Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-17
MODERN ROME.
Ereatly Improved In Recent Years and Now
avery Handsome Capital.

Very Handsome Capital.
found Rome greatly improved since
spent a winter there 16 years ago, 1t had
then but recently become the capital of
new Italy, and it retained many of the
characteristics of tho church government.
Its side streets were generally dirty, and
bad odors were prominent. But the work
of improvement had already begun. To
day Rome is O handsome capital, and l
wish Boston had as well paved and as neat
" kept streets. Even in the narrower and
Jess important byways scavengers stand
ready with their brooms to remove dirt as
soon as it is dropped. Broad, new avenues
have been opened, and whole districts
have been built up with substantial and
elegant ediflces In the real estate boom
fortunes were made and fortunes were lost,
for in the hurry for improvement the
work of building was greatly overdone.
However 1t affected individuals, the city
reaped the advantage In the older parts
Of the capital whole stHets have been re-
built. Among the chief glories Of Rome
are its fountains. They are very numer-
Gus. 1 don't know how many there are,
but there must be hundreds, large and
small, and, strange as 1t may appear to
Bostonians, they are all most profusely
supplied with water. A witty French
writer, speaking of certain river of
Greece, said that among it's originalities
it is supplied with water" 1 always
thought that a fountain without water
was a brazen humbug. Through some of
the Roman fountains, like the Trevi, the
Termini, the two in front Of St. Peters,
h, In bo no
on the Pincian Hill and the one in the
Piazza d'Espagna, not to extend the list
as I might good sized brooks flow. The
use of water is on the most lavish scale.
In small court of the Borghese palace
are at least dozen small fountains, and,
though the princely proprietor is bank
rupt, his noble gallery Of paintings moved
away, and the elegantly ornamented sa-
looms of tho palace used as salesrooms for
curios and objects Of art, not fountain is
dry. Cannot Boston afford water fol. one
fountain to Rome's 2O2
Another great improvement has been
made by curbing the Tiber within walls
of massive and elegant masonry. The
Tiber is capricious stream. 1t comes
tearing down from the mountains by a
sharp incline, and in seasons of food it
was accustomed to overflow its banks and
inundate the lower parts of the city with
q fluid of the consistency of pea soup. 1t
has been tanned and taught to behave it.
self. Its ample channel now carries off its
water safely at its highest stages. The
walls which hold it in its place are orna-
mental as well as useful. The Italians
have given here another illustration of
their skill as stonemasons. Several new
bridges have been built across the Tiber,
greatly facilitating communication. The
streets are provided with horse railroads
and omnibuses, which arc clean and hand
some They do lack tho adornment of
overhead wires Carriage hire is very
cheap. To take carriage for a course the
cost is ono paper Ira (about II cents),
whether there be one, two or three passen-
gers. And still the walking is good, and
one is tempted by tho picturesque vistas
opening everywhere to walk good deal.
Boston Herald.