The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-05
POPE LEO'S TREASURES
THIRTY TONS OF GOLD STORED IN
THE HOLY FATHERS PALACE.
Also More Diamonds and Other jew
els There than In the Famous
Fields of South Africa.
ST. Louis Post Disnatch.

There is one place in the world where
more gold is to be found than has so far
come out of the Klondike. And, stranger
still, in the same place there are more did-
monds and other gems than the total out
put of the South African diamond fields.
This spot, rich as the mythical wealth of
Aladdin's palace, is the home of childless
old man, whose feeble life is creeping daily
to its imminent close.
Who can he be, this solitary man, whose
possessions are as vast and valuable as
those of Monte Cristo? He is no less
person than Pope Leo XIII, born Giacomo
Pecci, of a noble but poor family of Car
pineto, Italy, who entered upon his pom
tificate with almost nothing of worldly pos
sessions, and still lives the life of re-
cluse eating sparsely, and whose bedroom
is furnished more humbly than the home
of many day laborer in this country. His
home, however is in the Vatican, palace
that contains seven thousand rooms, and
within which are stored treasures that
eclipse the wealth of the Klondike
1t would be difficult to estimate precisely
the total weights of gold in the Vatican,
but it is safe to say that there are at least
thirty tons of it, worth in the neighborhood
of $40, 100000 at the present market price of
the unwrought metal OF this huge amount
of gold there is probably not a single
pound of the metal that remains in its vir-
gin state. Nearly every ounce of it has
passed through the hands of skilled arti-
sans, who have worked it into countless
forms, thus adding perhaps third or
quarter more to it's value. Nor does the
alloy that is usually employed by the gold
smith to give a durable quality to objects
precious metal a
the composition of the treasures of the
Vatican, which being almost entirely ma
tive offerings to the sovereign Pontiff, are
literally of solid gold.
Here, therefore, is an isolated corner of
the city of Rome, about ten acres of land,
which are perhaps richer than any similar
amount of territory in as much of the uni
verse as has ever been explored.
The Vatican treasures may be practically
considered as the personal estate of the
Pope. He inherited many of them when he
was elected to the Holy See. He is re-
Quired to give an account of his steward
ship at his pleasure. To large proportion
of these treasures his personal right is in
disputable, for to him, Leo XIII, were pre-
scented at various times and r more partiSS Icy
enough gifts of pure gold to ransom king
dom.
The golden chalices alone that are kept in
the StorehouSeS of the Vatican would prob
ably represent a value nearly as great as
the sum total of the Klondike product.
Quite two-thirds of these were in the Papal
palace when Leo was elected to the chair
of Peter in 1878, and the precious stones in
most of them magnify their value many
fold. They were for the most part glfts
of SovereignS or nations to the relgning
Pontiff. The treasures inherited by the
present Pope also embrace archiepiscopal
and pontifcial croziers and pectoral crosses
of gold, studded with gems; various altar
ornaments-used in the exposition of the
Blessed Sacrament-that shine like the
sunlight, and the vestments for the celebra-
ton of the mass, each and every artlcle'
heavy with the gold employed in its fabrl-
cation or decoration.
The pontifcate of the present venerable
preiate has added inestimably to the treas
ures of the Vatican. Jan. !, 1882 Leo re-
cited the mass in ST. Peters in Rome, in
celebration Of the fiftieth anniversary OF
ceremonies of his golden jubilee began
about a week earlier, and continued for
more than month in the new year, CUTIE ~
the vast pontifcal palace Tor the ulSplay
Of the presents that had been sent TO the
head of the Christian Church from every
corner of the world.
Before the exposition was opened tons
upon tons of gold poured into the Vatican,
beginning early in December OF 1881, ana
continuing without intermissOn until after
the exposition had been closed in March
of the following year. There was scarcely
an object received in which the metal uni
versaily appropriate to the l1ftieth anniVer-
sary did not figure in some form and pro-
portion. 10000 ooo :,
AT the jubilee mass alone 100000 in
gold the most part in coined money, was
presented to his Holiness. There were au-
diences of pilgrims from the various coun-
tries and those from France alone pre-
sented to the Pope 100000 in gold coin, be-
sides many other objects in wrought gold
The Duke of Norfolk, envoy extraordinary
from Queen Victoria, presented to his Holi-
ness on behalf of the Catholics OF Englana
a massive basin and ever or solid gold
an aiei altar .'0 ornament of gold worth many
thousands of dollars The Emperor OF Rus
STA sent mammoth crozier of solid gold
iniaid with precious stones, and the En-
peror William of Germany a gold mitre that
blazed with diamonds and rubies:
The Emperors of Austria, Turkey, China
and Japan and the lesser monarchs or
chiefs of state of Europe. America, Asia
and Africa paid tribute to the venerable
Pontiff in priceless articles wrought of the
pectoral cross sixteen inches long of the
purest gold ever mined in his empire, and
huge diamonds added to the weight or the
massive gift There We're several statues
of the yellow metal that weighed as much
as the averaged-sized man; pontifcal rings
made of gold of all shades of color, studded
with the papel gem of size that made it's
worth incalcuable. and veStments embroid-
cred in spun gold Of the most exquisite
workmanship. One of these sets of vest
ments was said to have cost $4,000. The
total value of the golden jubilee gifts to
the Pope was estimated at $14,SOOOOO, of
which So 600 were in gold coin.
The actual possessions of the Holy See
that are contained in the Vatican Palace.
exclusive of those treasures which are Of
much as the figures that have been given.
Besides these, there are certain galleries of
the museum proper which are devoted al
most exclusively to the exhibit of jewelry
in gold and these articles are not included
in the estimate already given, for their
intrinsic value is enhanced greatly by their
artistic worth in view Of their antiquity and
historic character.
Leo XIII is said to have distributed the
bulk of the money gifts sent to him
his jubilee in fostering the foreign missions
of his church. in aiding poor dioceses at
home and abroad. in improving the condi-
ton of the poor throughout the world. and
in general for the benefit of humanity, but
he did not of course, dispose of the
wrought gifts that were sent to him by the
various nations, nor convert the value of
such gifts into cash in promotion of his
charitable intentions. These things are still
treasured in the Vatican-and this is why
the palace of the oldest dynasty in Chris
tendon is still richer than the frozen gold
fields of the North. to which men are rush
ing in swarms these days in quest for
the yellow metal
CHAMPION SNAKE STORY.
cUo.s SnoIxo IN Cor