Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-04-04

be to come here and experience il
for themselves. / know that il
tall overwhelmed me SO that I was
just speechless, and when 1 try to
tell you of it l realize that it is
impossible for any one. to impress
upon you the beauty of it.
really cannot tell how many paint
lings, how much gold aud how
many pieces of statue there are,
they-but cold facts in one way
express the beauty.
1t certainly is the finest church
in all the world and a better
monument could never have been
built for any man than those
Romans built for Saint Pietro.
| FRANK HARRIS.
ROME, Italy, March 81, 1901
In Rome 1 really think one sees
more of variety of street types
than in any other city in the
world. OF course one sees the
regular soldier costumes and the
officers and the uniform of the
many people who are connected
with business houses, hotels, ETC.;
that you, always see in any Euro
pean city, but it is of the other
type mean, such as the outfit of
the professional beggar, or the
Roman dress worn by the peasant
or the many strange cloaks worn
by the many, many different kinds
of priests.
Let me tell you of something /
saw the other day down by the
American consulate. [ was watt
ing for it to open when 1 noticed
a flower girl standing around the
street. She held in her left hand
a big basket of violets and / know
that the basket and flowers must
have weighed Is pounds. She
had the basket lying in the open
palm of her hand and with it
straight out from the elbow. Well
just thought I would watch and
see how many people bought
flowers and after had been there
about five minutes it occurred to
me that the girl didn't move that
basket any, then it occurred to
me to time her and see how long
she would keep it in that position
l didn't include the time | had
been watching her but took new
start. l stayed there for about
45 minutes and that basket didn't
move. Now it you think that this
is something that happens every
day, you just take basket and
hold it out for about ten minutes.
l have no idea how long she held
| it there but at the end of As min
utes l was so tired watching her
that l had to give it up, and go
up to the consulate. 1t was some.
thing like / have never seen be-
fore, and / have wondered since
if that girl didn't have a cork
arm.
Another sight that catches the
attention of all foreigners is the
awful deformities of some of these
professional beggars. 1t is really
something dreadful, but people
who have lived here years tell me
that they allow themselves to be
put into most any shape 80 they
can beg. There is certain ele-
ment that will not work, and in
this country they have to beg.
The police do all they can to
stamp it out, and here in Rome it
is not 80 very bad, that is it does
not seen so bad after having seen
that blood-thirsty crowd in Ma
iples. Oh, but the beggars there are
something really grand. They'd
bring tears to the eyes of stone
statue. That makes me think of
one.
About two weeks ago friend
from the states and myself were
out taking a stroll when we were
accosted by little boy about 2 or
| 8 and he wanted a penny. OF
course we neither one gave him a
look. IL man as much as gave
these beggars a look they'd have