Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1922-07-05
ANOTHER FROM PORTER
A WANDERER'S DIARY

in Naples OF macar0nl, DlIStedks peas
and pane. Got ticket for Haifa. Had
expeetedit to be 300 lire or $18. Two
little words in ad of steamer l did not
read. They are ''le ora" Ticket TO
be paid for in gold at lire for a dol
lar. / paid nearly SAC, and that was
not all. Got aboard ship and found he
had given me lowest class ticket and
not the "distinta" class he said is be-
tween I'd and Sd. Down between decks
is big room with iron beds and mat
n tresses of burlap filled with seaweed.
They are clean and free from vern1in.
freighte1s of the Italian Govt line of
! officers. Instead of being five days
/ Syracuse, Alexandra, Port Said, Jaf-
! ia and Haifa where / went ashore.
| The weather was lovely, and the sea
a beautiful blue ;Azzura is the Italian
name. / came into close contact with
/ Italian common people until we reach
ed Alexandria. At my right Syrian
man; at my left two niceItalian young
men; at my feet a well dressed man
and wife with son and daughter The
old lady wears jewels and daughter
powders her nose. Above me nice
| Italian soldier in uniform. Three Syr-
ians going from Argentina TO Beyrout
with families, and two from Brazil
| We lost Italians at Alexandria and
gained lot of Poles come from Tries
te to Brindesi and Alexandria going to
Palestine. Two or three lovely girls,
Polish, speak German and little Eng
lish. One has a sister in Jerusalem,
tooth Doctor, and she goes to live
with her. Three fine old Polish Jews
leave at Joppa for Jerusalem to die
there. The old Jews will very 500 buy
lots over the brook Kedron in the
rocky grave yard on the west slope
of the Mt. of Olives. Got cab for boat
in Naples and went mile for 2 lire.
Gave him 5 lire, a quarter dollar, he
looked amazed.
May 24-Sailed past Old Vesuvius,
smoking hard, past Sorrento, and Am
alfi, Capri on right. They rave over
the Amalfi drive To my notion the
Scenic Highway from Lacrosse to
Prairie du Chen beats it in summer.
Italian bluffs and mountains almost
like a desert. The Italians gave me
deep tin plate and big spoon and we
went to the kitchen near the end of
the boat to get food. Here is bill of
fare we got: Morning good black cafe
and pane. | broke my pane up in
plate and cook filed the plate with
cafe, as / had no dipper and didn't
know how to get one. Desk covered
with new casks and one served for the
table. Very good breakfast Baker
speaks English, says his mother lived
with an Englishman, his father is Eng
lish. He gives me soft pane. Dinner
every other day of macaroni, grated
cheese and carne, but | say non-carne;
I'm afraid to eat horse meat. Other
days when no macaroni | have a"slum-
gudgeon" made of beans, beef, rice and
small patatas. Found for lire /
could get 1st class fish and fried pa
tata for supper. Had feast at six
after that.
May 25-of Catania. Unloaded
freight. Snow capped mountains.
In land locked harbor of Syracuse
from 3 to 10. Dull town; figured in
ancient history. Laid in bunk half
day. Doing very well in this hog pen.
No vermin yet. Am beginning to like
this company. Baker shows me flour
he uses. 1t is American Red Dog in
200 pound bags. That accounts for
the fine teeth and fine muscular devel-
opment of these people. They use our
middlings to max their pane. Italians
and Arabs eat a lot of green stuff,
lettuce, pea and bean pods, artichokes,
spinach and other pottage plants we
do not know about. These beautiful
heads of lettuce are filled with stored
up sunshine and give water soluable
vitamines we hear so much about. Up
north the cows eat the green stuff and
our people use the milk and butter and
get vitamines that way.
May 26-At the kitchen we could
get no pane or cafe. The Italians
went to an officer, and he went to the
baker, and soon we got it.
May 27--Old boat going slower than
the rag wheels of eternity. Met Egyp-
tian railgoad man, born in Egypt, 36
years in government rail service, in
executive office. He has read up on
the Canadian northwest and when he
can get government to adjust his pen
snion he is going there to take land
and be a farmer. He never has had
cold feet and don't know A B G of ag-
riculture. Has two daughters educat-
ed in the Mission School, Cairo, where
the late Dr. Watson of Waukesha did
grand work. He speaks highly of
American Mission Schools. At 4 pass
ed snow capped mountains of Gambia
or Crete now Greek territory Am
getting to love this life on the ocean
wave. A sea voyage is at near abso-
lutte rest as tourist can get, but
need not rest.
Sunday, May 28-My friend says
Italian restaurants charge ten percent
tax on cost of meal, and must stamp
the bill you get with government
stamps.
May 29--Daybreak entered Alexan-
dria Harbor. At the quarantine Of
ficer came and gave us papers. Many
ships in harbor. Thousands of bags
of rice on wharves. Passport officer
kept our passports until debarcation.
Unloading ships Arab workmen get
and half shillings, about $1.08 a day
of 9 hours. Stoker onUmbria gets SIS
per month u. S. money. Since leav-
ing Lyons have seen little milk or but
ter. Mohammedan Waterman in our
cabin made elaborate prayer tonight,
after eating. Turned his nose to south
east by my compass, stood motionless
some time. Then Frustrated self and
touched foreheadto deck several times.
Then Frustrated himself and touched
| forehead to deck several times. That
| is why Moslem wears tufban or tar
| bough. Hat would interfere with
touching head to earth. Gave old
Arab guide dollar to show me around
7 tsa.-r L