Show RAILROAD TRAVEL IN ITALY DIFFERING SOMEWHAT FROM THE RAPID STYLE IN THIS PAIR FAIR LAND florence Pl orence letter in the new york world to miss a connection with an italian train means a good deal there are only two tra trains as a day on the principal lines one be in the morning at the earliest hour conceivable with inconvenience veni ence discomfort and another at the latest hour devisable by the ingenuity ot of man to make it disagreeable for travelers one of the strangest things connected with this schedule of italian trains is that they all start early and late from any town you may happen to be dinv inv in I 1 have been in three or four italians towns now 0 on n my way hore here and I 1 have found this rule to be absolute how they can arrange them so as to have them start at these same hours from f rom the different towns is beyond my comprehension the italian government controls the railroads of this country slower and mere maddening trains it would be hard to find in any country in the world I 1 took a local train from turin to M milan ilan in order to make a connection for venice and I 1 was over five hours going a distance of 60 miles the train always ways started out with great reluctance luc tance and began stopping as soon as the station was remotely visible slowing down so gradually in order not to jar the nerves of this never hurrying burr ying people that you could hardly tell when the train came to a stop the most irritating part of the travel was the long wait at each station the guards would visit with the officials at the various stations and walk up and down and gossip until felt to start the train once more on its headlong career towards another station about half a mile away I 1 do not think that the train ever made a run ran of more than two miles without a stop the starting of a train in italy is an interesting sight to a stranger the guards wear military uniforms their caps are round with a low visor red bed bands encircle these caps their great coats are black with cowl like capes hanging down their backs these coats are ornamented with brass buttons when the train stops the guards rush up and down calling III ou t in the most sonorous atan nd aad m af pf the name e of t ape astl bof it 8 8 eartly as ife it t they were p au ng when the train stops 0 pis the fapp hinos s or q r porters in blue blouses corpe come running running up to assist passengers qs to 0 o alight and to carry their baggage for then them no matter how small your package you are not permitted er tt to carry it kou OM must employ a aino or tight fight imposing looking gondli gendarmes gen darmes W th the same cooked hats worn by simbar frempt french officials and muffled muffle ct up in a long blac black cloaks stand about exactly as apon a 4 stage scene in an opera ho Q one ever saw them do except pose xen in gray C and huge f ur collars stalk about talking chattering smoking news vendors with the italian papers run up and 40 down outside of 0 the train calling their wares under the windows many at 01 these news benders venders are women they carry books novels and newspapers in a tray in front of them and in tittle ittle leather satchels upon t their heir hips for th the private reading of travelers liyeh lively little litile books which mr comstock would not permit to be sold in N diw yv york finally after an endless amount of sing singsong song uproar and amov ng to tg and fro a solemn look ng official comes out from the tation station 81 and blows a penny fish horn as we bear ta in the united states christmas dv day from the small boy in the streets this his to is the signal for the train to depart but you are not to be suddenly mi int ved anere is a further wait of live minutes to prepare you for the shock of departure and then the engine gives a responsive screech the doors of the coaches are banged bange dand and at last you are off for a afif fifteen teen or twenty minutes crawl to another station |