The Coolidge examiner., 1932-06-17

tania turns out en- masse to honor
her. The statue, mounted on two
long poles, is borne through the
streets from church to church by
white-robed men. The route of the
procession is jammed to suffocation,
old balconies groan under the
weight of humanity and every roof
has its quota of spectators. At
night there are torchlight process
siOns which brilliantly light up the
city, and in nearly every window
candle or two throws feeble beams.
The yelling and whistling and con-
fusion of the day continue, aug
mented by the booming of colorful
fireworks, the toll of church bells
and the occasional roar Of can
non.
The st. Agatha celebration Is
only once a year. Before and aft
er, Catania is busy with its com-
merce and industry. The harbor Is
| filled with commercial craft whose
| flags add a colorful touch to the
view from the Flora della Marina,
a narrow but beautiful parkway near
the waters edge.
Catania is not only the second
largest city in Sicily but one Of the
islands chief gates Of export
through which some 100000 tons Of
merchandise pass annually. Sui
phur, fruit and wine have made
| fortunes for Catanians, and these
and other Industries keep many of
the city's 271,O00 inhabitants en-
| ployed.
| Attractive to Travellers.
Interest in Mount Etna's moods
is not entirely confined to the vol
cano's immediate neighborhood. All
Sicily feels the death-dealing blows
Of lava flows as much as all Amer
lea feels the lash Of a hurricane
sweeping Florida.
Normally, however, Sicily Is an
island garden spot which nature
has endowed with a warm sunny
climate and all the charm that
might go with it.
Its wild mountain scenery, an
cient history, and picturesque in
| habitants make 1t a mecca of Eu-
ropean winter tourists. Travel In
the interior was formerly consid-
cred unsafe because Of brigandage.
| Such conditions, however, have long
since been eliminated. Now the
visitor is safe, and in addition to
native inns, comfortable pensions
are conducted by French, German
and English landlords Of many
years residence in the country.
Provincial towns Of Sicily are IA
nous for their situation, high up on
picturesque hillsides or on rocky
promontories jutting into the blue
waters of the Mediterranean.
Many Of these towns are built on
Greek foundations and contain
ruins Of Roman, Saracen, and Nor
man origin. A few Greek temples
and theaters are practically intact.
Natives Are a Cheerful Lot.
/ Racial types among the peasantry
vary from classic Greek and
swarthy Arab to blond Norman and
naughty Spanish. In spite of his
mixed ancestry, however, the Sicil-
| ian of today is distinctly a Latin
| product in matters of disposition,
culture and religion. Travellers
unite in testifying to his cheerful
ness, quickness Of perception, and
hospitality. Stable government
| and education are said to be doing
much to stamp out superstition and
secret vengeance and terrorism.
| This movement for better condi-
| tions is eXemplified by wholesale
prosecutions against outlaw gangs
now taking place at the old Roman
bathing resort of Termini Imerese.
In Roman times the Island of
! Sicily was called the granary Of
| Italy, and, while no longer special
| izing in wheat it is one Of EurOpe's
! mainstays in the production of cit
rus fruits. Only California rivals
Sicily as a grower Of lemons. A
part Of the lemon crop is marketed
in the form of citrate Of lime and
| lemon extract.
For thousands Of years this foot
ball at the toe Of Italy has been
the melting pot of many races. It's
| early inhabitants, the Sikels, who
gave the island its name, were con-
quered by Greeks, whose great cit
les, such as Syracuse, dominated the
! land for five hundred years. Next
came the rising power Of Rome, dur
! ing whose heyday Sicily was given
over to the plunder of successive
! governors. Roman oppression grew
so cruel that gangs of plantation
slaves twice rose in revolution. Sue
ceeding centuries saw Saracen con-
| quests, Norman kingdoms, and
| Bourbon misrule. Finally, freed by
Garibaldi, Sicily became a part Of
| the kingdom Of Italy.