The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-08-28

doliers' voice shouting SO as to pre-
vent q collision by some boat coming
around q store or house cor
ner. Venice once had q population Of
20O, 900. now about 5000. Today q
marble palace could be bought for the
of the Red River Valley
100 acres. The city IL built on piles.
As you enter it by rail you pass overa
bridge 1887 yards long and ten yards
broad resting on 222 arches, supported
by $50 pillars; 100000 hewn stones
and q, 100000 bricks were used in its
construction. The city was built out
Of necessity. The cause that led to
the building Of castles along the
Rhine on precipices led to the found
ing OF this city. that grew, and ut one
time flourished as 1.-The City Of the
World" The gOnd0las are all painted
black, this. being brought about, be-
cauSo Of excessive decOra tiOns, q law
was placed on the statute books for.
bidding such as sin and though not
now In force the gondolas remain as
before. The part Of the CITY where
Piazza dtFSau Marcd ? Here the thou
sands gsther, and while band Of
60 instruments render music. the
crowds move back and forth or sit
quafflng wine or beer. Space and
time forbid my referring to st. Marks
cathedral and the Doge's Palace. /
went through the palace and down
into the prison cells where men of
high position were once imprisoned.
Near the Doge's palace are two pill
lars between which was the place Of
public execution where many suffered
the death penalty. The Bridge OF
Signs connects the Doge's Palace
with the prison, SO that the prisoner
could be led from the cell to the
place of trial. A canal. along which
the g0ndolas briskly move is between
the palace and prison. The bridge Is
covered and one has to peer through
iron bars to get q glimpse Of outside.
1t was of this bridge Lord Byron
wrote:
Il Stood In Venice on the Bridge Of signs,
palace and prison on either hand,
As from The stroke Of the enchantress' wand.
a thousend ysar. their cloudy wings expand.
Around me. and dying glory gmiles.
LOOKED to lie winged Ica's marble marble i Tie:
Where Venice ~ IL state throned on her
hundred Ieles.'
Venice, city once of beauty, now of
poverty and wretchedness!
Great is the roll of dead cities and
nOtleast among them Is Venice. How
are the mighty fallen! st. Marks
tower found I would not be permit
ed tD climb unless ] had companion.
It seems, that long ago, one Jumped
from the top and committed suicide,
consequently one alone Is not permit.
to ascend. In passing along the
streets beggars are everywhere seen
in an attitude Of supplfcation with
hands clasped. On getting out OF the
g0ndola you are met by an excessively
polite gentleman who takes your
hand or holds the boat, but who also
holds ont his hat for q pittance.
Every move means a 'tip," and 1t IA
remarkable how hotel keepers through
all these countries itemize and en-.
large your bills. In Belgium learned
never again to call for soap as It
meant next morning so centimes. So
/ took that soap and have used It ever
since. It is we'll that one can have
small coins. 1t takes 100 confines to
make Ira (25c.) and as we have one
centime pieces. a little goes q long
way. Ishould hate to be pastor of a
church In Italy and be as dependent
on collections as we are in Dakota.
As cholera is raging in Egypt and
precautions being taken in Palestine,
|.resulting in Italy, Gibralter and Ath.
ems declaring quarantine Of from Is
ia. 20 days, 1 may possibly spend my
time 10 Europe instead Of going to
Palestine as find that but few boats
call Mt Alexandria. The cause ol
which, Is dread Of quarantine on theii
arrl3 n at any port. Fifteen or twenty
daye lying in an Italian port on board
shfn 10 not . thing to be desired, con.
seqaSntN ] may seek to spend my
time 90 probably elsewhere.
REV. ]. G.. MOORE.