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* THE MORNING CALL Vol IX. No. 159. THROUGH. EUROPE. INTERESTING SKETCHES OF PEO PLE AND PLACES ABROAD Dr. Carson Gives a Graphic Account of His Travels Through Pans, Na ples, Rome and Other Places. Paris, France, March 2. 1898. Dear Friends : On the morning of the 13th cf February, I entered the Royal Col lege of Surgeons for the express purpose of putting up an examination paper that would entitle me to membership of that famous institute. After a five hours’ ex amination, including 84 questions, I was informed that I had made an average of 93-100. Though from being unable to take an oath of having attended a hospital college for five consecutive terms, I was refused the English degree. I have the pleasure of knowing that I made just 23 points above the requisite for the English qualification. On the afternoon of the 16th of February I left London with a party of strangers for Rome Via Paris, Turin and Genoia, with the learned Prof. Russell Forbes in charge. I will date my letter from the time I left London, Feb. IG, and will only mention a few of the most noted and interesting places visited at each point. We made a delightful trip of five hours from London to Paris, including 21 miles of water across the beautiful English channel. We arrived in Paris late in the afternoon and left immediately for Genoia, arriving in that city at noon Feb. 17th, When one has crossed the Atlantic ocean he will never cease to admire the unequalled bravery and heroism of the man who discovered the grandest country on the globe. ’Tis the magnificent statue erected by a loving and devoted people in honor of this brave man that one first be holds on his arrival in Genoia. The situation of penoia is glorious and the view of the ocean spread out beneath its flower terraces is magnificent. From even my limited knowledge of ancient history, I know that that of Genoia is brilliant and eventful, and one of its ever memorable features is commemorated in this noble statue of Columbus. It was the first to greet me on my arrival and the last to bid me farewell. The inscription brief ly told me what this handsome monument signified—“the gift of a grateful country to Chiistopher Columbus.” It is the glory of Genoa to have been the birthplace of that immortal discoverer. For others to have claimed this honor makes this courage, faith and persever ance no less sublime, for whatever others may have done, America, in 1492, was virtually an unknown land, and it was. Genoa’s illustrious son who brought it to the knowledge of the world and revolu tionized the ideas, hopes and destiny of man. The design of this monument is beauti ful. Columbus hans upon an anchor, his right hand pointing to the figure of Amer ica, Below this, encircling the shaft, is a line of naval ornaments, symbols ot the discoverer’s little fleet. On the corners are statues representing science, religion, courage and geography, and between these scenes of some of his adventures. After twenty-four hours spent in Genoa, I left, not sorry of having seen it. On the morning of the 20th I awoke to find myself in the historic old city of the Romans, where Caesar’s once lived and Nero’s reigned supreme. Bright and ear ly our carriages rolled up and we were off for a day’s sight-seeing in Rome, headed by the distinguished lecturer and traveler, Dr. Russell Forbes,who delivered a lecture on each place visited. Naturally, you would expect me to be gin with the capitol. In the very heart ol the City ot the Seven Hills is a flight of majestic steps, crowned at the summit by statues of old Roman gods. It was down these steps that the last of the Roman tribunal fled, to fall at its base, bleeding from twenty wounds,while from a window ' in their palace building on the hill, his beautiful young wife looked down and saw his tragic death. (So Mr. Bocock used to teach us.) In the square at the summit of this staircase is the place where Brutus ht.r ranged with the people after the murder of Caesar. Here also stands the famous bronze statue of the Emperor Aurelius—l am told, the only perfect equestrian figure which has come down to us of all this once adorned imperial city. The Marble Faun is also one of the treasures of the art museum of the capito), which contains also ‘’The Dying Gladia tor,” Venus, and many other statues of an tiquity. Here are also busts and statues of many Roman emperors and their fami. lies. No doubt this capitol was the scene of many of Rome’s eerliest glories and its latest crimes. Not far away—just across the Tiber—is the castle of San Angelo and the Tiber which is one of the most beautiful and im pressive views of Rome; for amid all the changes which must have swept over Rome one thing, at least, remains un changed. It is the beautiful yellow Tiber, still rolling on with yellow waves beneath its arches toward the setting sun, guarding * within its channel some of the mightiest memories of the world. How many lives, for example, has it probably engulfed from those of brave defenders of the city to countless victims of imperial tyranny! On the banks of the Tiber stands a huge circular structure, or castle, which casts its sombre shadows in the streamjieneath. Our lecturer says that this is not the real castle of San Angelo, but is only the title bestowed upon it by Gregory the Great and that it is the building of the Grand Marsoleum ot Hadrian. Anyway it is now bare and desolate, but once its walls were covered with pure marble and deco rated with the finest Grecian statues, des tined only to be hurled down upon the heads of an invading army of Barbarians, who were nevertheless successful in throwing with brutal force to the Tiber waves the ashes of Marcus Aurelius. The next in order of our journey is the Colosseum. Whatever may have been my anticipation I assure you that it was not disappointed. All things considered noth ing that I have seen on the entire Eu ropean continent can equal it in grandeur- Its walls are hundreds of feet high. It was built, lam told, by 60,000 captive Jews after the capture of Jerusalem. Near by is the fountain at which the gladiator's washed after the combat. The corridors of the Colosseum are huge blocks of stone which must have been placed there by giants. History tells us that for hundreds of years this was the scene of gladiatorial combats, as well as Christian martyrdom. The area of this amphitheatre has long been looked upon by the Christian church as consecrated ground. Several years ago I had the pleasure of hearing a series of lectures by Rev. Dr. Talmage on his travels abroad. On this one building he spent two hours. I won der that he ever finished. Its seating ca pacity was 86,000. It is indeed the king of ruins. Here every Friday afternoon a sermon was preached, teaching how much the Christian faith once cost, yet how that faith triumphed over Caesarian Rome. The next page of my notes is headed with something that looks like Sistene Chapel Vatican. Anywsy I can almost see it now. The Vatican contains the most celebrated cistriile chapel. It is a lofty hall more than 200 feet long with a gallery on three sides. The upper walls are beautifully frescoe painted by some famous artist. I could not pronounce the name much less' spell it. But that which gives to this castle its fame and artistic value are the works of Michael Angelo, which it contains. These are seen on the ceiling which is covered with his magnificent representations of Old Testament scenes, such as the creation of Adam and Eve, the expulsion from Paradise, and the deluge. At the end of the chapel is an enormous painting of the last Judgement. This chapel is still used for important ceremonies, especially dur ing Holy Week. A few minutes’ ride brought us to the Forum, and I tell you it was a thrilling moment when I looked upon this square, which constituted at one time the center ot civilization and the brain of the Roman world. This is the center from which all roads lead out through that mighty em pire once subject to the Caesars, but now a ruined wreck. Yet I could see at vari ous points arches and columns, pedestals and crumbling walls. Eight stately pat terns represent the Temple of Saturn, erected several hundred years before Christ; three others the Temple of Vespa sian. It is thrilling to lean upon these arches, where no doubt Caesar’s arm once rested, and from which Cicero’s voice echoed, and to know that ’twas here that the famous Roman laws were framed, while savages were hunting in this now gay Parie, and ours was aland unknown. Well, there are dozens cf places equally as interesting as those mentioned, but time and space and a lack of adjectives prevent. After five days in Rome we departed for Naples, the sight of which I will never forget, though I may never be able to de scribe it. We went over and ascended Mount Vesuvius on a genuine donkey and saw the volcano. But, alas ! On my way down my steed stumbled and over I went. When I reached bottom I was thankful to have escaped alive, and with my pocket book, for beggars were so numerous that one feels like buying them off. From Naples we came direct to Paris via Venice and Milan, which places I shall not even attempt to describe. On arriving in Paris I left the party to try it on my own hook, I asked my way to a strictly French hotel. I got it, for when the bill of fare came I was supposed to be dumb. I pointed to some name and the waiter came in with a glass of milk. However, I continued till I got a square meal, then came the pay. I handed him a sovereign and let him make the change. Paris well deserves its name “gay Paree” for the average Frenchman is so gay that he is silly. When one has seen the beautiful build ings and works of art here he must at once arrive at the conclusion that surely this French race has degenerated. Alcohol is not only England’s greatest curse but France’s as well. Tis something awful to visit the gay retreats of Paris. It makes one’s mind reel beneath the effort to see the hideousness of the picture, and his GRIFFIN, GEORGIA, FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 11, 1898. senses almost refuse to credit the possibil ity of such blackness and crime. But Paris itself is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. The first place I visited was the Bourse. Tis a handsome structure, where are as easily lost as made. Surrounded by dozens of beau tiful columns, this building is not unlike the temple in the Roman Forum. If you have seen the stock exchange of New York there is nothing new or strange in the transactions of the great Paris Bourse, unless it be the tumult and incessant up roar which wake the echoes of th<Ke walls from 12 to 3 o’clock. To stand in the gal lery of this building and watch the pande monium below, to scrutinize the faces of both the successful and unsuccessful ope rators as they leave the building, affords an excellent opportunity to study inter esting phases of human experience. “This place de la Bourse” is also a great point of arrival and departure of the omni busses, the demand for which is usually greater than the supply. Here they have no such crowding as in America. Each man is entitled to a seat, which he secures by applying for a number before leaving the square. When the buss is full up they hang out the sign “complit”. (I did not ask the distance to Complit.) Naturally the places of amusement are the most beautiful in Paris. So the Grand Opera House is not only one of the most magnificent structures of the French me tropolis, but is the largest theatre in the world, I don’t mean in seating capacity* which only accommodates 2,500 peo ple, but in the area of three acres which it occupies in the very heart of Paris, My first view of it as I walked along the boule vards will never be forgetten. Broad marble steps lead up to the entrance, adorned with groups of statuary, repre senting poetry, music, song and dance. Above these are medallions of several great composers, and above these extend along the entire widths of the strccture a gallery adorned with beautiful columns of pure white marble. Above the windows of the gallery one beholds with pleasure medallion busts, in gilded bronze, of Mo zart, Rassini and a dozen other Frenchy names I never heard of before. To com plete the charm of this great building, there rises in the center a majestic dome above the crown of which one sees, trium phant over all, the statue of Apollo hold ing aloft a golden lyre, which, as I saw it, reflected the light of the setting sun long after evening had begun to spread its shadows over beautiful Paris. All this makes the Grand Opera seem like a dia mond in that long belt of gaiety, display and fashion known as the boulevards. The main boulevard begins at the church of Madeline and extends for about three miles to the place de la Bastille, a series of beautiful thoroughfares known as ths Paris boulevards. There are eleven of these streets succeeding one another like links in a golden chain. There is a;charm about these streets to which no others I have seen compare. They are places sought especially by those in pursuit of pleasure. As I walked down these streets yesterday afternoon I saw throngs of elegant vehicles pass and repass me in bewildering succes sion. On their broad sidewalks there are thousands of promenaders, some seated at tables in front of glittering cafea, sipping coffee or san sucree for-the purpose of holding seats, or rather orchestra chairs, in this attractive spectacle of life and gaiety of which the boulevard itself is the stage. Another splendid edifice, standing in the very heart of the city is “The Louvre.” It appeals to one in several ways. Ist, the arehitecthre seems perfect. 2nd, it has an interesting history, 3rd, as a treasure house of art it becomes one of the most important buildings in the world. It is partly the work of Napoleon. I am told that the library in this building contains 90,000 volumes. Napoleon is a houshold word in France. It was an interesting moment when I beheld the statue of this brave chieftain, the dethroned emperor, the heart broken captive; forgotten by those whom he had made illustrious and even abandoned by his Austrian wife and only son. Yes the same forehead which wore the coronet of France and the crown ofCharlemayne.his very eyes seem to be gazing down the long vista of the years of captivity to the time when he was master of all Europe. Surely this statue (true to both life and history) tells us that ifNapoleon sinned he suffered correspondingly. To rise from the posi tion of an obscure lieutenant to be the conqueror of all Europe and sovereign of France and Italy, to wed the daughter of an emperor and to equal Caesar in all h’s glorious victories, and then to lose it all and linger on, chained to a barren rock. What tragedy have we beheld to equal it I also visited his tomb. A most impres sive sight it was, where as he asked that his ashes might repose on the banks of the Seine, among the people he loved so well. I doubt if there exists on earth a more magnificent sepulchre than that which shelters the ashes of the great Na polean. I must bring this wandering, and I fear uninteresting letter to a close, and before doing so I would like to tell you about a meeting I attended in Mr. Spurgeon’s tab ernacle before I left England. It was a memorial service in memory of the late Mr. C. H Spurgeon. The audience con sisted of eight thousand souls, and every Royal aukea the food pare, o. IMI POWDER Absolutely Pure 4 ROY Al BAKING POWDER CO., MW YORK. voice seemed eager to chant the anthems composed and written by their late dear pastor, who was called up higher just six years ago. Mr. Spurgeon would never have an organ in his church, and his audi ence was his choir. The English climate and hospital atmos phere, together with the London fogs, have told on me no little,and as a result I have developed a very bad cough." I shall be in the Paris hospital for a few weeks, then I am going to take a week’s voyage across the Atlantic. I expect to be at home some time in April. Very respectfully, Marcus F. Carson. “A Night Off” To-night. For a manager and writer of his standing Mr. Augustin Daly has been probably more fortunate than any other manager or playwriler in this country. Besides managing his own Daly’s Theatre in New York, as well* as that well known and highly accom plished actress, Ada Rehan, Mr. Daly has written and adapted all the plays and comedies so successfully produced at his own theatre, the most successful play of which is “A Night Off” which ran for nearly two hundred nights, and which will be given in the same careful and highly creditable manner at the Olympic theatre tonight. k' Ms .- . /■ The Young Wife Not long ago a bride of a few weeks was complaining of her husband’s ways to an older married friend “I knew he did some things that I did not like, but I thought be would give them up after we were married,” she complain ed..“ Now, look here, Annie,” said the worldly wise friend, "if you’ve picked up a crooked stick, don’t let the* world know it, but set to work to straighten it out. It will be slow work. You ft can’t do it suddenly, because if you try harsh measures it will break in your hands. 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