Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-12-26
LECTURE ON ITALY.

| Mi' oui DAWN, Will allyn bacon
gave short but interesting lecture
! in the assembly room Wednesday p.
NJ. In general the subject was Italy.
Mr.. Bacon gave us vivid picture OF
the Colosseum, an old Roman thea
| ter. We learned that this massive
stone structure was built without
mortar, iron rods being used instead !;
| that few seats remain, but the sand
ed arena and enclosures for wild
beasts are stillto be viewed; and
| that though much Of the stone was
removed by the Feudal barons to
build their castles during the middle
ages, yet the amount of material still
remaining is prodigious.
st. Peters Cathedral at Rome was
also mentioned. An hours drive
would scarcely complete the circuit
of the spacious area occupied by the
cathedral and the Vatican palace.
Some of the pillars of the ediface are
so large that our school house could
be placed in the center, and the cor
ners would not project. Twelve or
more priests could hold mass, all at
the same hour. and positively know
nothing of the duties of each other.
While in Italy Mr.. Bacon visited
the Inflated cities of Herculaneum
and Pompei. Herculaneum was bur
led with lava, and Pompei with ashes
hence more extensive excavations
have been made in the latter city.
We We're all interested in the des-
cription of Beautiful Venice" "Ven-
ite," said our visitor, with its marble
palaces, its watery streets, its Condo.
las with their happy gondoliers, in
sunny weather, is charmingly pic
turesque; but in rainy weather one
must simply don rubber boots and
macintosh and resign himself to
getting wet"
The Inconsistency of the Italian
character was wildly illustrated by
several stories. The following Incl
dents forcibly reminded Mr.. Bacon
that the United States is not all o.
America, and led us all to realize
that the American and Italian ideas
of the size of America do not COIN
eide.
One Italian. upon learning that our
speaker was an American, said;
America, well then You must know
my friend, Mr,--, who owns a
store in Ecuador" On another &C.
casion son of Italy learned that
San Francisco boy was attending
school at Harvard, with the utmost
complacency he remarked, "Yes,
but he gets home for Sunday,
doesn't he?
Mr.. Bacon's recent tour of Italy
gave spice and zest to his too short
address. 1t rs needless to say that
the students were highly pleased,
and we trust Mr., Bacon will pursue
the idea of the charming serial and
continue his lecture in "our next"
AN APPRECIATIvE LISTENER.
Prof. Meyers, the State University
H. S. inspector, visited the H. 3. Fri
day. Although the day was I'M
pleasant, Prof. Meyers showed how
J., I mr. n m ~
through the influence Of cheerful
word or manner. Just before inter-
mission he made a few helpful re-
marks. After paying a tribute to
Mineral Point, he spoke in part as
follows: "See things as they are; see
them in large way. Do not pick
out the little trifling things as the
man, who, when approaching
mighty oak, noticed IA tiny knot in
the bark and then condemned the
whole tree, but see things in large
way-grasp the whole situation at
once. DO not wait till some future
time, but roll up your sleeves, map
out your course, lay the track now,
apply TIE steam, throw open the
throttle, and let your minds and
bodies. as the locomotive, push on
" it'll the utmost vim and yigor to-
ward your ideal"
We are glad to say that Miss Adell
Whalen, who has been quite i'll, has
recovered sufficiently to return to
school. II. fARMLEf.
The Senior and Junior social com
mittees, on adjourning from joint
meeting Wednesday evening, Dec.
| II, discovered elaborate preparations
4 cong Oh in the assembly room. W.
| shifted candy and all sorts of good
things, but in spite Of our numerous
hints, we left emp y-handed.
/ NJ. Cox.