Arizona republican., 1901-08-20
IN CHATEAU DIFF.
James O'Neill. the Actor, Tells of a
 Visit He Made.

story and Fector's version of Monte Cristo" takes place in Marseilles and vicinity where also is located the Cha teau diff the horrible prison in which Edmond Dantss was incarcerated in cell F for eighteen years. A few years ago I took a trip to Europe, and natu- rally went to Marseilles to see for my self the original scenes in the stage presentations In which I had partici- pated over 5000 times in this country.
 One day at nooi. boarded a little steamer which took me to the Chateau diff. The boat steamed slowly out of Marseilles' old and famous harbor past the luxurious steam yachts belonging to the rich citizens, past the fleet of vessels from all corners of the earth past the city's old Notifications. shin ing brgfht and white against the azure sky. and at last past the medical insti ute. palace whicl Emperor Napo- leon accepted as a gift from the city.
 Dead ahead of us is black. steep. rocky isle, colossus of granite. sup porting another colossus, a massive hundred year old fortification partly cut into the rock and partly built up from dark gray blocks of granite.
 This is Chateau diff,
 The steamer makes fast close to the rock and we are ashore. A guide leads us through a hollow cut in the rock, through dark portals still fitted with old iron covered frames, over an old drawbridge and a yawnlng ditch, till at last We stop at the main entrance door. A gigantic key is turned in the lock, the heavy doors swing open with a screechng sound rom their hinges, we walk through a long and dark hall way Into quadrangular courtyard, surrounded by high walls, and find our selves at last in the Chateau d'If. which was to the south of France what the bastile was to Paris.
 While the guide Is lighting torch he tells us, in the usual monotonous way. the castle was built by Francois I. who laid the corner stone with his own hands on December 20, 1924. and placed under the stone a jar with olive oil. a bottle of wine and a metal flask with some grain and dates. This took place during the celebration given In honor of Francois victor over the duke of Bourbon. These festivities lasted for several days, and in firing salutes or anges were used for charges Instead of balls.
 And then we enter the prisons.
 Seven of these are subterranean, cut half way into the rock; enormously heavy iron bars guard the little holes leading to the window. which does not admit daylight and air directly. but leads to small grooves running zlg-zag before they reach the edge of the rock.
 Here 1t was that Abbe Faria and Ed mond Dantes were imprisoned-the two men whose lives inspired Alexander Dumas to write his celebrated story. The guide points out the passage which he claims Is the one that was dug by the aid of fish bone and an iron nail. Romance and truth have woven the sto- ry about the.Fe two men, but the annals of the prison contain other names names which are enrolled In the roster of the worlds history. Count de La vallettc Louis XVIII's secretary of the treasury. was here charged with trea son against the king, "The man with the Iron mask and de Gin Mars, gov ernor of the bastile, were here before they were taken to the isle of St. Mar guerite. Louis Phillipe known to his tory as Egalite, and Prince Casimir. brother of King Ladislaus VII, are the two prlnccly names which every visit CT can read for himself on the slates placed above every cell. The present day has no use for Chatsau diff as prison Only slghtseers and the cu- rious come now, some of whom T am sorry to say most Americans-possess % little sense of the tragedies enact ed here that they cover with their own names the very walls on which the abandoned prisoners scratched their names Tn dripplngs of blood
 One day Alexander Dumas visited Marseilles and made trip to Chateau dIf to visit the place he had helped to make famous. The guide-his name was Grosson, and he is dead-showed him everything. ard also the subterra- mean passage by which Edmond Dantes and AbJe Faria used to visit each oth- CT.
 This passage was dug by Abbe Faria by the aid of fish bones" he explained -'Dumas tells about it in his story of Monte Cristo."
 Indeed,' replied the author, Alex ahder Dumas must be familiar with all the surroundings here. Perhaps you know him?''
 "I should think so. He is one of my best friends"
 And you are one of his" replied the impulsive scribe, letting two louis d'ors slip into the hand of the astonished guide.
 This same guide was also something of ventriioquist One day. while showing a lot of ladies around he started to talk to an old prisoner, whom he alleged to be confined and forgotten behind a closed door. This forgotten prisoner was telling his woeful story to Grosson, with the ladies listening attentlvSly and the poor fellows par ticular trouble seemed to be that he was never allowed any tobacco. The sympathetic females immediately took up collection and handed Grosson the