Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-03
The PARIS EXPOSITION.
is MORE AN IMPOSITION IN THE
OPINION OF MIR. FRED
c. MEYER.
JUST RETUNED FROM EUROPE
tries-An Entertaining Chat About
Rome, Monte Carlo, Paris and
Other Continental POints--Some
Views Concerning the -Ag Show.

Mr.. Fred c. Meyer, who has ajust re-
turned from a Continental trip, chatted
pleasantly with a Register reporter yes
terday. He said:
Il left here on the third of May, and
after short sojourn in Washington
and New York, l sailed from the latter
place on the Kaiser Frederick May 10.
After very pleasant voyage we ar
rived at Plymouth, England, on the
18th. We left Plymouth the same after
noon and arrived in London six hours
later. After spending nine days in Lon
don and seeing the principal buildings,
etc. of interest, we left for Paris. l
stayed only two days in Paris visiting
the exposition the first day and seeing
that it was far from completion | de-
cided to go to Italy, but first went to
Geneva, MarseilleS and Monte Carlo.
At the latter place | was captivated by
the beauty of the famous gambling
den. The buildings in which the gamb
ling is conducted are very fine while
the shrubbery and statuary are beau
tiful. The women do most Of the
gambling, although many men partici-
pate. We had to get tickets before we
were admitted to the buildings. The
management pays an enormous sum
yearly to the government for the right
to run the establishment. Many go
there and lose their all. While very
often plunged in the depths of their
despair they stagger from the glittering
hall only to seek sOlace in the river,
or by a pistol ball. From Monte Carlo
we went to Genoa, the birthplace of
Columbus. The house wherein his par
ents were engaged in business is still
standing and has Embedded in it a tab
let bearing an inscription in Italian
which | was unable to translate. Our
next stop was at Pisa, the city cele-
brated for its famous leaning tower,
from where we took our departure for
Naples and Pompeii and Naples via
Rome. Mount Vesuvius had been in
eruption short time before we ar
rived. destroying the railroad which
ascends the mountain almost to the
crater, so we were unable to make an
ascent, but were somewhat eompen-
stated by getting to go as far UP as the
observatory.
Il visited Pompeii and do not wonder
at its destruction. The signs of i'm
morality there are enough TO make one
wonder why the Almighty did not de-
stroy that city of vice and evil long
before it was destroyed. Leaving
Pompeii We went to Rome, where we
spent nine days taking in the Vatican,
Catacombs and coliseum, and other
places of interest. To describe the Won
ders of the Eternal City is a thing
which / do not feel equal to. Suffice to
say that Rome is a wonderful city.
In Italy the churches statuary
paintings and all works of art are no
doubt the finest in the world. The
riches Of the churches in Jewels, dia-
monds and crowns that we saw could
hardly be valued in dollars, but when
that is said all is said, and Italy is
otherwise a godforsakep country full
of beggars. The people there are 50
poor that if n foreigner shows his
head there is not less than an even
hundred soliciting aims. From Rome
we went to Florence, where | parted
with my friends, Mr.. Thomas and sew
eral other gentlemen. After taking in
Florence, Venice, Milan and several
cities in Switzerland, Basel in Ger
many, | arrived at Frankfurt on the
Main, where | met an old friend. Mr..
Conrad Seibert. | made Frankfurt my
headquarters ard in company with
Mr.. Seibert. visited Mayence and
Radesheim. the latter place being the
famous wine town, much of which is
used in Wheeling. After visiting my
birthplace. Boder Felde. / went 10 Col
ogne. where | stayed short while.
going from there to Amsterdam. Rot
terdan and to Paris We were in
Paris eleven days, during which time I
saw much of the exposition. The en-
yositioa Is great, but the imposition