New-York tribune., 1901-04-14
ROMAN DEMONSTRATIONS.
GERMANICUS, CICERO MARK ANTONY
AND DANTE DISCOVERED IN
MULBERRY BEND.


The majority of untravelled Americans read
Ing little and moving in narrow social grooves
have always held firmly to the idea that Ital-
ians race. were of the "dago" type which
broken gaspipes and new cartracks have made
familiar in our streets. provincial woman re-
marked the other day. apropos of the engage
mcnt made abroad of young American girl to
an Italian gentleman: Isn't it shame to think
that nice. dainty American girl should marry
pne Of them?" apparently believing that her
friends fiance made a precariOus, though hon
est living with the help of an organ and a
monkey All the Italians she knew did that;
ergo. all the Italians in Italy must do it. The
absurdity of the remark and the implied opinion
would perhaps have been apparent to her hau
she really thought the thing over; but she yield
ed naturally enough to the ignorant prejudice
which surrounded her. This sort of thing is
merely amusing to other and more cultivated
Americans and to Italians themselves; but there
Is another fallacy, less unreasonable, to the ef-
feet that the "dagos' of this country are al
most exclusively of an ignoble type, not at all
suggestive of "the grandeur that was Rome"
Many immigrant Italians doubtless, seem 10
resemble the city mob which had to be
led with corn and amused by murder in the
Coliseum rather than the all conquering legions
of a Pompey or a Cesar. But it is fairly certain
that the popular conception of those world mas
lers is based with Anglo-S Saxon, unimaglnatNe
hard hcadedness on the ideals Of a very diner
ent race and the resemblance between the
actual lower class Italian of to-day anu the
Ideal Roman plebeian of the past may be greater
than is commonly supposed. However, even
NOWADAYS and in Mulberry Bend it is possible
to find tyres which approximate those mace
familiar 10y the sculptors of ancient Rome
one day in Elizabeth-st., chance led an OBJ
server to seek a shop where hand organs were
made When the boss stepped forward, 10, II
Was no less a person than Germanicus round
faced and pleasant hut obviously ruler of
mon His lea.iors were saving wood and fitting
tcreNs with diligence under his commanding
,hough kindly eye Dignity sat amiably upon
aim as he answered questions. Fate now called
him to make organs instead of to avenge the
honor of Rome, but ne meant to do the one as
faithfully the other.
Again. in Mulberry Bend Park one dav. sat
Cicero taking care Of his grandchildren an old
and wrinkled Cicero far pleasantcr in his hum
be reircarnatiun than in his consular days fte
had been gifted this time with Il sense of hu-
NOR rather painfully lacking aforetime. II
twinkIed in his kindly old eyes as he tickled the
haby's chin watched his slightly older dc
,.endant as that youngster toddcd about His
,,ntribution to the welfare of the state. while
less striking than that rendered nearly Nv"
thousand years ago extremely useiu' IN
ne domestic economy Cf one crowded tenement
Certainly ne was doing his duty. ana aIpaF-
entity wasn't going 10 talk so much about ~ as
ras his wont in days of yore. Mark Antony
was appropriately discovered in a small restau-
rant drinking wine. There were no pearls IN IL.
altt.lgh the sentimental passcr by might haN"
offered in their place tear of sympathy for
his fallen estate. But even the infatuated
Cleopatra would have preferred him cleaner.
Coming to later days. one finds also types Of
r-1-dii.val Italy. photographer interested IN
the study Of such faces day looked idly from
his window and saw Dante grinding organ
across the way. Dante willing to pose
was in fact, willing to do anything for money
and so his picture was made. He doesn't know
how to write, and has forgotten all about
Ecat,ice, but has probably in the course of his
hard Ife become familiar again with the In
fernO.