Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-05-21
{ =. ACROSS, CT THEoWATER.
Jno. A. Berkey Writes an In
terestlng Description OF
y ny. ..E.
.a. Venice.

A private letter Just received from
Jno. "A. Berkey contains SO much OF
Interest that we publish a part Of 1t
for the pleasure Of cur readers:
VIENNA, May 2, 1887.
~ have been intending ever since
landed to write to you. but. tell
you, this sight seeing ts a very ex-
acting and tiresome business. and,
on the square, I sometimes get 50
tired of it that l am almost willing
to quit and strike out for ''h"me
and ''cOmtort.." Everything here Ia
80 different from ways ut home, anu
In nv opinion Inferior.
We have now got out Of Italy after
having visited Naples. Rome, Flor
ence and Genoa. We also took 4 run
over to Nice AMI Monte Carlo, then
back to Genoa and Pisa. then to
Milan and through the lake region,
visiting Lago Como, Lago Lugano
and Lago Maggiore, then back to
Milan and Venice. We arrived here
from the last M MI ed place this morn
ing. We struck it rich at Venice. Tor
we arrived the day before the open
ing of the International Art exhib1-
ton, and found the grand canal and
all the city decked out In holiday
attire; flags Of all nations hanging
from the windows, banners strung
across the smaller canals and every
thing and everybody busy, gay and
happy. People from all countries
speaking all languages were there
The great square Of the city, in fact
the only piece of ground big enough
to play a game Of base ball on was
crowded to it's limit. This strange
city ia very interesting and beautiful,
in it's way, but must be very un-
healthy. Everything goes into the
canals and some Of these are an un-
slightly mass of floating rubbish. 1t
ia claimed that the tide. which rises
about three feet, washes them out
every six hours. 1t may do SO, but
there ia a smell in some localities
that never was washed out during
the six days I was there. The entire
CITY is built on artificial ground, and
the houses rise directly from the
voters edge, that is, you get into
your boat, or gOndola, at your hotel
door end are rowed to any other
hotel urplace you wish to go. There
are many small streets. very narrow,
running between the houses and con-
Meeting the different squares or piaz-
zas, where the principal shops and
business places are. The gondolas
are all one size and color, being reg
'uIa ted by law. They are thirty-two
feet long and painted black. and up
holstered in black. They looked to
me ut first like funeral barges. Only
on feast days and holidays are they
allo we'd to deck them out in colors.
Those belonging to foreigners are
not restricted, and private indfvidu-
ais may dress their men In any livery
they see fit. The day OF the
opening Of the exhibition being a
holiday, boats and men presented a
very gay appearance. Altogether II
was beautiful sight. The U. S. man
of war, the Minneapolis, was there.
We went on board and were shown
over the ship, which is very fine. NO
PAPER GUNS. You remember In Chi
cago the ship had paper 40~pound
guns. The prince and princess OF
Naples (the crown prince and princess
of italy, headed the possession. We
had seen them in Rome, SO they were
not new to us. In the evening there
were fireworks and music on the
grand canal. end welcomed thecrowd
and padded with them until midnight
Thursday, the Goth. the new Italian
man-of-war, San Bon. was launched.
I succeeded through my banker in
getting two (out of 100000 of the
tickets, and had very good place
lust back Of the royal party, and
saw the ceremonies. The princess
did the heavy honors, and when the
blocking was Knocked away the
great ship slid off the ways "a
smoothly and az easily as a billiard
ball rolls across a table. 1t was a
sight we'll worth seeing.
San Marco square, the principal
square of the city, and the business
centre, presents In the evening a very
CAV sight. In the centre a big band
plays and along the sides are hum
dreds of small tables, at which heauti-
fully dressed women and children and
young men and old, sit and sip COL
fee, wine and ices; all out OF doors,
all gay and bright. We enjoyed
sitting there and watching them,
while listening to the music. On this
same square is the great clock, San
rto,o.>,. ol,urch tho dOro'S na1ace and