Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1913-06-27
LETTER FROM REV. BUYTAERT
Melsele, Belgium,
June 10th, 1913

/ the kindness and good wishes bestow-
ed upon me by the people of Laona and
Wabeno. want to send my greetings
to all through your paper because I
could not drop "a line to allinparticular.
left Wisconsin for a rest and va
cation, | have had this even more than
| desired. | was hardly home a couple
of days before took sick, malaria
fever. | am sitting by the window,
recovering slowly. | am sure | lost a
good deal but then you know can well
afford to loose a little. The season
here is very rainy and many people are
afflicted with the same trouble
My trip however l enjoyed immense
ly, one could not have wished for
nicer weather, from New York to Nap
les the sea was calm and smooth, one
could not have wished nicer company
for aboard the ship were some 125
Italian singers, men and ladies, all
members of the New York Metropol-
tan opera house. (the Caruso chorus)
and when they sang their beautiful
rep 4rtoire, night after night, it was
marvellous.
At Algiers, where we landed first,
we set foot upon African soil The old
and new Algiers are facing each other
and | do not believe there is a more
beautiful city in the world. Thousands
Of white cottages, towering one above
the other, all along the green slope of
the mountain, which stands out gently
by the shore of the blue Mediterranean.
Next came Naples, the sweet and pic
turesque city on the bay of that name
spent a whole day amongst the ruins
of Pompei the city buried under the
lava Of the Vesuvius. 1t is impossible>
to put down in writing my impressions,
but with the grace Of God | hope to
have the opportunity of explaining YER
bally the many and beautiful things
which have seen.
Then Omalfi Lorento, Coyeri, Mount
Vesuvius, all names recalling the most
wonderful things in creation.
spent whole week in Rome and |
could have spent whole year there.
To a business man, without any know
ledge of history or religion Rome
might appear rather insignificant Fer
Rome has no enterprise, no business.
But from an historical and religious
standpoint every building is a message
full of meaning The Pope was sick at
the time and no audience could be
granted. was very sorry indeed but
then Rome, without the Pope, is we'll
worth while. | was told that some
], 900 Americans We're in the city at the
time.
From Rome l went to Venice. Here
all the streets are canals. No horse
or buggy or auto there. Nothing but
boats and canoes. From the depot to
your hotel, from your hotel to church
or anywhere boat was the only vehi-
Gle to take. At Venice felt at home
because nowhere in the world are there
more mosquitoes. Beat Laona all to
pieces and the worst of it was that
they have no screens nor protection
It's there that | began to feel sick there
that caught the malaria, which forced
me to take to bed for over two weeks.
/ will never forget Venice.
| did not feel any longer like staying
away from my home. l stopped few
hours at Milano, where I viewed the
church and the body of ST. Ambrose,
the patron saint of the Wabeno church.
| spent day and half in Switzerland
and enjoyed the Alps very much indeed
Below in the valley I got sunstruck at
the top I threw suowballs at my com
panions.
From Switzerland l took the road
along the Rhine to Cologne. The Rhine
provinces are magnificent and the Ger
,oan people are very Industrious. A
noble race. The same day l left for
home and that night arrived at my
old home, with my own beloved ones,
the JOY of seeing once more the friends
and the things of childhood days
They all thought I had grown both in
height and in weight. I felt rather
good but the next day could not leave
my bed and for two weeks did I stay in
my own room without leaving my bed
at all.
feel good now. do not know yet
the date of my departure from here
But will be back home sometime in
July. My brother from Congo is in
good condition and both of US will come
back together.
I thank all of you once more for all
the kindness and good will, in par.icu-
lar 90 I remember frequently my good
Foresters.
l ike my old native place and love
to be with my own people, but my
heart and my thoughts are with you
daily. Ny relatives do not understand
but cannot help it. Ny home is in
Forest county and there is no place like