The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-05-07
AMERICA MADE HIM
Did Not Know What the Goddess Of
Liberty signifIed at First,
But Has Learned lts
Meeting.
10y William Philip simms. Unitei

\
herself.
That the case of Luigi Peschici, the
big. strong. handsome young fellow
who runs the SWEETEST gents furnish
ing'' house in the main street OF this
city, the Corso Umberto. He used to
drive steers in the Roman campagna
at 20 cents day and feed himself.
And Luigi himself admits with pride
in his voice that the great uplift Is due
to America, that all he knows in this
world was learned in Montgomery,
Alabama, where in Market street, near
the depot, he was engaged in the fruit
and soda water business.
Delayed in Naples longer than en-
pected, needed soft collar. Walk
ing down the city's principal thorough
fare, brilliantly lighted shop, loora.
ing like house afire, caught my at
tention Stopping in front of the
establishment-one just had to stop
and look, so attractive were the win
dow displays-one saw that everything
man needed in the way Of clothing,
save the outer garments, could be
had inside.
There were American Shoes Ameri-
can hats, American underwear, Amert-
can garters, American socks, ties AMI
collars. On neat, well gotten up dis
play cards, were catch phrases, prices
and trademarks. The whole thing
looked American in its catchiness,
brightness, originality, up to the min
uteness and idea. went in.
Speak English" l asked, as a
clean-shaven, we'll dressed American
tailored young man came forward
! briskly.
/ -. Z, e. ,~sy II a
way. SIS there anything we can %
for you?" A Broadway haberdashery
proprietor could not have done 1t bet
ter
| "A soft collar, please"
\ Well, that started it.. The, salesman
|proved to be Luigi himself He talked
SO intelligently about America and
American institutions. l asked him:
| Where did you learn your English?
You. have no accent at ALL
"In Montgomery, selling fruit" he
said. Before that in New Orleans
and New York. America is a great
land the greatest in the world
What makes you think so?'
"But for America l should be driv-
ing steers now" he answered. 81
should very probably not know how 70
read or write. l should not know tho
multiplication table nor what it meaps
to be a man, nor the meaning Of tho
word liberty Isn't that enough to
make me love American"
Il was born just outside of Naples
said Luigi. my folks worked in q
spaghetti factory but died when was
still a very small kid. An uncle NORTH
of Naples worked vineyard and |
went to live with him. He died whcn
| / was IA and a neighbor let me work
for him for my keep. At 16 got a
job at Is cents a day but had to pay
s cents day for my board. This was
an Improvement, however, and I was
pretty proud.
when I was II great event hap
pened. The son Of my patron returned
from America. I had heard Of this
wonderful land before, for every two
or three months the boss received a
letter from New York. But until the
son came back had only the vaguest
notion of what America is. could
not read nor write. I was very ignor-
ant.
But the farmers son was revela-
ton to me. He appeared before ny
eyes as the most wonderful creature
ever created. with his American
colored socks and stick1pins and peck
ct nandkerchiefs smelling of cologne.
! And the stories he told! To him what
II earned in a day was fairly enough
for a tin to the man. who shaved him.
I heard him say that very thing. And
what l earned in month he earned
in a day. I listened to him talk by the
hour, hanging on every word and when
he left IL was like the end of the
world had come. It was just as If the
sun had gone out Of the heavens.
Il had been fred with an ambition,
though and from that day on / saved
every cent could lay my hands on.
complained to the boss that according
to what his son said I ought to get
more pay. The old man said his son
was a liar, that nobody earned so
much.
HE gave me 20 cents day though
and l continued to drive his steers
and save coppers for my passage to
America. a.TssHNt'
FINALLY the day came. I went steer
age to New York. got a job there in
| a wholesale fruit house run by an
italian. New York was overcrowded
with people like myself and some
worse off SO l went to New Orleans.
Still there were too many foreigners
| SO / went to Montgomery.
81 got along fine. Folks treated me- (;
all right, / had time to study and |
got into night school. 1t was AROUND
this time that I learned how America
accents foreigners coming to hrr
shores and assimilates them, how e.. !