The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-07-13
Former Libby
Man Climbs
MI. VesuviiuS
Looks Down Onto Molten
Lava-Speaks of
Beauties of Naples.
OPPOSITE SIDE OF
PICTURE NOT so NICE

A visit to Naples, and also to the
ruins of Pompeii, and a climb to
the top of Mt. Vesuvius and look
down into the seething crater are all
described by Dave ,Holz in letter to
Mr.. and Mrs. Arleigh Thompson.
Holz was former resident of Lib
by when he was employed by the
Western News. He is now stationed
in Italy. His letter follows.
Sunday, June Is, 1914
Same old Italy
Dear Thompsons,
About week ago the censorship
regulations were raised on naming
towns we'd visited since coming over
here SO Ill try and give you a
vague idea Of what the towns are
like
Naples is nice, big town that is
almost as modern as any town in
the states, with streetcars, modern
hotels, elevators, lovely shops, big
luxurious theatres and opera hous-
es, and many very nice homes. Then
If you look on the other side of the
picture you'll see narrow streets
that even jeep has hard time
getting through and filthy holes in
the wall that families of 10 or IL
live in. Horses, cows pigs, donkeys,
chickens and every kind Of animal
you can imagine eating and living
right in the front door of the homes
Little bare-bottomed children,
dressed in rags, or near rags, play
ing in sewage water which lies in
the gutter. II you can stand the
smell and not look at some things
you can see a lot Of beauty in Ma
pies. The view from the harbor,
looking out towards the Isle of Ca
pr, is something you would never
forget. didn't get chance to get
on the island, but from what I've
found out it Is one Of the prettiest
spots in all of Italy.
While in Naples / had chance
to visit Pompeii and see all the old
buildings and large homes that have
been standing for centuries. The
streets are the funniest thing there.
They are paved with large stones
and at every intersection they have
two or three stones depending on
the width Of the streets, with about
six inches between them, so that
the wheels of the carts and wagons
can 60 between the stones and dur
ing the rainy season, when the wa
ter is running down the streets, the
people can cross the street without
getting their feet wet. Those people
really had things down to a science.
In their homes, in the main room,
the roof was constructed like fun
mel so as to catch the rain water,
and Immediately below was a big
pool where the water fell, so that
during the dry part of the year they
would always have water. We saw
the original paintings on the walls
that had withstood the heat of the
molten lava and the stucco on the
outside walls was as good as the
day it was put up All in all, I
enjoyed that leg of my trip very
much, but I'm not done yet.
From there we went to Mt We
suvius, and after a one-hour climb
we got to look into the crater and
see the sulphur gases rising from
the bowls of the volcano. The earth
up near the top was too hot to
touch and the climb was almost
straight up, and when yqA wanted
to rest you had to do it standing up,
because if you sat down you'd end
up as one Of the dead End Kids"
The view of the surrounding coun-
tryside was very beautiful, and you
coud see for almost hundred miles.
When | get home I'll 60 into de-
tails about the other wonders Of
the city of Naples and the buried
city of Pompeii. Some things saw
in Pompeii can't be put in a letter,
but they would make good listen
ing
Hal Hall is stationed nearby some
where but as yet we haven't been
able to get together. visited the
town he is stationed near but on
inquiry found he had been shipped
to another location the day before
got there. TOUGH.
Goodbye for now, I'll be writing
you again soon-
DAVE.