Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-05-20
ISLAND OF NAPOLEON.
FAMOUS SCENES AND MEMORIES OF
THE CORSICA or TO-DAY
Origin OF Many Ideas of the Historic
Birth place of the Emperor of France.
The Romantic spot Described by a
Newspaper Correspondents.


The Romantic spot Described by a
sewspap-I Correspondents
Our ideas OF Corsica are, am afraid
biased by the dramatist and the novelist
We think OF II ~ II Is represented TO US In
the adventures OF the brothers DE Franchi, |
or through the medium OF Meriinee's pict |
uresque COLOMBIA therefore we associate !
the wild Mediterranean island with ven
dettas, savage passions and more savage |
loves less terrifying, but not less pictur
esque, are the descriptions given by Al
phonse Daudet IN the Lettres de mon
Moulin" written after spending several
weeks In the lighthouse of Mezzo Mare
with no other companion than the aged
custodian OF the Isolated building, and the
seductive pictures of landscape and yer
dure OF Guy de Maupas~ant IN Tine Vie.
But IL is well known that both dramatist
and novelist are gifted with glorilied Wis
ion which the ordinary tourist does not
possess, and the lack OF which possibly ac
counts for the divergence Of impressions
the former are more vivid and poetical, the
latter perhaps the more 10 be depended
upon
Il IL not without regret that the travelre
OF today has 10 reinqui-h certain precon
ceived ideas and to reuounce his faith IN
the legendary Corsican vendetta lie
blushes when he finds the native smiling
somewhat ironically at any allusions to
their hereditary and sauguinary family
feuds and, If the truth must be told IN all
its unromantic badness he finds that the
conflicts which most engross the inhabl
tants are the establishment Of a battle OF
flowers" after the Nice and Monte Carlo
style, while their Jealous emulation Is cen
tered on pacific exhibition, where, besides
the rural and agricultural products of the
island, are TO be seen specimens OF rough
or manufactured marble, granite and
porphyry, old pieces of furniture, carved
woods. curious gourds and richly chased
weapons
6AME AND FRUIT
The climate Of Corsica is simply perfect,
the soft air is laden with spicy, aromatic
odors, and made yivifying by the iodine
exhalations of q rich marine fora, the long
stretches of sandy beach are stepped IN
warm sunshine the background of mount
aims has the luminous green tiuts of the
Greek hillsides Existence in those seagirt
+ ATTITUDES sinks to a blssfui Incidence,
strife, bloodshed, fiery passions and wild
revenge are absolutely Incompatible with
this dreamy languor. and the chief interest
OF the lazy hours becomes the recurrence Of
meals. The epicure reyels In the varied
and dainty fish. the most delicate ever
cooked, pink like the rocks and blue like
the skies,
! The game is no less exquisite, notably
the famous Corsican blackblrds so highly
praised by Cambaceres. and which are only
at their best during the short span he
tween the Isl and SOth OF January when
they are gorgcd with the luscious myrtle
berries. honey brown Ia color, and retain
ing the slight bitterness mentioned by
Virgil, mingling with the delicious perfume
OF wild flowers, the broecio. the national
white cheese, OF a sweet. peculiar favor,
huge lines, preserved IN sugar, and va
riety OF excellent wines constitute "A bill OF
fare to satisfy the most fastIdious gourmet.
The brand OF santa Lucia OF Tallane was
such a favorite with Mime iArtitia, mother
OF Napoleon l. that she would drink nc
other wine, and had some sent to her IN
Paris,
THR BoSAPARTg FAMILY
One cannot fail To be struck 10y the fact
that the influence ! might almost say the
presence. of the Bonaparte family IN every
where apparent in the Green Island Al
Aiaccio, on the market place, the womer
courtesy before the statue of the First Con
sul, on another square he towers amid hl'
brothers in the garb Of a Roman emperor
Behind the citadel in the cathedral thel
show the basin that held the water for hii
baptism, and In the old house the hard soii
on which he WAS born. aud the trap doc
leading to the snbterranean passage b.
which he escaped to the harbor one nigh
when he discovered that he was tracked b.
spies.
hsa hin,aaf ia M hf me asa N
hts family are. Their portraits are II
the museums, their works in the libraries
His mother Ii buried IN the Bouapartl
chapel with the simple epitaph. Mate
Regum" His father stands erect AT TIN
Hotel de Vile In a red gold laced coat
There also are his brothers-Joseph IN
royal mantle Louis IN a gray uniform
Jerome on a ship Lucien abstractedl,
dreaming under a tree,
BY tragical antithesis the bust of tn
, King OF Rome faces the mask Of Napoleon
dead, and the contrast between these silen
witnesses of distant past IL painfully nc
cented by the busy, cheerful hum OF tn
bright adjoining thoroughtare
IN THE CITIES OF TnE ISLAND
As long as the traveller fingers In th
cities-Ajaccio, the capital Bastia, tn
chief seaport Vizzavoue and Corte-b
finds a vague resemblance with ali Italian
3 towns aud a flavor of "A cpmparatiyei
modern and general civilization. with neal
ly the same customs and forms OF CON
merce and life, but 1t Is when he penetrate
!. into the heart of the country that he b,
comes haunted by the memories of old tra
ditions--the legends OF the Evil Eye, OF th
devil and supernatural phantoms whic
seem to have left their Impression on III
Q rugged, distorted trees. the misshape
/ rocks. the tortuous, rushing streams. An
: the somber mountain deiiles
= The western coast, Jagged, serrated an
wild, Is the most picturesque. and at th
Rame time far the healthlest, Every Vi
lage and hamlet has history or lin
with dead past. Bardeica, with its statu
OF Sampiero Calvi. the ancient Genoes
city, Cargese, once a Greek colony and r
7 tanning the bastard dialect and religio1
4 rites Of Greece. Aleria destroyed by Sclpii
: rebuilt by Scylla and recalling its Phoces.
4 origin
I Every civilization has marked with i
passage this curious little island, its 80
has been trodden Sucee,siveiy by the Nal
: dais. the ByZantines the l.omhards q
Saracens ami the GeBue~e. aud not Il
least singular characteristic ~ lhs -tna
nation is that IL has gradually Rs=tu.llHts
d its eonQuerers without losing the ul-tiuC
y I've traits OF its race not satisfied vii
having given birth To Napoleon, It CLAIM
as its child Christopher Columbus Go
New York Sun
].