The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-07-10

ana on my pdll W IL dAi1AiIS q AS1@SA W
Deputsto Moretti, who expressed an
interest in South Carolina, and re-
ouested me to write him fully re-
garding our State, which, Of course, l
was only 100 glad to do.
On Wednesday, after completing
some necessary shopping. Messrs.
Burnett, Bennett and myself took the
Z O'Clock train for tour Of inspec-
tisn through Sicily and Southern Italy,
arriving at Messina, Sicily, at .
O'Clock the next morning after an all
night ride in very comfortable Pull
man car. By previous arrangements
we were met at the wharf oy MT.
Caughy, the American consui, Dr.
Maurice Fishberg and Mr.. Robert A.
Doremus. who are connected with the
commission, and Who preceded US to
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, ,o0o people, and which province is
one of three in the Island OF SICILY
each governed by a perfetto, VINO IS
the representative Of the king. Inc
Island of Sicily has a total populatlon
Of 3.5o0,o00 persons. At 1.3o p. M
we were on our way to Gesso. AS soon
as we had left the city limits Of Mes
sina, with the American vice. consul,
Mr.. Peirce, as our guide and inter-
prefer. I was attracted again by the
fact that we were on very remarka-
BILE and marvellous road, such as is
found all over Sicily. The country
here is very mountainous, but this
road was So well constructed and on
such an easy grade that though II
was continual ascent carriges moved
along without apparent discomforture
to the horses. The road bed was hard
and firm and the system of drainage
had been worked out with so great
skill that it was positive pleasure to
climb such mountains as we did, IN
a distance Of not more than five
miles, rising to an altitude of about
1900 feet At the village Of Gesso we
were met by the sindica, or mayor,
and two Carabinieris, members of
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 investiga-
ton as we'll as to show respect to our
mission Gesso is village which but
a few years ago had over 5000 popu-
lation, 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 man
in his prime, the rest being old men,
old women and children. Upon in
auiry we found that the former in
habitants are now located at Phila-
delphia. Pa, Atlantic City, Pleasant
Vile and Hammondtown, n. j. One
of the old churches in the village was
burned last Christmas day and it was
an interesting and curious sight to
see on the walls Of this burned
church, which itself dates back many
centuries, a printed subscription list
of over 800 former residents Of Ges-
so, who now lives in the United
States, and had sent the money back
to assist in the restoration Of the
church in the village Of Their
childhood. Gesso is on top OF
a mountain which ovarlooks
the Mediterranean. Going to the
boundary of the village we came to
place where we had the unusual Spec
tacle Of seeing two smoking volca-
noes, Aetna and Stromboli, which
still have frequent eruptions. We re-
turned to Gesso by the same road,
reaching our hotel about o'clock.
One thing that impressed me very
deeply was the immense amount OF
work necessary in the utilization OF
every available inch Of ground on the
steep hill sides. There are terraces
constructed with. stone walls any
where 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 top Of the mountains
On these terraces are grown all the
crops that are raised in the southern
part Of South Carolina.
We were taken to dinner by the
American consul and his charming
and estimable wife, and given an op-
portunity to taste some purely sicil-
!an dishes. one of which made Of rice,
chicken giblets, and solid yolks OF
eggs, mixed with meat gravy, was
very delicious dish.
The perfetro called on US the next
morning at our hotel and We had
very interesting interview OF more
taa, an nour with him H" brought
several minor officials with him. and
during his visit the chief Of police.
called here the sequestors. dropped IN,
as did the local inspector Of enigra-
ton.
at o'clock we started for Toarmi-
na. typical Sicilian village three