The evening times., 1895-12-18
ROMAN STREETS AID TOWERS
Ancient Places Which Have an Eyfsme
Fascination for All Visitors.
Many of the Most Attractive Quar-
ters Have Almost Disappeared, ana
the Famous Ghetto Is No More.
Chicago Record.

Florence, Venice, Eome-aIl have their
Ghetto, or Jews quarter, though they are
not the locked and guarded Enclosures OF the
past. The Jew is as free today to wander
about any part of Italy as the Italian him.
| self. He may mingle in society and enter
into business transa ctions and friendly re-
latiobs as though in a land Of hts OWL
The name Ghetto signifies fold. These
| folds were Formerly walied-in Enclosures hay
ing gales Of ingress and egress. Every
| jew was Obliged 10 be inside these walls
| at sunset, when the gates were clcsed
locked and guarded. 1t was decreed also
| that the Jews should not only be isolated
in life. but also in death, and they were
ordered to be buried from the Catholic
burying grounds. For this reason many
Jews left provision in their wills for the
| burial OF their bodies In Jerusalem
The Jews at that time suffered untold
| indignities They were forbidden TO en-
gag. in any trades except those which re-
lated to old clothes, rags and iron. They
were forced to go to the Catholic church
and listen to a sermon every Sabbath. They
| were driven in by the police like cattle IN
| in a pen and lashed for any seeming mat.
| tcntion.
But the tide turned. Plus TX placed Q
generous aims in the hands OF beggar.
| 1T is Jew," said one OF his attendants.
| contempt uously. 1T Is a man" replied
| the pope.
Il Is only within recent years. however,
| that the gates OF the Ghetto have been
| abolished, the quarters enlarged and the
Jews alto wed entire freedom. only small
part OF the Ghetto ip Rome remains and the
| tourist looks in vain for the old, wailed-in,
| curious Ghetto described in the guide books.
| A curiosity in Rome is the Bocca della
| yerita, or Mouth OF the Truth, 4 large cir
GUAR piece of marble in the old Church of
| Santa Maria, in Cosmedin. once white and
beautiful as truth itself, but now stained
and yeilowed by age. Carved on il is the
| sembance OF human features, two holes
| for The eyes. another for the nose, and one
| for the mouth. The legend that clnYs to
| the stone and makes il an object OF interest
| Is TO the effect that ages ago. suspected
| perjurers were brought to this stone and
| their hands placed in the moIth. II they
were guilty OF perjury the mouth closed
| over the hand and held II fast. So runs
\ the legend. At a later date, It is said,
| mothers made good use of it 10 frighten
| children who were inclined to stray from
| the strict path OF rectitude, and many a
| little innocent, when brought face to face
| with the dreaded object, has sobbingiy
| confessed without waiting for the terri
| flying ordeal.
\ Near by this truth-searchiRg oracle is
| the market where, perhaps, more lying is
| done than in any other spot in Rome The
/ stone has given its name TO the locality,
| and inappropriate and incoRgruous il is,
| for the place is filled with the continuous
| sound OF wrangling. chattering, and bar
| ginning.
| The small, overcrowded street now called
| Campo Mario was once the most important
| mart of Rome including all the plain be-
| tween the Tibcr and the Corso. Here at
| the fall of Tarquin the mob ruthlessly cut
the fields of giittering grain and flung
| them into the Tiber, Unreasoning as mohs
| usually are, In wild frenzy destroying that
| which was 10 nourish and sustain them.
1t was then dedicated to Mars and called
| Campo Mario, and a part OF it was devoted
| to monuments and works Of art. Among
| the monuments was the celebrated tomb
of Sylla. with the inscription which he
himself composed: Here lies Syila, the
| fortunate, who never forgot a Kindness
nor fOrgaye an injury"
The remainder OF the Field OF Mars was
devoted 10 military exercises and the young
Romans received their first equestrian he's
sons here, which were given Oh a wooden
horse such as ia now ueed in most of the
military schools in Italy. 1t was to this
little street of Campo Mario, that now
alone remains of the glorious Field OF
Mars, that the people came tc vote. Here
tney elet,teu tHetT hideistIdtcS aisu ocC<uc0
| important questions.
The voting place was called the Septa,
and when a meeting was 10 ke place the
people were called to getherb by Lorn player
| or corHetist going abnnt the streets playing
| his horn. The people Passed through little
passage called the Bridge Of Suffrage"
on either side of which was an Urn. vnd in
| these The voters dropped their yea or
| may On the yea" ballots were the
( initials u. K. (Uti roGas--as proposed). and
on the may was marked A aHtiQuo-I for
| bid. But there was baliot-bcx stuffipg in
those days as well as in these, for money
| was powerful then as now. And If things
| did not Seem 10 be going the way tie senate
| wished one OF the committee would he seized
with an epilepiic fit End tie voting would
have to be postponed. This manner OF delay
| ing the voting became so common that 1t
| was known at tie Comiziale disease
| Another mctEcd OF restrcnipg the voting
| was to suddenly erect huge banner on
| Janiculum hill. This bsrrcr was perfectly
visible from septa, and tic recipe seeing