The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-02-03
VISIONS OF THE ETERNAL CITY
Rome and Egypt Form Interesting
Place for the Saunterings of Former
Kenosha Man and He Writes of His
Many Visits.
Cairo, Egypt, Dec. 16. 1909.

BY Lawson X. MuzZy.
The American tourist is still wend-
| ing his way farther away than ever
from his dear old home. On the 21st
inst. he will sail from Port Said. via
the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, for
a little tour that will include Ceylon,
Hong Kong, Alden, Yokohama and Hon
olulu, reaching San Francisco, I hardly
know when. Will be on ship board
for over two months and that time will
not include the visits to places named.
Wish | had time to write of lovely
Venice and its mosaics, canals and ST.
Marks ami Florence and its famous
picture galleries, its art treasures and
sculptures, but the demand for time is
always persistent and one will get
weary and must rest.
Rome is, without question, the most
attractive city in Europe, generally
speaking. I had seen, as-I supposed,
the very finest churches and cathedrals
of all the continent, not excepting those
at Cologne, Milan, Antwerp and Notre
Dame, Paris. When several days had
been spent in St. Peters, Rome, that
most gorgeous and grand affair, we
freely accorded that the first place.
The outside is rather plain and unpre-
possessing from it's extreme age, but
the interior can scarcely be described
properly. 1t is one riot of marble,
alabaster, golden glitter, priceless paint
ings and sculpture. And it grows on
one-its magnifcence--at each visit.
| stood in each corner and with strong
opera glasses studied it's every detail
carefully. The only way to receive
the proper impression regarding its
size is to walk around the immense pile
on the outside. 1t is work of hours
rather than of minutes.
1t is at ST. Peters that one may see
the greatest dignitaries of the great
Catholic church, with it's three hundred
millions of communicates, and the
Pope himself lives within it's boun-
diaries. 1t was only after very
strenuous effort that Swas permitted
to see the great head of this church.
| had neglected to get letter from a
church official in America. At last,
that master of diplomacy, Bishop Ken
nedy, of Philadelphia, now of Rome,
graciously promised me a special in
terview on certain Sunday morning.
1t was a great favor and thoroughly
appreciated. Attired in full evening
dress, as per rigid requirement, / call
ed by appointment at the bishop
palace, where | was placed in charge
of Father McEachan, of Ohio, who did
the honors at the VaticaA. The Pope
and Bishop Kennedy resemble each
other very closely and both have very
strong and healthy looking faces.
They are seemingly in perfect health.
The apartments of the August Holy
Father, as he is called, are most luxuri-
Gus and grand. There are four humid
red churches in Rome, any one of
which, if placed in our greatest Ameri-
can cities, would attract thousands of
admiring visitors.
Will only refer to one other feature
of Rome. 1t is well called the Eternal
city. It's antiquities are in certain
respects unrivalled. These include
the Colosseum, the Palatine, Arch of
Constantine, the Forum, its ancient
walls, House of Livia, many columns
standing since 600 B. c., and, omit
ting all else, the Catecombs. Paid
special attention to these ancient burial
places of the first Christians They
are narrow passageways cut in the
solid rock underground and the tombs
are simply small inches, no larger than
necessary to contain the bodies. Have
only space to state the astounding fact
that these passageways, if placed in a
straight line, would make an ally FIVE
hundred miles long. / assure the
readers of the News that a walk of
about five miles was quite enough for
me. An aged monk was my guide and
his remarks were profoundly interest
ing. What impressed me most was
that on the tombs were quaint carvings
referring to Christ and to some of his
parallels. These carvings were made
long before there was any New Tesla
ment, showing that the early believers
knew of what the Saviour had taught
before the fathers had written or com
| piled the various sacred writings.
Strange to state, while there are
names and the business done by the
deceased, recorded in the slabs, there
is not single date found on any of
them.
| Naples is also wonderful Italian
city-beautiful and glorious in spots
and squalid and soiled (tc draw it
mild) in others, The Bay of Naples
is most charming, and my hotel room
lopened into roof garden, that COM
A.