The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-06-02
Letter from Mr.. George w. Yeiser.

| L6GIeI SOOAS0 vs. = O@>~D~'
fcorrespondence of the Democratic Advocated
At the request of many friends Mr. Yeiser has
consented to write several more letters completing
an account of his trip.
NAPLES. ITALY. May 4, 1900.
DEAR READERS II said In my last letter that
Athens was beautiful city and the people prosper
Gus and intelligent. This can not be said OF the
whole of Greece After leaving Athens you mud
nothing but ruins, which shows the past glory OF
Greece You see no plowed fields. no grass or veg
citation. or hardly an isolated house. What sup
ports the Greecian government or its people don't
know There is no agriculture that could see. no
manufactures. and no commerce.
We sailed from the ancient harbor OF Piraesus for
Brndisi. Here our party were driven on small
Greecian boat that had first-elass accommodation
for about % passengers otly. As our party num-
bered about 80 some were assigned TO I'd class ana
some to sleerige accommodation, so far MS location
is eoncerned Here considerable kickihg.
As the organizer W no assigned the rooms "dodseo
this boat and went by another route We had no one
TO kick" at 1t fell to my lot to possess blacE
hole of Calcutta" We asked the captain what class
accommodation we have .Ds boat am all fnst-
glass was the reply He was a big. gruff-l
Irishman who would fight in minute, ana
didn't consider it safe to tell him what thought
but / am sure will have my own opinion about
that as long as live.
We passed through the canal OF Corinth. Itiscut
through a solid rock $50 feet high is 100 feet wide
and 81 miles long. 1t cuts Greece in two parts
railroad passes over this canal 10 feet high we
passed the town and ruins ofAncient Corinth, tkead
First and Second Corinthians,) stopped at Edfu.
population 5000, and after two days sailing we
reached our destination at l. night. We lost no
time in getting off the boat. This was very happy
parting. We were glad to leave the boat and the
crew was glad 10 get rid of u.s.
From Brndsi we went by train across Italy to
Naples. 1 take the following from my diary =
"For the first 80 miles passed through olive, al
mond and fig groves. well kept with every now and
then IN orange and lemon grove covered with gold
Ell fruit enclosed within snow white walls feet
high. About every 10 miles snow white town
doomed up in the distance in the midst of verdant
trees and model farms.
Next we passed through mountainous district.
and were two miles of every three under ground.
Then an aqueduct 2l0 feet high that carries water
Is miles to city. Now for p miles are the most
beautiful farms saw my entire trip. There is
perfect order as if all the land belonged to the same
landlord The lana is perfectly level, trees kept
well trimmed so feet apart, in straight rows as far
as the eye can reach on both sides of the railroad
| On each tree grape vine, which. at height OF Il
feet SPANIEL to tree in the opposite row. also to
| the next tree i'll the same row. Under this orna-
| mental grape harbor cotton. crimson clover and
wheat is cultivated carefully that appears that
the first object of these farmers is to have their
| farms ornamental. 1 wish every Carroll county
farmer could see these ''model, ornamental farms.
MT. YESUVI0US-It takes four hours from Nd
pies to ascend to the Funicular Railway by carriage
A cable railway will take You to within about one
mile of the crater. BY paying four francs the gov
| firm n n a. n tourist To the
crater The ascent is very steep and you walk
through ashes TO yourankles. You can get a palan-
quin or believe they call it sedan chair to go up
| from here There is not much difference between
the two only the paanquin is carried by two mules
and the sedan chair by twom uleteers. Buff these
natives would fall. what then. You wouldn't stop
| rolling in your chair until you landed in Pompeii,
which is miles or preferred TO walk.
Before we reach the crater sulphurous smoke is
sues silently from cracks and assures all around us.
stood within foot of the crater for nearly one
hour and the following iswhat saw THE crater
is about 200 yards in diameter and about go feet
deep. In the centre of this crater is an opening
about 100 feet in diameter. Here suphurous smoke
pulled out like 100 chimneys fire. Every five to
ten minutes there was noise deep down in the
earth, resembling thunder, then red hot lava would
ascend up 500 to 1000 feet. Most of it would fall
back into the crater again. some would fall on the
summit and one stone. about II inches in diameter,
fell within u 10 feet OF party. saw or 1C
| of these eruptions
POMPEII-Nearly 1000 years ago Pompeii, city
of 1000 inhabitants was covered by an eruption
from yesuvious Is to 20 feet in less time than il
takes me to tell it, and all the people destroyed
After this city covered 1900 years the Italian
government has excavated it and n tourist can now
| walk through the streets and how the city
looked About one-third of the city is still covered
with cinders and ashes from 20 to 80 feet. Eighty
men are at work constantly and it will take then
60 years more to complete the work. PomPeii is
city of hundreds and hundreds of roohess houses,
broken columns. of large temples, and fresco walls
| which in many instances show the infamy ane
| wckedness of the people.
Without guide tourist would lose himself a'
readily in the streets of rompei as he would in New
York spent one day in Pompei and one day ii
the Museum of Pompeiiat Naples. IfGod punishe
a people for inhmy and idolatry it is no wonder
He destroyed PomIraii. Very truly.
GEO W. YEIsER.