The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-25
ROME CLAIMED THEM
MeSsrs MuSseIman and Hat
ton Visited Nero's City.
CLIMBED THE VESUVIUS
BelChing Crater Reminds Them
of Last Days of Pompeii.

On the nineteenth day of June it will
have been one year since we left our
school work and duties in Wichita and
started our tandem rolling towards the
outlined to you until we left the city Of
Rome, although had We written daily
letters we then could not have told of all
the interesting places we have seen and
can only now speak in a general way Of
the cities OF this strange country whose
eventful history reaches back to the time
the GallIean held the attention, of the
then. leading country Of the world.
Our tandem never rode better than
when we were on the old Appian way.
Build B. c. S12, by Censor Cladius, and
had we not been used TO having our
minds thrilled with thoughts Of unusual
character, we would dwell with much rap
ture on the travel way of solid masonry.
This road leads from Rome; from this
city we Travelled south to Naples, where
we knew Italy would be seen at its best.
With pleasant memories we recall our
11lRn StlODl NOLA Al N1ACNENF A>ANA-- $3.50
ancient history, by seeing the places in
reality andthis we needed to make the
head of the rivet stay on.
Rainstorms delayed US frequently. But
for the mountain riding we made good
speed, nevertheless, making in one day
ninety-nine miles.
No coast city is grander than Naples;
in facts the whole coast for an hundred
miles is a panorama Of beauty with pal
aces and riches of architecture scattered
plantiful along We are doing this coun-
try right-not wandering aimlessly along
as we use the best guide books to be
had and we are getting more good from
it than the average traveller spending his
thousand onthe trip. We made the climb
OF Vesuvius without q guide; others used
them, but our daring repaid Us and as We
stood at the great belching crater with
smoke, fire and lava ascending we recall
ed the story of the Last Days of Pom
peii'' of Lord Lyttons and how fortunate
Il seemed that as we visited it the crater
was so active. How hot the lava was;
the hand could not stand its heat. The
mountain is rugged and wild and Naples
sleeping below it in the evening shad-
ows was a sight rich to our eyes.
We can jabber quite a few in this
language Of Italy and it helps us in our
going about. We visited the ruins Of
Pompen and the museum of the same
name, which is a jewel box of antiquity.
Human corpses taken from the ashes
where they had been embedded when the
terrible storm Of lava came; rich vases
carvings, vessels, food and hundreds Of
articles that help US read the history Of
the past.
The life Of the people in Naples is car
ried on with greater freedom and more
careless Indifference to publicity than
any other European city. Morning and
night the streets are busy and resound-
ing with vendors cries, swarms of ped
dlers, all eager to be seen and heard and
to take advantage of their victims. Cooks
with small stoves doing a brisk trade IN
fish. meat and macaroni; quack doctors
with nostrums; rag fairs dealers in cigar
stubs-averibable Bedlam of moving hui
mainly, restless, on the hunt for some
thing they never seem to find But we
must not write any more ofthese narrow,
ullSA SLIttl anu LlEAA anu IdiION LbASCS-
From Naples we went almost east
across the land so that we could escape
the mountains and travel up the Adriatic
sea to Venice. But the extra trip pair
us, as the novelty of the occasion travel
ing on the beach where the white caps
splash and the lbreezes bear the perfumes
of the rich orchards to US.
We had dreaded our tripto Venice, for
some reason we could not explain, and
when we checked our tandem at the
frontier station for cents per day. we
took the steamer for cents, which
brought US into Venice. as most people
know, IS situated off the coast on islands
and prominences. The main street is
called the Grand Canal and II is two
miles in length and varies in width from
100 TO go feet dividing the city in two
unique parts Thousands of floating YES
sells are here with gondolas thicker than
we ever imagined. Handsome houses and
palaces rise from its banks and a view
ofthe city from an open place is pleasing.
We were happily surprised in our trip
here-never better pleased with any city.
The rich palaces innumerable sidewalks.
bridges. canals. gondolas. pleased US No
one can really know a place until he
visits It,
The window displays here surpass any
thing We have every seen-even grander
than the famous ones OF New York.
Paris Naples, Rome or Geneva-and
that is making q strong statement. These
people know how to decorate They have
TO dust Ike most cities. however. You
would be surprised 70 see the window of
meat shop. more daintily decorated
than Wallis jewelry store or Goldstandt' 5
furnishings Of fine ueckwear. yet that il
what one viii see. And the art windows.
lace displays. jewelry-every window dis
play Is a model of art.
This city is fun of pictures. rich cathe-
drals ana rare art works. But those are
not the whole OF its interesting features.
We can hardly hint OF narrow passage
ways. canals and rich bridges. Today We
hoped a little place to save one-etchth
OF a cent and a Eoudalier yelled: Hey
RubeY We wonder how he knew We
were from Wichita, and We would b
lonesome. too. for our native town h75
we not SC many things to take our minds
j Is not homesickness. but only a long.
ms that comes over Us at sun down
only m smory-but makes US in our i'm.
Animation hear the Jingle OF the mill
pals and Jhe old court house clock pear
out tn hour. HOW We louEed to paddl,
oar feet In the grand oanal-and now how
w Ions TO vel down our old home rair
oarrel once more.
%e viii remain in this unique city :or
some few DAYS vet then start westerl,