The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
IN THE GHETTO OF VENICE.
THE SIDE CANALS or THE QUEEE
or THE ADRIhTIC.
The Quarter Given zip to tho Race THAT was
Recalled TO Lend Nouey TO the Ernrtinns
when They We're dead iiroLs"-Palnrcs
Amid squaior-A Pilgrimage OF n DAY.

Amid squaior-A Pilgrimage or n DAY.
From the Baltimore sun.
VENICE, July est Is. perhaps. no exaggcra.
ton of fact to maintain that the average tourist
in Venice acquires but n very imperfect knowl.
edge Of its people and manners, Guide books
are always easily obtninab!o, and their enu,uor.
alton of palaces. churches and desirable "rcur-
sions is In most cases sufficient to staggor the
stranger with their number and variety How
ever. he should DO careful no! 10 see through the
eyes of his Baodckcr alone while overlooking
tho many places OF interest not mentioned in
tho books with which he has provided himself.
Venice is not the city OF the Ruidc-books or
photographers shops. Neither is Its life that ~
the Grand Canal nor ot the Place of st. Mark.
Ii Is the Venice Of the narrow canals and tor.
tuous streets; in short. the Venice of The poorer
classes with which we should make ourselves
familiar. And this muny tourists fail TO do.
Prompted by the above reflections, we So
lec,cd IA bright morning for an early excursion
10 tho Ghetto. the home OF thu immortal Shy.
lock and tho bcwitching Jcssica. Our gon-
dolier, Giovanni. q iine-looking man OF graceful
bearing and frank manners. had already upon
more than one occasion shown himself well
versed in the topography OF Venice. and we
could therefore let him paddle his own canoe"
without the slightest misgiving of not reaching
our destination.
Upon this morning we followed for a short
distance the windings OF the Grand Canal. and
then dived suddenly into one OF those narrow
canals that form an almost inextricable network
through the city. 1t is like stepping from the
bright sun into the shade. Tho projecting
gables Of the houses on either side seem at times
almost to touch. SO that IA slim slip OF sky and
sunlight is all that meets the upward
gaze. The way is not infreauently blocked
by, barges and gondolas, the formr deeply
laden with wares, and the quiet Of the watery
hnrnnUhIa 20 = hrnlan y Ihn ahFil priHa NJ
bargemcn and Kondoliers which they utter in
warning before turning sharp corners. IL 10
commercial hustle of a latter day, that one fre-
quenlly comes upon imposing palacrs-many
or. what is much worse, with their desertsi and
spacious apartments nilcd with tho noise and
c%latter Of a mandatory or haberdashery.
AS we glided on we observed that we were en-.
tering a region OF yet narrower canGis and
again crossed one OF tho serpcntine winding. of
the Grand Canal TO turn into the Cannarcsgio,
everywhere. The streets on either hand were
swnrminE with q motley, ill;nourishcd aud
civil Venetian, followed our gon lola with an in.
qu~.si;ive stare. Impure olors and unhealthy
and the benenccnt effects offresh air and bright
sunshine seemed almost unattainab.e in the
tortuous passage, and ill-veRtilated courts.
In a moment more our gonlolier stopped at q
stone landing and pointed to a sign over a low
ioorway; We Were in the Ghetto; A v3.nole
his services as cicerone. AT tho same time "ssur-
!ng US OF the variety of interest in store and OF
the ease with which he co lid lead the way. 40
cJmpanied, there ore. BY him and our gondolier,
We began our pilgrimage aioot into the Very
heart OF tie nboies OF The chosen people. Guido
books and personal inquiry had warned MS NOT
to expect to ind IN nch OF interest in the Ghetto
as 1t is to-day. And, in fact, ii Is lost many Of
the picturesque and characteristic features that
made It famous ffty years ago.
a suppressed. and prosecuted people. and he
fact that Christian and l.raelite live conten,ed-
the differences OF race and ~reli.ion affect their
daily intercourse, At prescott more than one of
the h tndsornrr palaces are ownet by Hehrews,
who can peacefully enjoy the D. .vlleges OF their
wealth ana citizenship. II Is therefore snrpris-
should still choose to dwell amid their s1ualid
surronndinGs. and the only reason for their
old home and associations OF their forcfathers.
And what a home! The further We pen.
e e,r;TE the NOR we were eF ~, i'rusk BY re p1ye1Ly.
phere seemed heavy and close between the high,
but llean!y. while the air VS. filed with the
shril! voices OF men and wom,n calling to each
ways or leaned lazi!y out of the windows.
ENerywhere one met 5yrisn eyes and hooked
uspec, I'm. dwellings and shops. reminded one
unp!eassantiy OF Iawn6rokero' establishments;
1t was va ,e evidSnt from m 1 p, TIA, the
pose for which they were called back TO Venice
from heir exile in the fifteenth century. Al
diturc-thc men ana women OF fashion found 10
an lmnerative necessity 10 have some means OF
this end in view me banishsd i]srasIiies were r-
GALE 70 be, ono The rawnbrok"rs and money
light uron a bed o. roses. Their return vas
the signal for fresh persecution and tyranny.
pruhihitci by law and rendered Impossible by
five iron s.tcs-uUt they were Otherwise dis
tinRrishrd from the Caristi,ns by he wearing
o., Yellow badge ,upon tae.r breasts. not 10
Besides those arbitrary restrictions they wee
a!,Gwet no Profession but medicine. And
that, from mere force % habit through many
centuries. III" Jews .. thu Ghetto should stifl
forced upon them in the IIdGaiyes Ages.
As We advanced our guide ken, mn a steady
less eYtravHsant gestures; so that it was as
times difficult 10 interpret his meaning. AT all
one p possible sny lo ,SRH'i and no oGds SrE,cye a0J Jes .aSa
crossed our path, ana for The moment distracted
in vain aina'Hnt o4er 1epn ;h ansi we no SiGn efs'n in,o the he W Nis
aud upon the peremrnts for The teathcry ro-
s9hsiitut'd By, the Jews for isri. The Gevoted
birds were evidently extinct in these gu ,rters.
The plan OF the Ghetto is extremely simple.
gloomy ALLEY The power part or the quar-
Ter adjolns the old. but has less interest for tho
ro On our ,S wsE we entered eG ,sbf one Of the seven syna-
coniucred by a venerable rabbi. within yhs
entrance WAS IA ,ahlcr erected 10 the memory OF
sir Moses Montetiore. VINO. as an old man, had
attended a service in tho eiihce. This tables
Was IN ltaii"n, and not In Hebrew. and could,
therefore,. be decipherei.
owing to the extreme simplicity OF the Ghct.
los topography ~ Is easy To obtain an exact
IDEA OF its limils during the time that the Jews
were Kept under lock ana key, the %cavities 10
me stone walls for the bolts and hinges OF the
hVe iron doors be nR still plainly visible.
~ that time there were no bridges communi.
chting with the outside world. so that tho
Shetto enjoyed complete isolation. And both
the erection OF bridges and the final abolish
ment OF The gates date from the Italian !ndo-
pendence after The battle OF So! erino.
How greatly since then has the lot OF the Vs.
helian Jews improved. when-as our yul.o
assured us-the chosen people were given Two
hours every day in which 10 cross thc Unite OF
the Ghotto in order to ind something 10 eat,
there De nR nothing to eat at home!
But In spite o. the many improvements OF to-
nhy,lt was with u feeling OF RELIEF that ws
turheu our backs upon the crowded WAYS and
noisy people TO rfcathe again the plrer air and
orlGhter sunshine OF the world beyond.