your
self" 1 could not remember any poems Of
mine, but the work was handed me, and on
the right hand page, about halfway down,
was to be seen a fine headline, in prominent
type: Lines to Roman Eagle, by Murat
Halstead." read as follows:
Why do you fly
So far from homer
When did you see
Fair Italy
From the rounded towers of Romef
turned the page and awoke. The mental
no doubt, was with the familiar
ines on the 'sad sincerity" of those who
'builded wiser than they knew" when "the
unconscious stones to beauty grew" and
hey rounded Peters Dome" My dream
,oem comes back to me as 1 look upon the
ome that was so wonderfully rounded, and
ee the Roman Eagle in his royal cage,
longside the VOLTS den in Capitol Rill,
nd behold the luminous crystal blue of the
kies of fair Italy.
1 shall have to give with preface an
necdote of my frstlunch in Rome. A wild
nd woody Western story was forced upon
~ recollection to-day by the anxiety Of an
ttendant in the Winter Garden az she
Iotel Quirinal
It's Always Wine at Rome.
The story is that a tenderfoot was asked
v one of the acclimated settlers among the
,othills of the Rockies to take drink,
nd replied: "No, thank you; 1 do not
rink" Somewhat disappointed, the old
tizen said: Take cigar?" mo, was
lie reply, 81 do not smoke" ''OhF' ex-
aimed the veteran, ''you will have piece
pie" The waiter asked: ''What wine
i'll you haye?" The Prohibit1onists will
srceive the total depravitY of putting the
Ise in that way, and recognize the de-
,neracy of the Italians in supposing that
le must have wine for luncheon and din
,r 1 answered: 81 do net wish wine to-
w." Then bright idea struck my friend.
e knew I was an American, and said:
Oh, you will take some whisky" If I had
ought of the fun of it in time, 1 would
we taken the whisky to help out the
ke; but my man turned away with
cary look, as if he did not approve of the
lenomenon.
By the way, there is not in Rome the
uaI American excuse for drinking rebel
Jus liquors, viz, that the water Is bad, for
g Roman water seems very good, clear
d distilled, and abundant. It comes
rough the ancient aqueduct from the Ap-
mines, and appears to be free as air. A
untain plays in sight of my window,
-eam illuminated at night with electricity,
d rising with dazzling beauty 80 feet
ridently it does not represent steam
wer And referring to this benefcence
minds me that the streets OF all the Ital-
q towns thus far are perfectly paved and