Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-03-17
TRADE UNIoNIsM IN PoMPEn.
Editor Mojority:


One of the joys Of my life was my
visits to Pompeii-right across the
bay, from Mt. VesIvious-that was
hidden for one thousand years from
human. view, as 1t was covered by
Ilava One feature of Pompeii which
is not often dwelt on by guide books
end travellers is the exquisite beauty
of its surroundings. VesuviusI
sends its pillar of smoke intothe blue
sky on the one side, on the other is
the bay of Naples, with CastellamtHe
and Sorrento sparkling like jewels
on its shore. The interest in Pom
peii is like nothing else in Italy. or
perhaps in the world, repeated visits
only add to the wonder and awe Of
the first impression, here we see a
city of the dead; dead for hundreds
of years, and yet the Pompeiians
seem strangely alive as we tread
the silent streets, the marks of the
chariot wheels are there; the oil jars
are in the stores; the drinking foun-
tain is there with the soft stone
worn by the pressure of hands that
were living when Jesus dwelt on
earth; the bakers leaves are in the
oven; the splendid bath is there
with the vases for ointments and
perfumes; in the museum attached
to the ruins may be seen the casts
taken of human figures crouching
together or clasped in each others
arms as they were when the last aw-
full moment come, one of the casts
here is that of dog which had fall
len on it's back with its feet in the
air; the attitude of the poor beast ex-
presses pathetically the horror of the
fate that overwhelmed it; together
with it's fellow human creatures.
ures.
Some Of your readers, will be sur
prised to be informed of the ex-
istence of
TRADE UNIONIsM IN PONPEH
Who can doubt the veracity Of
words inscribed on tablet Of mar
BILE, scrawled upon a wall and having
been perhaps, already a hundred
years or more in use, and at. last in
the awful eruption of Vesuvius at
whose foot it stood overwhelmed,
buried and lost to view under thick
stratum of lava for one thousand
out, delivered and held up to the
and seven years; then all at once dug
gaze of men now living, fresh as
though just from the chisels of the
Artifix SignoruIn who graved 1t for
his brother unionist, yet there It
stands, its own monument for our
blazing enlightenment to decipher,
freely translated the inscription
reads as follows:
(a)a Phoebus, together with his buy
ers asks the people to vote for Hol-
con, who was formerly President OF
the union and for G. G. Rufus
two men nominated by US (meaning
two of our men).
~ Licinius Roman dominates and
calls for the ballots Of constituents
in favor of Ju1eas Polybus for Sup
erintendent of Public works.
(c) The members of the Fisher
mems Union nominate, make choice
of Popiduis Ruf1s, for member Of
the Board of Publis Works.
(d) The International Goldworkers'
Association in the City of Pompeii
demand for members of the Board
of Public works, Cuspia Pausa.
How simple and homely, but
it must be clear to everyone that
such talk was confined to those who
were federated together and inti-
mately acquainted with each other;
not that we could arbitrarily \con-
strue the vernacular of Roman
municipality; but there is pecul-
iarly quaint air Of familiarity, which
savors SO remarkably of what is
taking place in the unions OF our
cities and towns that it seems like
a mirroring of the ancient mod
ern brotherhood.
How much progress along trade
union lines has been made In this
age and country. We're from Mis-
souri, and want to be shown.
Yours truly, ~
MRS. d. w. THOMAS,