Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-07-05

commission, ana VINO preceueu US W
Sicily. That morning we had an in
teresting interview with the perfetto,
or governor, of the province Of Mes
sina, whose Jurisdiction extends over
500, 900 people, and which province Is
one Of three in the island OF Sicily,
each governed by a perfetto, who is
the representative Of the king. The
island of Sicily has total population
Of 3,500,000 persons. At 1.SO p. m,
we were on our way to Gesso. AS
soon as we had left the city limits of
Messina, with the American vice con-
sui, Mr.. Peirce, as our guide and In
terpreter, I was attracted again by
the fact that we were on a very re-
markable and marvellous road, such
as Is found all over Sicily. The coun-
try here Is very mountainous, but this
road was so well constructed and on
such an easy grade that though 1t was
a continual ascent our carriages NOV
ed along without apparent discomfit-
ure to the horses, the road bed was
hard and firm and the system Of drain
age had been worked out with so
great skill that 1t was positive pleas
ure to climb such mountains as we
did, in a distance Of not more than
five miles rising to an altitude OF
about 1000 feet. At the village OF
Gesso we were met by the sindica, or
mayor, and two carabinieris, members
Of a magnificent state police force,
who had been assigned to that village
for that afternoon by the perfetto Of
the province to assist US In our inves-
tigation, as we'll as to show respect
to our mission. Gesso is a village
which but few years ago had over
5000 population, but which now has
probably fewer than 1900, though
that was the figure given US by the
mayor, about one in nine Of those left
being q man in his prime, the rest old
men, old women and children. Upon
inquiry we found that the former in
habitants are now located at Phila-
delphia, Pa, Atlantic City, Pleasant
Vile and Hammondtown, N. ]. One
of the old churches in the village was
burned last Christmas Day and 1t was
an interesting and curious sight to
see on the walls Of this burned church,
which itself dates back many centu-
ries, a printed subscription list OF over
800 former residents Of Gesso, who
now live in the United States. and had
sent the money back to assist in the
restoration of the church in the vii
lage Of their childhood. Gesso Is on
top Of a mountain which overlooks
the Mediterranean. Going to the
boundary Of the village we came to a
place where we had the unusual spec
tacle Of seeing two smoking volcanoes,
Aetna and Stromboh, which still have
frequent eruptions. We returned to
Gesso by the same road, reaching our
hotel about eight o'clock. One thing
that impressed me very deeply was
the immense amount Of work neces-
sary In the utilization Of every avail
able inch of ground on the steep hill
sides. There are terraces constructed
with stone walls anywhere from three
to twenty feet high, which protect the
soil, the terraces being not much
wider than the walls are high, and
such terraces extend really to the tops
Of the mountains On these terraces
are grown all the crops that are rails
ed in the southern part Of South Car
olina.
We were taken to dinner by the
American consul and his estimable
wife, and given an opportunity to
taste some purely Sicilian dishes, one
of which made of rice, chicken glib
lets. and solid yolks Of eggs, mixed
with a meat gravy, was a very de-
licious dish.
The perfetto called on US the next
morning at our hotel and we had q
very interesting interview Of more
than an hour with him. He brought
several minor officials with him, and
during his visit the chief Of police,
called the sequestors, dropped In, as
did the local inspector Of emigration.
At 2 o'clock we started for Taor-
nina, a typical Sicilian village three
miles up the mountain side from the
railroad station, where we made IN
uuiries relative to emigration, and
also were shown some noteworthy
ANTIQUITIES. It Is a most beautiful
place and one which Is frequently VS.
tied by American tourists during the
winter.
The next morning we went to Sira-
cusa, the ancient Syracuse, or which
history speaks so much, and Which
was formerly a city Of over million
inhabitants, but now contains about
10000. We held some important In
teryiews with the perfetto, and the
British vice consul, Mr.. Joseph Lobb,
who Is we'll informed on the subject
of emigration. He also gave me q
great deal of information In regard 10
the farm products and the condition
of the Sicilian in his native land. We
were in conference with Mr.. Lobb Wen
on to midnight. We also met Mr..
Frank Murphy OF Arizona VINO gave
glowing account of the fine trip ne
and his wife have had through sicily
in an automobile. During the after
noon, Mr.. Caughy who accompanied
us, took us to see some of the celebra-
ted ANTIQUITIES Of ancient Syracuse,
including the ear Of Dionysius, which
Is a marvellous development In acous-
tics. We stood at the entrance and
our guide gave us test OF the echoes
or the cave, anu Uldut Tic Stltc"ShS
that Dionysius used 1t as jail for
political prisoners, and where, from
a station above, his guards could hear
the slightest whispers Of those con-
fined therein. AS to the truth OF this
/ make no statement. We also visited
the catacombs, said to have been con-
structed by the Christians Of SYRIA
cuse in the first century, and which
offers evidences Of great antiquity.
was much impressed with the cata-
combs, which extend for some three
miles through solid rock, and cut In
three tiers There is a difference OF
opinion as to their origin. One is that
they were quarries from which stone
was taken to build ancient Syracuse,
while it is also claimed that they were
constructed during the persecution or
the Christians in the first century,
who took refuge therein. 1t Is evil
dent from paintings made on the CELL
ings Of the church conpected with the
catacombs. also cut in solid rock,
showing pictures of st. Paul and 9TH
er apostles, as we'll as that OF the
Virgin, that these catacombs were
used by the Christians in the earliest
years of the Christian era 1t Is also
cold that In this church st. Paul