Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-11
A VISIT TO NAPLES.
Miss Albertina schiewe Writes En-
tertainingly From Italy.
HAS SEEN THE RUINS OF POMPEll
Tells of Some Of the Interesting Things
to See in That One Time Busy City
People and Customs in NapIes-An
Ottumwa Girls Travels.

Mrs. Frank Williams, of East Main
street, formerly Miss Lynn Mitchell,
has recently received from Miss Al
bertha Scheiwe, of this city, a very
interesting letter from Naples, Italy.
Miss Scheiwe is touring Italy with her
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. John II. Scheiwe.
and her accounts Of her travels, as
given in letter or two published dur
ing the past few months have been
interesting. The one published here
with is no exception to this rule:
Naples, Italy. March %, 1901.
Dear Friend: We have now been
almost six months in Italy-very in
3 teresting months, for in addition to
: the mild climate, one sees more of the
typical national life here than in the
other countries. There are not many
foreigners to be seen on the streets
here in Naples. In Rome and Florence
the strangers form quite an element
In the population. was surprised to
find Naples the most populous city in
1taly-there seems to be no danger of
its extinction because of the lack of
children, for so many babies and little
ones never saw. 1t is customary to
marry here at a much earlier age than
in the United States, and it looks very
strange to see hoyish young man
leading around child or two Often
we canot decide whether the care-tak-
er of child is its elder sister or it's
mother.
In respect to the beauty of location
Naples can hardly be surpassed. You
know the old saying: See Naples and
die" The bay, in the shape Of an ir-
regular semi-circle, lies to the south
Looking eastward over the blue, blue
waters one sees Mt Vesuvius rising
to stately height, the smoke rolling
from its crater faster than it would
come from any factory chimney. Then
to the southeast lie the misty noun
ftains by Castellmare and Sorrento
two beautiful villages. Directly to the
south, often showing only a purplish
Silhouette, is the island of Capri, and
looking to the west we see the pic.
turesque slope of the cape of Posilpo
Naples derives her fame more from
the beauty of her environments than
from the attractions in the city.
The National Museum contains ma.
ny plastic works of art. Unfortunate.
ly the section OF paintings is now
closed on account of the renovating
of the rooms There is large section
devoted to the wall paintings and ar.
tieles found in Pompeii and Hercula.
neum. Other museums are quite in.
teresting also, while the Aquarium is
said to be one of the best in the world
Several old fortresses lend mediae
val air to the surroundings.
The place to see the fashionable
world is at the park called villa Ma
zionale," which lies almost directly or
the seashore. Every evening from
about 5 o'clock slow procession OF
elegant carriages with liveried coach
men permits the fine ladies and gen
tlemen to see and be seer.
The life of the common people is
carried on with more carelessness and
Indifference to publicity than in any
other city. The vendors of edibles
and small articles make the streets re
sound with their cries. The brayine
of donkeys and ringing of bells, the
rafting of wagons over the stone pave
ment, the cries of the children at play
all united form perfect pandemon
ium. The people stay up late at night
and arise late in the morning, the shor
near us not opening until between
and 8 o'clock a. M Itinerant cooks
set up their kitchens in the open ali
and drive brisk trade in fish, macca
roni, beans and fried mush. Other