The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-07-07
THE MAN OF THE SUN.
Venerable Patriarch Who Spends his
Years Staring at Old Sol.

| 'Sd'S oAa' NY CT wv W.
| have today. writes correspondent
ut Mcssiua. in Sicily, been afforded an
| opportunity Of iutervie one oi
the strongest characters in the world.
| He is known to everybody ere as
'rTomo del Sole" Nhe man Of the
sum.
In appearance he Is a venerable
patriarch. with Il face tanned almost
| black by the fierce rays of the south
crn sun and with long snow white
! hair falling to his shoulders from both
sides of the dividing line in the middle
of the head. This as we'll as his long
white beard is always we'll brushed.
This man spends his time from morn
ing till night in worshiping tbc sun.
He gazcs with wide Open unblin>ing
eyes nj the bail Of fire daily fohling
this city In brilliant sunshine. He will
gaze fXcdlv for hours ut Old Sol and
i'm doing SO carry on conversation
with It and utter prayers invoking the
protection of his god He does not
suffer in the slightest by the terrible
gaze aud to prove il he has. after
half an hours fixed stare at the sun.
timed lay the watch. seen plainly and
described the smallest article | have
pointed out to him.
Scientists. physicians. oculists and
surgeons from every part of Italy
have come to examine his wonderful
ewes. which look as if they were at
tackled by some dread disease They
nre, however. as good rs those of the
average man. but not the same. His
orbits are remarkable by reason of the
abnormalIy large pupils. The white
part of the eyes is crystalline and
strangely bloodshot
Camarroto. the patriarch is eighty
six years of age of medium height
and robust. eating and sleeping well.
The people Of Messina have the great
est respect for him, and woe betide
the youth who takes 1t into his head
to ridicule TTnmo del Sole. The men
at work in the port. loading and dis
charging ships. join together in max
ing weekly allowance out of their
very meager pay to the sun worshper.
who is also called In the Sicilian dia
lect IN filusurn" the philosopher).
His coat is always unbuttoned to
give prominence to a remarkably
colored waistcoat. His socks are nj
ways the same. One IS white. the
other red One is short. the other
long. and they cover like CATERS the
IS shod with patent black boot his
left with brown shoe.
At the head of his stick are tied three
handkcrchefs of different colors. lie
calls this his talisman. With IT
he stops tcmpests. hurricanes and
thunderstorIns. which he says are
signs of the fury and anger of his
god. the sun. When it rains he comes
out hatless. knccls in the streets OF
Messina. with arms extended and cries
"Basta. basta. OH sole mio"' enough.
enough. oh, my sunD The traffic re-
spectfuIly stops rntil he has finished
his prayer and the waving of bis magic
wand in the air. ''If it were not for
me. oh. pardc moi. what would hap
pen to poor Messina. to poor Sicily, for
1t would most certainly he destroyed
ny torrents G1 water.
If he secs lady hold up parasol.
Camarroto will snatch it and close it
"Infamous one,' he cries why walk |
in the shade when The sun * out
The lady NAV Indignantly seek re-
dress. but the Sympathics Of crowd and |
police arc all with the man who can |
look at the sun with open eyes. The !
-ent of the house wherein he lives is |
paid for him: the food he eats at any |
restaurant. the wine he drinks. are all |
given him gratis hy the proprietor. |
who is honored by the presence of the
sun worshiper.
With great difficulty induced him
to speak about himself.
Il am the son of the SUM- he cric'i !
once he was reused. II was born with |
his blessing | speak to the sun. the
god OF the world l am his chosen.
sent by him to preach his power. and
shall continue to do so forever and |
ever, for shall not die. ] shall travel
over all the world. to France. to Eng
land. to America. to follow the sun,
to preach its power to gaze at it. TO
be bathed in golden light.
II am daily defending my fellow men
from the sun. They ungratefully call
me mad. Let them do so. They can
not look at it for hours and hours
They would die. They would he blind.
because they are unworthy to profane
the sun with their looks" Baltimore
Sun.