The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-07-14
MASTER OF WORLDS GREATEST
PALACE LIVES ON SI.66 A DAY
Pope Leo :, lily Lives in Only Four Of the Eleven
hundred Rooms Of the Vatican

copyright, 1913, Dy Sui'io
aome. July 5.--Although the vast
wealth OF which the pope IS master Is
known or counted by no man, and al
though he lives in the largest palace
and greatest treasure house Of art In
the world, t is estimated, after care
ful and detailed calculation, that Leo
XIII. personally spends in one year
for food, clothes. books, etc, the sum
Of s60O-si sc dsyl
Out OF the LOO immense rooms OF
which his palace is composed the su-
preme pontiff occupies just four, a
bedroom. q private library, a private
study and little room where he Of
ten takes sn afternoon siesta, leaving
the 1886 salons for his court and for
the priceless art treasures gathered
under his roof He opens his eyes
each morning in modest chamber no
better Furnished tiIan the bedrooms Of
scores of his humber clergy, while
Just outside his door are riches of art
and literature, old furniture and curios
which sovei esgns dream of and can
not possess. The bedroom has an al
cove in which stands his bed, a ward
robe and priedieu, above which is
magnificent crucifix in ivory and eb-
ony.
The alcoye is divided by yellow cur
tains from the main part OF the room,
which has merely a writing desk, a
table, soma arm chairs and one or two
pictures. This room Leo XIII. care
fully locks every time he leaves It.
ad there being only two keys, one in
his pocket and one in that of his
faithful attendant. Pic Ceutra, no one
can possibly peep in unlimited. The
reason for this excessive caution is
curious. His holiness used to do hi=
literary work here, and, fearing that
his handwriting should fail into the
possession OF some one who might sell
IT, he got into the way Of keeping the
door locked. and the habit has now be-
come mechanical. When his manu-
scripts have been copied or typewrit-
ten he tears the originals in minute
pieces to prevent their being pieced
together by some persistent autograph
hunter
Out of the bedroom Is a small
chapel. not much more than an. altar
with door before it, where his holi-
ness says mass every evening.
He Forgot the Count
The library is large and lined with
books from floor to ceiling, in cases
made Of a peculiar yellow wood that
comes from Mexico. while the room is
adorned with busts OF several of the
former pores. 1t was here that Count
Edward soderini, who does much writ
ing for Ler XIII. was locked up on
one occasion for twenty-four hours.
constantly at work, with practically
nothing 10 eat IT is related that the
pope put Tie count in the library and
himself kept the key, with the idea
that he should have quiet and peace,
and during this time came occasional
ly to the door with a bottle of claret
and few biscuits in hand, asking
Soderini how he was getting on, and
after administering slight refreshment,
disappeared as noiselessly as he came,
quiet forgetting how time was pass
ing and tha' one must eat to live.
The private study in which all his
elegant AMI perfect Latin poems have
heen written has table and chair
on raisei dais. besides other tables
and chairs, and OUT OF this is the little
"siesta" room, which contains nothing
but an uncomfortable sofa and an old
worn easy chair, with wings, which in.
yites slumber
That is all-four single rooms in
which the pope fits about like a dis
embodied spirit N his white robes and
his noiseless slippers. II will have
been observed that no mention has
been made Of dining room, and, in
fact, he has none. it being his habit
TO have a small table set wherever he
may md himself az the hours for
meals. Leo XIII has a very small ap-
petite, ami as papal etiquette refused
him the company of any one at table,
he makes eating as short and simple
a ceremony as possible.
What the Pope Eats.
In the morning after mass he takes
cup Of coffee with perhaps a bread
rell but without butter At O'Clock
he has merely a plate OF soup. one
slice Of roast meat with one vegetable.
followed ey some fresh fruit or per
haps he vii. have fish, but never hsh