Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-10
THE COMMERCIAL VOLCANO.
Beeaars Who Beg Gracefully or
Mount Vesuvius.

'BcSgdrS beg more prcttliy in the oli
country than here in New York. sad
the woman Who, lives ON the east side.
shall never forget them on the way to
Somersaults and The small girls WHO
sang. They seemed to spring up ont Of
the earth on each sid" of the road. tle
boys turning handsprings like living
cartWheClS ut the wheel nf my cab, aK
tn" little girls singing.
Then came tn" man selling oranges
My driver touched, him gently with his
whip.
- See him, Ii" said He is duntb
Then cripple, crossing twisted less
he tune of a whecZy hand organ at the
bend Of the road, all salIuw, lava faced'
the color of the hills.
Lava faced women. leaning over lava
walls and mahogany mru astrde under
sized donkcys. all begging.
Even the drivers beg on Mount Nesu-
Vius. or did. At the top at the hesia,
ming of the funicular, my driver held out
u lava hand.
"a little money for macaroni.' NJ
begged
And something for the horse he
added
Another Iva ana began TO ascend
the funirular. | held my breath. it was
50 W"bbly. but ] suppose il Is goVu
deal wobbIier now.
/ Wu sailors were WITH me. Inc nv !,
IT WObblcd the louder they laughed q,
the top a guide approached. | barsaiinGu l
with Am. He was not begsar.
was robber. and not without the pre-,
Naiiin" piCturcSpuencss
" -Four lire he said.
The two sailors interviewed, and ne
tween us we got him for nine. -
The sailors at the start seemed patsp
young men and orderly, but they de's a
oped proclivities. CHANGING back irV% ~
the terrible climb almost knee deep 40 ~
lava, discovered them digging up ~. ~.
lava wholesale, a melee of arms ana vi IN
in their wrcstle with the man who TX, stIL
ing them two glasses of wine al the nan
way station, had charged them fot
barrel.
Il plowed waded knee deep. ~, lns
lava got in my shoes. Ii burned my Ivy.
Men plowed along with me. High allow N,r
| me was a woman in 4 chair. me c snnr
was borne upon the shoulders OF lou en
strong men Women, chair ana H'"
were silhouctted against lava sky. hi.
somebody swung rope over -
shoulder at me. ,,s
Take this he said with Generous
forcthought admirable to behold III -
ontilo Il stranger.
The Lana was deeper than ever ne
was almost exhausted. graspeu az q.
rope. as Il drowning man might ciutts
a spar. Then a light dawncd upon ny vi
How much is this rope going 10 W.
me- | demanded to know.
" -Four lire, he said.
Il let IL go.
I'll climb by myself. | said. =.
l.. My guide drew near He tendefeu III r.
his arm, which he should have DON, III,
the first place. l held on to nm t I'm
| grim death but it cost me about I'm
lire at the end of the journey in poui'
| nores just the same. .n,
After an intcrminable length Oh nh nm
we stood on the edge of the crater M,
crater descends so gradually that -
was possible. .ar.
THE two sailors went few stef.
down. My guide, leaving me, ran od
them. coaxed them back, and we
vanced to the next ledge higher up an,
Ours was not the only party. 'os 81
We're coming up, others going down. ~,
We're hazy through the density Oh
smoke. ,os
When we reached the summit .. 'a :,
/ sat flat on the lava resting, wa MI
tired. The smoke seeped through. r.
my hands over it, 1t was warm. ..,n
AT the second station l paid a I ,ao
lous sum for coffee. bread ana pus ssa
and ancient marmalade. took my 20 20
in the waiting cab, and stafteu
Naples. New york Times.