The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, April 23, 1909, Page SEVEN, Image 7
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WILL SEABROOK'S TRAVELS *
* *
(By W. B. Seabrook.)
Speeial to The Herald and News.
- R.vme. Italy:-Yesterday I made
an interesting subterranean excursion
in company with a maiden lady from
"the West," who had never heard
of the Catacombs bef6re she came to
Rome, her nephew, and a poetie
souled young preacher, whose eves
grew wet with tears as he traversed
the labyrinths. 'which had served as
places of refuge and worship for the
earliest followers of the faith during
the persecutions they had to suffer
under the predecessors of Constan
tine; the preacher was overepme with
emotion, and think, he fancied him
self addressing an early Christian as
sembly. So real was his illusion that
if some profane-minded practical
joker had slipped up behind him and
shouted, "To the lions!" I feel sure
he would have solemnly folded his
arms in the most approved martyr
attitude, and answered, "I am ready,
w Lord." But it was different with the
aunt. She was sorry she had come.
It had required all the minister's
persuasive power to get her to de
scend the narrow stone stairway that
opens into the bowels of the earti
through a low, forbidding door, over
grown with weeds and nettles, and,
once daylight had been left behind,
she was decidedly disinclined to de
scend further into the winding pass
ages where green mould covered the
walls and water dripped continually.
Also, one of her overshoes had stuck
in the mud on the downward journey,
and in the slimy darkness not even
Cinderella's prince would have ven
tured to find the missing footgear.
She was worried too by the marble
"signboards,'' as she called them,
which appeared at every. turn; with
the inscription, "In pace."
"And do they allow carriages in
this place?" she exclaimed, while
looking at. one of these slabs. Her
question seemed irrelevant until she
explained that she thought "in pace'"
was a warning against trotting or
galloping horses, an injunction such
as one often sees posted on rickety
wooden bridges. The young preacher,
who was really a -thoroughly nice
chap, came out of his trance long
enough to explain that "in pace''
was a mortuary inscription.
"So this is a cemetery,'' sniffed
the good lady in response, "I'd like
to know what you brought me here
for anyway! -What's the- use of visit
ing the graves of peop]e you don't
know antything about, and trying to
read these dull old inscriptions?
Now, I can see the sense of visiting
the tomb of a friend or relative, but
this-Pooh!'' There were- so many
nice, clean things to be seen around
Rome, she added, but worrying one
self with this kind of sight-seeing
was "making a toil 'of what ought to
be a pleasure,"' as the mari said when
they were galloping the horses to his
wife's funeral.
But it was a wonderfully impress
ive and picturesque place, even if the
maiden lady from the West did fail
to appreciate its charm. We were not
Sthe only party a the Caemiterium
Ostrianum that day, and from the
depths of the black-mouthed tunnels
often came the hollow, ghostly whis
p'ers of persons, who though a quar
ter of a mile distant, seemed to :have
their invisible lips pressed against
our ears. The only lights were pin?.
torches and wax candles, serving to*
make thbe darkness visible, and their
yellow, smoky flicker, as they moved
to and fro, occasionally gave us
glimpses of other tourists, or black
robed students, who had doubtless
come hither'to meditate on death. Far
down a dim passage, in the back of
an aspe of a little chapel, stood can
dles burning in the symb::lic three
straight lines of threes and two lines
of sixes, as they have burned for
centuries. It was not a cheerful spot,
though the skulls which lay scattered
-with the broken skeletons on the lit
tle stone shelves cut in the walls
were all grinning with ghastly mirth.
I never saw such teet'h. I see them
vet. It was a fitting abode for spec
ters, and I don't think any of us were
surprised-not even the maiden aunt
-when we suddenly observed gliding
toward us from the depths of an inky
passage a tall, black-robed, patri
archal figure, above whose head
glearred - a radiant circle of pure
whiLe light. which made the most
striking contrast with our yellow
to.rehes. Doubtless one of the martyr
ed Christians with his halo, we
thought--but it turned out to be a
German archeologist, cloth-ed in a
long mackintosh, studying the mural
inscriptions with the aid of an acet
ylene bicyvcle lamp.
But one does not have to be an
archeologist to be interested in some
of these curions old epitaphs, which
do not always "speak well of the
dead.'' and which are infinitely ra-ore
frank than those we are accustomed
to0 see on modern tombstones.
'ip i - iin i-informed u, that
the deceased -died poor because dar
ing his lifetime he had been very
dissolute."
Another man, who wrote his own
epitaph, says, "I lived honestly, and
am now receiving my reward," and a
modest woman has engraved upon her
tomb, "If a perfect woman ever ex
isted, I am that one.'" She adds that
her husband did not love her, but
that her children thought that she
was very nice. So, after all, life was
the same two thousand years ago as
to-day.
A pagan, for there are many pagan
tombs in 'the catacombs, informs us
that neither Cerberus nor Charon -ex
ist except in the poet's dreams, and
that the dead are merely bones and
ashes. Probably he had %een reading
Edward Fitzgerald's translation of
the Rubaiyat.
Another philosopher says, "I lived
as I liked, and now I don't care.''
A still more philosophic gentleman,
who expired on the 21st of March, A.
D. 37, declares, "Once I was not;
now I am not, I know nothing about
it, and it doesn't concern me." He
did not put his words in quotation
marks, but I strongly suspect him of
having cribbed them from the Greek.
Another poor fellow, who crossed
the river about the same epoch, de
elares, "I have been pious and holy,
I lived as long as I could, but was
glad to die. I have always been faith
ful to my friends, but they have not
been true to me. I had a small fortune
but a large mind."
What throbbing life, what intense
ly human inferest there is in these old
stones that look so cold and dead. It
seems incredible that the words were
written of people. who passed into
the great unknown twenty centuries
ago, for we, to-day, are living over
again their joys and sorrows, line
for line, identical.
The catacombs are distributed in
considerable numbers-about sixty in
all-in every direction outside the
walls of the city. It is very doubtful
that any exist within the precincts of
modern Rome, a circumstance easily
accounted for by the strict observ
ance of the Enactment of the Twelve
Tables; which forbade intramural in
terment. and by the secrecy which
the early Christians were compelled
to observe, in resorting when alive,
and conveying the remains of their
dead brethren to these places of re
tirement and repose. They consist of
an immense net work of subterranean
passages or galleries, generally inter
seting each other at right angles,
though- sometimes tortuous. 'These
galleries vary in width and height;~
in general they are ~eight feet high
by three to five feet wide; the roof
is 'either horizontal or slightly vaulted
and seldom requires any other sup
port than its sides, in the turf of
which are excavated the graves,
forming tiers one above the other.
The average number of graves in each
tier is about five, each eight feet in
length. When undisturbed, they are
found closed with marble slabs or
tiles, on which Christian emblems are
often found cut or painted.
Very exaggerated notions have
been entertained as to the horizontal
extent of the catacombs, even fo sup
posing them to reaeh as far as~Tivoli
on one side and to Osta on the other.
From the most accurate surveys made
in recent years it is now certain that
most of them form insulated
systems of excavations, seldom com
municating with each other, and con
sequently of inconsiderable lateral
extent, though enormous in their sum
total. An attempt has recently been
ma'. to calculate the number of
bodies deposited in these early.:eeme
teries, figuring from the numb~er of
graves whieh exist within a given
area in those already explored. Padre
Marchi, who paid more attention to
Christian archeology than any mod
ern author, supposed that 'each cem
etery contains one hundred thousand
graves, and it would follow that up
to the end of the &th century, after
which the Christians enjoyed unre
stricted liberty of worship and of in
terment for their dead, the number
deposited in the catacombs would
amount to six millions.
The Cannon Roared. -
While campaigning in his home
state. Speaker Cannon was once in
veigled into visiting the public
schools of a town where he was billed
to speak.
In one of the lower grades an am
bitions teacher called upon a youthful
Demosthenes to entertain the dis
tinguished visitor with an exhibition
of amateur oratory. The selection at
tempted was Byron's "Battle of
Waterloo,'' and just as the boy
reached the end of the first paragraph
Speaker Cannon sutdd'enly gave vent
to :a violent sneeze.
"'But hush! 'hark! declaimed the
vonnster. ''a deep sound strikes like
a rising knell! Did ye hear it?''
The visitors smiled. and a moment
la ter the second sneeze--which the
speaker was vainly trying to hold
bak1-_-ame with increased violence.
"But hark'' bawmled the bu:. -t.a
heavy sound breaks in onee more, ani
nearer, clearer, deadlier than before
I Arm! arm! it is the cannon's openinc
Ir r!"
This was too much, and the laugl
that -broke from the party swelle<
louder still, when Speaker Cannox
chuckled. "Put up your weapons
children; I won't shoot any more.'
Judge.
Signs of Spring.
A young teacher from th-e countr;
secured a place in one of the publi(
schools in the ghetto district on th(
East Side in New York. One day
f-eeling the "spring fever" herself
she spoke to her class about it. Di<
they know that spring 'had -comel
They stared, dull and unresponsive
Down there among the brick walls
what did they know of spring
"Don't your fathers or mothers eve:
talk about spring?" she persisted
They shook their heads. Then on
small boy h-eld up a grimy hand
"Teacher, I know w'en spring'c
come," he piped. "Listen, children,'
the teacher said. "Iky Schlinsky it
going to tell us how he knows whet
spring is here." "I know it's sprint
we'n de swingin' doors is put on d<
beer saloons," said Iky proudly.
Rochester Evening Times.
TO DRAW JURY.
Notice is hereby given that, we
the undersigned, Jury Commissioner,
for Newberry County, S. C.. will oi
the .23rd. inst., at 9 o'clock a. M., ir
the office of the Clerk of Court
openly and publicly draw the namei
of thirty-six men, who shall serve az
Petit Jurors at the Court of Commor
Pleas which will convene at Newber
ry, S. C., May 10th, 1909.
JNO. L. EPPS,
EUG. S. WERTS,
JNO. C. GOGGANS,.
Jury Com. for Newberrv Co., S. C
April 12th, 1909.
4-13-'09.-td.
NOTICE OF ELECTION.
The School Board of Newberr:
Graded Schools will on May 6th hol<
annual election for the following po
sitions.
One Superintendent of the School
at salary of $1,500 a year.
High School Department.
One male Principal at salary o:
$90.00 per month. Two teachers a
salary of $60 per month..
Grammar School and Primary De
partmenits.
Nine teachers at salary of $50 pe
month.
Hoge School (Colored).
One Principal at salary of $45 pe
month. Four teachers at salary o.
$30 per month.
No application wi.ll be considere4
unless said applicant shall hold a firs
grade certificate or diploma fron
some institution recognized by th
State Board of Education.
J. M. DAVIS,
Secretary.
FREE TRIP to'tAh
P'ACIF?IC COAS
-APL YOU ONI
e.nds who want te
OR EOow - xplore this Won,
dierlanld ? ? ?
SUNSET
Se MAAZINE
O' has instituta ane'w
deatet whosm
special work~ it
to put within thi
reach of every one an opportunity te
ee the FAR WEST. Write fo,
Sample Copy. : :: ::
For full particular address -
Sunset Travel Clui
16 flood Bulkhng, San Franciseo, Cal
NEWE'RRY UN~ION STATION.
Arrival and Departure of Passenge:
Trains---?fective 12.01 A. M.
Sunday, June 7th. 1900.
Scouthiern Ra:lw~.ay:
No. 1.5 for O2rt-enribe . . .8.57a.'n
\G. i" tf'r (Xolumbia . . .. 1.40 p.n
e.. 1 tfor.(reenv'i lle . . -..?,.20 p.n
No. 16 for C'olumbia .... .9.-i >-n
C., N. & L. Rv:
*No. 22'for Columbia .. .. 3.47 a.
No. 52 for Greenville .. 12.5f6 p.n
No. o:3 for Columbia .. . .3.2() p.fl
*No. 21 for Laurens .. . .7.25 p.n
*Does not run on Sunday
which trains may be e.xpected to de
part from this station, but their de
parture is not guaranteed and th
time sho;7n is sahjeet to~ change with
Newb.rrg
HotdwHre
Com an
-Cu,
A I
(D
EBRR
HARwR
-UPAY
YOU WANT THE PRETTIEST
SUMMER SUIT
YOU CAN GET
And yet you do not want the cost to be too
much. Well, just come and
WE WILL SHOW YOU
the softest,. silkiest and sheeriest mercerized
stuff on the market.. Mr. Mercer certainly
used the Wand of the Wizzard and put the
LOVELIEST COSTUME
within the reach of the most modest
Pocket Book.
COLORS, DID YOU SAY? DELICATE! EXQUISITE!
Lilac, Pink, Blue, Gray, and of course
White and Black.
Crepe, plain and figured effects. Prices
15 to-50 cents. Come and see them.
AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
A number of gentlemen, residing in Newberry County, and desireus of
proving the stoek of NewbrrIy CoEnty, have formed~ themse?7s mn a
nopany, known as The Carolina StLock Breeders Association. The Asso
ition are offering the s'ern?ees of their richly colored sta~dard-.bred horse
~$25.00, to insure a ecit. The pedigree of this horse is as follows:
CERTIFICATE No. 65,I23.
THE TROTTrING STANDARD.
AMERICAN TROTTING REGISTER.
OFFICIAL. CERTIFICATE.
This is to certify that Prince Cecilian, 41558, has been duly registered
standard under Rule 1, in Volume XVII, of The American Trotting Re
iter, and the pedigree can there be traced in the following form:
1558: Prince Cecilian, (1) brh foaled 1903; by Cecilian Chief, 33698;
dam Condula, by Princeps, 536; grandam Miss Fanny, by Hamlet,
160, etc. ( See Condula, Vol. V.) Bred by J. G. Cecil, Danville, Ky.
(Cecilian, 1I,907
- Cecilian Chief, 33,698 Lady Norvetta, 2:I34i
RINCE CECILIAN,
41,558Princeps, 536
Condula t.... Miss Fanny
Given.under my hand and seal at Chicago, fli. this 29th day of March,.
D.,i1906. -Frank E. Best, Registrar.
This horse will be found at the feed and livery stable of Mr. B. T. Bishop,
.o has full charge and management. This is such a rare opportunity to
btain the services of a highly bred animal at such a reasona.ble pries
ht it is deemed unnecessary to say more than to invite those wishing to
rase colts to an inspection of this aia
YOUR. BANKING!
THE NEWDERRY SAVINGS BANK.
apital $50,000 . Surplus $30,000
No Matter How Small i'o Matter How Large,
The Newberry Savings Bank
vill give it careful attention. This message
~ppesto the men and th'e women alike.
AS. McINTOSH. .i-. E. NORWOOD,
resient Cashier