The Washington herald., 1914-10-11
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of Rome and on this he Iavished- fatherI1
| kisses and sighs.
The mother Of the Emperor, who's,
prophetic soul had foretold the coming
| Of rainy days and whose maternal thrift
had made provision for them, came Il
| him as soon as he was fAirly settled. anC
she faithfully stayed by his side. Nine
Mers's companion was her daughter
princess had beene Napoleon's torment in
prosperity, but now she Just as gayly
shared her brothers fallen fortunes.
Planning and building.
The next Of the imperial habitations
the Emperor chose after he left the Her.
mitage was hardly less unconventiona
and romantic. This was an old castle Al
Porto Longone. the second port OF EIba
and on the opposite side Of the island
from Portoferraio, where a suite of siN
rooms was ftted up. the Emperor choos.
ing for himself turret looking out
upon the Italian shore.
He now had four palaces" the Mulini.
San Martino. the Hermitage and the
citadel of Porto Longone, and he sent his
cupancy the house OF the superintendent
Of mines at Rio, which he had visited
the morning after his arrival in the is
land. Elban palaces, however, came
cheap. tent sufi1ced on Monte Glove,
and for Porto Longone three iron beds,
two carpets. few plain chairs at a cost
Of 81 each and two or three equally SIM
pie armchairs and sofas were ordered.
Indeed the furnishings of the citadel were
almost as severely simple as they are
today. when It. Is the gloomy abode OF life
convicts sent from the mainland.
The fact was Napoleon had no money
with their inveterate stupidity, never
having paid q sou OF the 100000 Of an
nual revenue plsdged to him in the treaty
Of Fontainebleau- But that and other
OF his financial troubles more properly
belong in the story Of his return from
Elba.
The construction or selection Of pal
aces was but a diversion. an innocent
pastime of the island Emperor. His
more serious care was bestowed upon the
welfare of Elba. While he housed HIM
self and maintained his table with. al
most ascetic frugality, he shared with
the local officials half the expense OF all
public improvements that he ordered. He
not only organized the government with
as close attention to detail as he had
framed the civil institutions OF the
French empire, but he also promoted the
slender commerce and tagging industries
Of the island.
wisely planned a complete highway sys-
tenn, which still serves the convenience
of the people, who have yet no railways
II was under his inspiration and direc-
ton that the husbandmen planted and
sowed the waste places. and the long
neglected soil was made so productive
that il supplies now nearly all the needs
of a population three or four times
greater than the number Of inhabitants
century ago.
Although it was q tradition among the
people that climate and earth alike were
unfriendly to the olive, the lemon the
orange and the mulberry. he introduced
them in the Island. and they are -four
ishing there to this day. He developed
an abundant water supply against sea-
sons Of drought. He adopted a rigorous
quarantine against the Importation OF
diseases, while he improved the health
Of the people by draining the swamps and
by barring the mosquitoes from the
springs and wells. He swept the streets
and gave the islanders their first lessons
In cleanliness and sanitation.
PortoferraIo Today.