The farmer and mechanic., 1915-06-01

with the railroad. and the Italian gov
ernment reduced the rates 75c for all
men IN the United States fleet
We were some merry bunch Of blue
jackets leaving the union station at
Naples bound for the famous old city
OF Rome with money in our jeans
and nothing 10 do but spend il in
sight seeing and ENJOYING ourselves
ashore after being al sea for SO long
we left Naples at Ills o. m. and ar
riVeo IN Rome at six p. m. on fast
tram On the way TO Rome / enjoy
ed the scenery of vineyards all along
the roadside, with the stone and cave
huts Of the natives On either side
OF the railroad We're high mountains
three or four miles distant all the wav
up to Rome. Perched high alongside
the mountain sides were ancient
castles and monasteries.
We stopped at a first class tourists
hotel While in Rome, the kind where
they serve rolls with black coffee for
| breakfast, and six or seven courses
| Tor the other two meals with plenty
| OF chicken and lettuce, mutton. spa
| shetti. etc. We had four days to spend
| IN Rome and we engaged one of
| Cooks Tourist Guides to show US
| around this interesting city.
| We visited all the fine Roman
Peters and the Vatican. Our entire
party was received by Pope Plus
Tenth and blessed by that very i'm
portant parsonage. The people over
there consider it a great thing TO be
blessed by the Pope and a great many
Of them would give anything to &C
through the ceremony. One newSpa-
per man with our party was SO anxi-
Gus to see the Pope that he borrow &c
| a ~
in our party and entered the Pope:
! palace as a blue-jacket
After enjoying ourselves SO much
, and seeing all the historical places o
, interest in Rome, we were ready t.
, depart, or our time was up rather, a
. no one wanted to leave the city wher
. we had such a fine time and wer
treated SO we'll. Before leaving mos
; of us dropped a coin into that famou
= fountain with the tradition that who
| ever drops a coin into the waters an
{ drinks from it will some day retur
9 to Rome. / hope so, as ] shall neve
= forget the enjoyable time 1 spent i
q Rome with the sailors in November
1913.
y BY rail from Rome back to Maple
: on Sunday night. November 16tl
e 1913, we had jolly trip by moonligI
V serenading the natives at the Italia
|
/, reached Naples again our party spli
r After spending a couple Of da,
r. around Naples | returned aboard tf
st good ship Flo after spending ten da,
e ashore in Italy.
= Some of the ships went to the di
ferent French ports while others we
20 to Italian ports, but all the crews r
# ported a most enjoyable time. tt
- cruise was just what the men need
f.1r 1J1n mn
n poses as well. Our officers. men, al
w ships made a fire showing in EuroI
=, and impressed the people very mu'
= in those countries. The men behav
o+ we'll, and there were very few if al
O disturbances as so often happens
20 course some Of US drank too much
= that Italian wine at times then t
as much water on top of it too, I que:
&C but a sailor is supposed to iven I
,v a bit after being cooped up aboa
- | ship so long The biggest Difficult
we had over there was whom to S
w lutte. We were told when We left
III the beach to salute all commission
"a officers of both the army and nav
&c, But it was quite a hard matter to t
- an Admiral or General from polio
"a man as every branch of the servi
vt wore such gaudy uniforms it W
"a hard to distinguish them. We beg
a5 by saluting everything in unif Or
~ and when prvates and policemen
no gan to give US the laugh, jackie 6
20 sore and refused to salute anything
70 uniform. taking no chances at bel
laughed at. Consequently the high
ao | officers of the army and navy in It:
e made kick to our commanders abe
,rs being slighted in recognition by m
~, tary salutes. They are very strict
- military circles in those countries
q garding saluting.
IN Everybody in the fleet agreed Il
led they had spent a great time in Ita
ay However. we were all glad to retl
Of to the States and spend Christina s
5as New York, our home port, which,
he though a long ways from US, lool
lid good to us, where we could get be
ing to familiar voices. where we were "
red to the ways Of the people and
wn prices of everything, with no m
ide Dago peddlers to argue with.
ery On the first day Of December. s.