Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-06-24
CITY OF NAPLES
FULL OF SHOW PLACES
In Italy A. G.. Baker and Son Harry
Visit Naples and Rome and Find
Scenes and Attractions of
Much Interest.
ROME CITY 100000
VISIT THE VATICAN
City is One o. the Most Historic
Places in the World, and For
Many Years the Ruling Pow
er of the World.

Our ship Rotterdam is GS hours
in making the passage from AleXan-
6ria to Naples. We pass the island
Of Sicily, its ancient Syracuse, and
farther up the coast we see the great
Mount Etna, then we enter the
strait of Messiaa, passing close to
those towns on either side, Reggie,
Messina, and other towns and cities
that were so shaken and such des-
truction was rought by the quake
a few years since. On the morning
of March 18th, we are steaming in
to the bay of Naples, beautiful
harbor, so land locked as to be secure
from storm. Here, the only landing
on our cruise, we were landed at
the quay.
We are in Italy, country con-
tanning 10000 square miles of sur
face, twice the size of Iowa as by
comparison. Naples is its largest
city, with about the same population
of Cleveland, Ohio, but when one
compares one of these cities on a
par with our home cities he only
does so in population and not in
architecture, the few show places
only advertising them, and it is these
we, the tourist, visit.
We had been informed that Naples
was a city of beggars and filth. On
landing we found awaiting our COM
ing, the finest teams that we have
ever ridden after. such horses as
would put our finest in the shade. AS
we ride we see but few beggars and
the streets would compare in keeping
with many of oUr cities. There were
an army Of takers and venders OF
curios, ready and capable Of taking
in the easy money of the American,
the writer has never encountered
more shrewder tradesmen.
We visit beautiful aquarium, the
finest that we have seen, the muse
UNI where are shown many curiosities
from Pompeii; visit number of
churches and monasteries, the church
of San Francesca Di Paola being the
most beautiful and one of the larg-
est in Europe. The precious stones
on the high altar and the columns
of Egyptian stone attract the most
notice. High on the hill. above the
city, is the ruins of the great castle
Saint Elmo.
Were one confning his trip to
this city alone he could write book
on its places of interest, but we are
bound for that place of greatest in
terest. Rome, as we are to return
to Naples. After spending six hours
here we take the train for Rome
about five hours run. Our train takes
us out into a beautiful country in
the interior of Italy, and though we
are riding sixty miles an hour, We
get a passing glance at many attrac'
tive scenes. The country through
which we are riding is of a valley
character, mountains are in view III
the distance, the soil, rich BLACK
loan must be productive, the homes
mostly comfortable looking farm pla'
ces. The soil was being cultivated
mostly by gray colored cattle of mucf
different form than our cattle. About
half of this beautiful valley is plant
ed to grapes. They set out the mul
berry tree in rows, string wire, a1c
along this wire train the grapes; the
tops of the mulberry trees are kept
we'll headed back so as to not shade
the vines too much and still produce
the tender leaves to be picked fol
the silk worm, while the trunk sus
tains the vine.
AS we near Rome the country be
comes more rolling. We are for the
last number of miles travelling paral
lei with the old Roman aqueduct
once an imposing water system, now
in ruins. We arrive in the city IL
the evening and are driven to the
hotel Minerva, a very comfortable ole
place, owned by the church of Rome
Rome is a city of 100000 souls
about the size of Buffalo, N ,oI
is the third city of Italy, Naples ans
Milan only having a larger popula
ton. The city, outside of the churci
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