The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-12
4 MEXICAN PALACES
"A IN VENICE. " ~
Mansions That Are Richer and More
Rare Than Castles in Spain

/ the Golden Book could use the golden
stairs when they entered the dOge's
palace, and when this right was con-
ferred it was equivalent to an order OF
nobility IN another country. There is
one notable exception to the decay of
the ancient families, and he IS Count
Philip Grimani. the present mayor of
Venice. who traces his lineage back to
one of the most famous of the dOgeS,
whose portrait, painted by Titan,
/ hangs in the council chamber Of the
doge's palace. The Grimani palace is
on the Grand canal, near the RialtO
bridge, and is celebrated for its finely
sculptured capitals.
Many of the rich men in Venice to-
day are Jews. They practically control
the banking business and manufacture
ing. They own the fine houses of his
torical interest. and the BEST paying es-
tates on the main land in the neighbor-
hood. The present wealth of Venice is
invested not so much in real estate as
in banking, manufacturing, flour mills,
elevators, gas companies, cotton mills,
the manufacture Of glass and in steam
ships upon the Adriatic
They say that the chief revenues Of
Venice today come first from tourists,
then from glassware, antiquities, lace,
AliOoctlCos CdL hCu NUJUs IRON, uGulp anu
glycerin. The iron and lace industries
have been revived during the last TWEEN
ty-five years. The order Of exports to
the United States in value is hemp,
giycerin, glass. furniture and antiqui-
ties, There is a line Of steamers once
a fortnight direct from Venice to New
York, controlled by the Phelps Bros. Of
that city under the name of the New
York & Mediterranean Steamship
company. For ecOnOmy's sake the
steamers sail under the English flag.
The chief imports from the United
States in the order OF their value are
cotton, cotton seed oil, petroleum,
wheat, lumber, coal, pig iron, phos-
pilates, tallOw and provisions. The coal
trade is new enterprise. and has been
undertaken only within the last few
months. American coal is found to be
superior in quality to English and Aus
trian, but the difference in price is so
small that most Of the consumers have
thus far refused to break off their old
connections. There is, however, a fine
opportunity for somebody to build up
a large coal business.
The cotton seed oil trade is also grow
ing in Importance, and people will tell
you that a large portion of that which
is imported into Venice and other parts
Of Italy is shipped back again and
labeled "olive OIL There is consid-
cradle competition with Russian pc
troleum, but up to date the Standard
Oil company has been able to control
the market.
A great deal Of money comes from
the United States in the pockets Of
| tourists and Americans who have their
residences here. More Americans visit
Venice than English, French and Ger
mans combined The cost Of living is
comparatively low. A family can OBJ
tain an apartment for four or six peO-
pie for $500 a year upward. but the
comforts that they are accustomed to
in the United States are always lank-
ing, particularly the heating facilities.
| While the weather is not cold, the
temperature being about the same as
that Of Charleston or Savannah the
thick walls Of stone when once chilled
are difficult to warm again, and the
narrow streets prevent the occupants
of most OF the houses from enjoying
the sunshine. The cost of food and
the wages Of servants are much lower
than in the United States, although it
requires three persons here to do what
would be exacted Of one at home, and
after the work is finished and the bills
paid there isn't so much difference.
/ However, as a friend remarked, one
can make a very much bigger show
here than in the United States on the
same money.
Among the most conspicuous of the
Americans living here in apartments
now are Miss Constance Fletcher of
! Cleveland, who has written several
novels under the pen name of George
Fleming. One of her most popular
books is ''Kismer." She had a success
full play called THE Canary" in which
/ Mrs. Patrick Campbell appeared. She
lives with her stepfather, Mr.. Benson,
an artist in the Capella palace. which
formerly belonged to Mr. Layard. the
famous English traveller and archaic
oiogist. It contains a fine collection of
pictures, which they are good enough
10 allow tourists to see on certain DAYS.
Blanca Capella, daughter of a doge
who once lived there, elOped with a
Florentine adventurer in fourteen hun
dTed and something and afterward
married one Of the Di Medicis. Mr..
Benson is quite a famous artist and
recently sold picture to the king of
Italy
Among other conspicuous people are
a couple who were quite notorious not
10y lOLLS d5V- MI. anu MIS- James
Wheatland Smith. He was an under
graduate at Harvard. She was the
wife of Mr.. Higginson, a Boston bank
err They ran away together and have
since lived quitely in Venice He is
known to everybody as the man who
| always wears a white jersey and is
usually found in a rowboat upon one
of the canals.
| civilian Z. Curtis in Chicago Record
HeraId.)