The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1921-09-22

Many Raess Have Fought and Rule
In Sunny Sicily From 73s D. c. VI
/. III This Year ~ 0raes--in sleil
May Be Seen 0rssk Temples &
Nearly Perfect orandsur-Rieh Il
Mythology, Tradition, History, Al
ehaseIosy and Poetry.
In connection with the reported SELF
ure by peasants Of large estates Il
Sicily, owned by absentee landlords
the National Geographic society ha,
issued from its Washington, d. C
headquarters the following bulletin
concerning the largest island Of the
Mediterranean
Land beloved Of the gods and bat
tle-grOund of West and East, the later
history Of Sicily has had much to do
In making the history of modern Eu-
rope says the bulletin, which is
based on a communication to the So
ciety by Mrs. George c. Bosson, Jr
1T Is as peaceful now as It's bill
lows OF gray-green olive branches
typify-but so are the fires under Et-
mas snowy mantle
"Phoenicians. Greeks, CarthaginIans,
Romans, Vandals, Saracens, Normans,
Spanish, Savoyards. Bourbons, Carl
baldl. Italians-these have fought and
ruled In sunny Sicily from 733 B. C.
until this year Of grace. Is it any
wonder that Goethe declared Sicily
to be the key to alr-of mythology,
tradition, history. of archaeology,
poetry, and Natures perfect beauty
Perfect Greek Temples.
''The Parthenon at Athens has been
wrecked and crushed by earthquakes
and Turkish bombs, but in Sicily one
may see Greek Temples In nearly per-
feet grandeur.
But Greek or Roman matters not
when one aseends that old Hill OF |
Taurus (hence Taormina'a name), and |
among those Corinthian columns |
stands In a universe Of bluel Blue |
heaven and blue sea. and to the right |
Etna In its majesty. a pearly cone
lgainst the dazzling azure; tawny
'ocks and a gray old town, splashes
II pink where almonds bloom, and
,lossy green OF lemon trees for miles
nd miles and miles.
There is perhaps no place In Eu-
ope which has such distant indi-
duality as Syracuse possesses. II
; so easy. when one sees IL, to un-
erstand Its history, since so many
Important Incidents occurred from its
geographical pecullarities. Fourteen .
lilies in circumference. 1t contained
our separate towns. Facing them !
~ the island Of Ortygia, and south
anne the great harbor and the marsh
Syraco But the towns are now
ray ruins on the hillsides, and the
land Is Siracusa today. Here came I
iana's nymphs-Arethusa hiding as a
fountain In the goddess groves, n
yane changed to "A pool of dark blue \
alter as the poet sings. by Pluto when +
'e tried to stay him in his fight with
The place Is eloquent with history
hat hosts have marched by, Mar n
Illus broke the heart Of Syracuse. /
hen she was Athens rival. and then :,
Greek and Goth. Byzantine. Sara
n, Norman. Teuton. and Spaniard y
e fell an easy prey. The great bills "
ok on the harbor and the harbor. U
,ks to the sky; the Spanish walls q
tier now In the sunlight, and the
rtcullises Of Charles V rise where
nod the many gated citadel OF Penta-
Ia. to
Planned by Archimsdes. OF
TN the great galleries and under tn
ound forts OF Euryalus castle the ar
o years siege Is easily imagined:
iclous quarters for troops, great
arts for horses here still the holes
: hitchinG them. the great stone de
myers for feeding. Stations for cat. Tn
ults and magazines, subterranean Oe
leries. and long walled passages, ~
I stone II missing In the long -
hit Of steps; the apertures through ~
ich the Grecian arrows dew are ch
feet still. Archimedes himself In
nned tAoss cunning sallyports-One m,
b for q mounted trooper. one low Pa
FOOT soldier. no
Palermo Il felice' II 4 gem Of the
!. to me second only in beauty to prl
pearl Of Ceylon. Colombo. Al -;
ached from the harbor, the Concha =.
70 LEE in 'front.' that shell-like w
in. like 4 gigantic garden. with cor
nte Peslegrino's red crags on the
II. Capo Zaffarano's wooded ma
Ehts across on the left. while Monte bel
Tones dark range fills the back ~
ind. Modern Palermo Is medley 1 ~
dark old streets and wide new ~
3 OF Moorish domes and modern
bic mansions. Of labyrinths of al -
and broad. beautiful Marina. No
le no other city OF its size pos v
es such splendid parks and public KEY
private gardens NJ.