The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-01-21

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington, d. c.
Corsica, the scented isle just soutl
of the Riviera, is, like every othe
country, land of contrasts. Blu
more than most, it is the land of para
dox. Behind the striking beauty O.
the island, concealed beneath the com
monplace exteriors of the people, there
Is mystery, a contrary quality which
first escapes observation and later in
trudes everywhere. Probably nowhere
Is a generalization more likely to be
true and false at the same time.
One goes to Corsica, as did BOswells
| friend, expecting to find every bandit
menace. He remains to find the
tic Of mortals. Melodrama heroes
have accomplished more with the gilt
ter of a silver spoon held revolver
wise than the most Tartarinesque of
Corsicans attempt when loaded to the
belt. Yet personal encounter between
natives is still commonplace.
Corsica, where women go safely
alone by night and gendarmes travel
in pairs by day, where there are hun
dreds Of bridges and no rivers, where
every one expects the visitor to pay
verbal tribute to "Kalliste" (Most
Beautifully and few can name the
mountains in whose shadow they were
born
Banditry is still byword and thiev-
cry is abhorred. The innkeepers
boast of what grand things they would
do If there were more tourists, and
neglect the few they have. The sun
gives the land its charm; and the
snow. Its beauty and health. The
roads are blocked by horses mules
and oonkeys, few Of them laden. and
the automobile, even for the single
traveller, offers the cheapest means of
transportation. The perfume of the
maquis and the smells of the streets
are alike indescribable.
Animals, made roommates, are treat
ed cruelty. and children. seldom at
home. are generally allowed to do as
they please.
Life is somber and death is still
the supreme event to those whose
monotonous days are as tenaciousy
chung to as In happier and less lovely
lands.
The mountain sides are terraced
with infinite labor and the most fer
tile plains are left untitled. The sea
Is all around and mariners are few.
Bad sailors that they are, the Cor
sicans claim kinship with Columbus,
and, indomitable fighters. they ignore
Napoleon. Sacred personages, pic
tured on many walls. are profaned on
most male lips.
The donkeys and pigs feed on chest
nuts of such quality that few in rich
er lands could afford. and every third |
child seems underfed.
Life Is Lived There.
But as one looks back on Corsica |
rom the confetti-strewn Corso in
Nice. he longs for the simple. un-
spoiled, paradoxical paradise to the
south. so comfortless. yet so compel
ing In its charm. With however little
life in Corsica seems to
,e conducted. it is real. In Nice, life
8 acted; In Corsica 1t is lived-and
Ost.
In postwar Europe the interest In
Corsica is almost unique. Life has I'M
lergone comparatively slight changes.
70 new boundary touches the people,
Tor any change Of governmental con-
rol or nationality. Corsican mountain
ads fought splendldly on the fields Of
France and 10000 Of them, out OF a
population of less than 100000. gave
heir lives for ''la belle patrieAS but
70 treaty resulting from the war af-
ected the inner life of the Corsican
PEOPLE. An excess-profits tax Is I'M
.nown to the thousands who. always
living with minimum of effbrt, have
lever known what capital and surplus
re.
The movement toward the cities SO
triking elsewhere, has affected Cor
lea little. The largest of Its indus
ries hires but handful of men. Be
ond the coasts there are only three
owns that have 4 population Of more
han 1900 and the thousand or so In
abItd hts credited BY the census to q