Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-10-30

our suit coats. Remarkable Italy, that
can grow figs and sweet potatoes along
side the best of celery and wheat thinl
Here they do not have to irrigate from
wells that operate like cane-mill
sweep. and the drinking water is the
first we have found palatable in Italy.
We roll into Spezia, some forty thou
sand inhabitants, the chief seaport of
all Italy. Here large feet of Italian
war vessels is riding at anchor, with
the Duke of Abruzzi in command. The
newspapers say the Duke has just gone
to Turin with his brother to try to coax
the queen mother to consent to his we'd
ding that West Virginia sweetheart.
Here, too, is the Royal naval arsenal,
and the shipping is the greatest we
have seen since leaving England.
Before bidding adieu to Italy, the
most interesting as whole OF European
countries, and where the traveller is
apt to linger the longest, it is meet that
we make retrospect, covering the good
with the bad. For the first visit to
Europe we don't know that our itinerary
could be greatly improved upon, when
limited time is considered. In fact we
felt much fattered by some of the
hundreds of Americans we conversed
with, who assured us that our tour was
a remarkably productive one in the way
of seeing much and losing little time.
rs also the comparative expenditures.
Many had crossed our path and later
met us, indicating that they had
''heard" of us. We admit that the
gait we were hiking it, among other
things, "astonished the natives" 1t
was an experience and lesson, paving
the way for, we hope, future trips.
Another time we would not cover as
much territory in so short time but,
knowing little of the subject, we
would strike for particular places and
remain longer at these. One cuts his
wisdom-teeth on first. trip and may profit
later financially and otherwise by the ex-
perience. The distracting hurry so COM
mon to Americans can be avoided
through the knowledge gained on a
first trip. You will avoid many of the
disagreeable inquiries relative to routes,
trains, ETC., and to some extent the
tormenting experience of separating
yourself from your ducats every time a
cross-eyed dago gives you the slightest
help (even in answering a question: or
other small thing they obsequiously in
sist upon doing, followed by demand
for Tip" Unless you can dodge
this. or happen to be ''filthy with lucre, 4"
you can't fully enjoy yourself. One
experience will furnish you more infor-
nation about these things and the
''custembres del pals" than all the
books and word-of-mouth travellers can
impart in lifetime. The chief things
to urge upon the novice are-not to try TO
see too much; to find out charges
before bargaining or look up the fixed
tariff and pay that together with the
orthodox tips" and to hang on to
your hand-luggage at all times unless
too heavy. In that event keep your
eye on it when toted and sleep on it at
night. Do without the obsequious
minions at hotels as much as possible,
and use only authorized and reliable
guides. In Italy, every son of dago
from mknee-high up processes to be a guide
and know-it-all. Above and beyond all,
treat servants and menials as such,
with hauteur land little contempt), as
the high-class Europeans do, or you will
be insulted by their familiarity, as most
Americans are. Hold your temper and
keep out of scraps" as far as lieth in
you. The feeling that you have been
robbed by hotel men, cabmen and the
rest of that miserable lot will haunt you
for years and gnaw at the vitals of your
seif-dependence. "-Coches, the world
over, are robbers" so said globe
trotter to US; adding-"I commend q
'cop' in case Of every discussion. Each
time you get ahead of one of those
scoundrels smile one for-Yours Truly"
The American needs to take along
wallet big enough to choke dog, not
that the expense is so great, but the
everlasting ''tip" and the small denomi-
nations in the big copper of the country
require it. Really, an European tour is
not so costly by much as the same time
spent in touring our north or west. One
thing peculiar to Europeans, as well as
other dagos, is that they can spot an
American as easy as a cayote can a
jackrabbit; whether by our peculiar odor
or lack of same, we do not know; but
when they do spot you that means
money to them. They are ravenous
pack, without scruples or bowels of COM
passion. We shall be glad to collaborate
on this line with any novices contemplate
ing tour.
Whatever you do. avoid Naples or
other large Italian cities ON occasion of
any festival. We struck Naples two
nights of the national feast of st.
Piedigrotta. The night was wild, such
as would make the New Orleans Mardi
Gras tame thing. Added to the eight
hundred thousand populace were tens of
thousands from the surrounding country
l-Vesuvius cave-dwellers. brigands, sea-
men and what-not. Horses, mules,
oxen, jackasses. billy-goats and even
dogs were harnessed to every conceivable
mode of conveyance. and for hours your