Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-02
ALETTER FROM ROME
MISS MARY M'ELRoY OF THIS
CITY, VIEWS ANCIENT
PLACES.


Writes an interesting Letter to Her
Father. Rev. J. M. McElroy Visits
the Vatican, the cataconbs and
Many Places OF Interest.
After visiting the vatican. the cata-
combs and many places of interest in
Rome, Italy, Miss Mary McElroy,
daughter of Rev. and Mrs. j. M. MeIGl-
roy of this city,who is now on route for
Bombay, India. as a missionary. writes
very interesting descriptive letter Ia
her father.
In her letter Miss McElrog tells Of
several we'll known places that sna
| visited in and around Rome SHE hag
had the experience &C speaking
meeting. Following is G pnrtio,, CT
| her letter:
Rome, Italy, December, 6, 1903.
II have just had my first experiences
OF speaking at gospel meeting
through an interpreter, bright ltali-
an girl. After had spoken short
sentence she would translate it into
Italian and SO we got on nicely, the
lgirls seeming to be interested. We ara
one the second floor Of an old build
ing with stone floors and very thick
walls, as most of the Roman houses
are built. 1t is all very quaint and In
teresting. AS write the girls in the
next room are singing hymns to well
known tunes. but all In Italian. AT the
meeting they sang Come to Jesus and
I Hear Thy Welcome Voice joined
In Justly although my pronunciation Of
the Italian was not quite perfect. This
morning I attended communion seryica
| in a Methodist chapel conducted by an
American minister. 1t was very re-
freshing and a great contrast to st,
4 Peters, where | witnessed the cele-
bration Of morning mass yesterday.
Sees Ancient Places.
rThe remains OF the old Roman 10.
rum are Of deep interest. Some of its
pillars are beautifully ornamented
and are still standing This was thef
4 heart of ancient Rome where the grent
men met to discuss affairs OF state,
Caesars tomb and that Of Romulus
are still pointed out. | saw the tower
from which Nero watched the burn-
| ing Of Rome. The Coliseum where the
1 gladiators used to fight with wild
beasts for the amusement of the mobiles
is a very interesting place. Nearby is
the Mammertine prison where Paul
and Peter are supposed to have been
4 imprisoned. and where Christians
were kept before they were thrown
to the wild beasts.
Views Late Pope's Resting Place.
st Peters is the largest and grand
est cathedral in the world. The cell.
ings are covered with the most beau
tiful enamel and gold in wonderful
designs. Enormous statutes OF the
apostles are in inches all down the
center aisle, and imposing monuments
of the different popes adorn the side
| aisles. saw the marble sarcophaguS
In which reposes the remains Of the
late pontiff Pope Leo XIII, his 8monu-
ment not yet built. Great marble col,
umns of all kinds, grand pictures by
old masters, gilded ceilings, domes
4 and inlaid marble floor, all contribute
to the magnificence BY way of con-
trast. beggars Of all ages infest the
place asking aims.
The Vatican.
4 "The vatican is the largest palace
in the world, having 1900 rooms !
went through few of them end saw
| Apollo Belvidere. LAGOON and other
| pieces of world famous statuary.
looked out also on the splendid gar
dens of the pope where nary woman
4 Is allowed to walk, and saw, among
other things, a row of trees laden
with oranges. The vatican is in Nhe
care of the pontiff's Swiss guards, re-
splendent in uniforms Of blue and red
and yellow,
In the cataoor,hs.
I. II have had two splendid days Of
| sight seeing. The great thing today
was the drive out the Appian Way,
i past the forum and the famous baths
4 of Caracalla, out to the cataconibs OF
Callisto. We passed through the
A high wall by gate and a jolly guide
took a friend and myself down into
the underground chambers. Each Of
us had o candle, and we kept close to-
4 gether as we were shown one chapel
after another. and winding corridors
and vaults, many Of them with tonbs
or places in the side Of the walls that
4 had been the burial places OF indiyidu-
ais or families. 1t was gruesome
sight when the guide suddenly threw
his light on a space In the wall where
i We saw skeletons Of human beings, 1t
is said that 10000 Christians were
4 buried here and that during the perse-
buttons. these chambers were the hid
Ing places as well as chapels, where
the early Christians met for worship.
/ Tc leave for MarssliIes,
i "All over the walls arc symbols OF
the Christian faitli-thc anchor, the
fish.--because the Greek word fpr fish
begins with Il ob'-nnd the cross.
4 The guide inquired IL we wero Gath
olics, No Episcopa!ians, 80 Pres
4 byterian? Yes Then he smiled and
said, you are the hardest to be saycd:
4 have much pspaca to du ma he ,,rn.