The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-08-18

poets and lovers of the beautiful of les
ser note), where the deep blue waters
OF the arrowy Rhone re- commence their
rapid, rushing fight towards the sea;
Its vicinity to Mont Blanc which looms
up sublimely beautiful in clear wealth
er; its delightful climate, good hotels,
healthfulness, etc, etc, that render
Geneva so popular place with travel
lers and those who seek change from
the active, exciting pursuits of life.
cannot conceive a spot more delight
ful for a summer residence than the
north bank of Lake Geneva, anywhere
within few miles of the city
"Shoemakers children and black
smiths horses go unshod, and while at
the Hotel in Geneva, ! was reminded of
the fact, that was in the city where
time and note furnished the grand ac
count by which the majority of its cit
liens live and more and have their
money; yet of some half dozen clocks
distributed ia the Office, cafe and sa-
Ions of the hotel, only one indicated
correct time. Watches, musical boxes,
jewelry and wood carriages are the
staple products of Geneva Ia the pro-
duction of the first named article, the
capital invested pays in good time. The
first watch was brought to Geneva in
1887, and at the end of the last centu-
ry, four thousand persons were en-
ployed within the town and two thou
sand without the walls in directing
the movements Of that useful article.
Now, not more than three thousand
persons are employed in their manu-
facture, yet this number by improve
ments in machinery and mechanical
processes, turn out over one hundred
thousand watches annually. y com
mittee Of master worlmen with II syn
die at their head called commission de
Surveillance, IS appointed by the gov
ernment to inspect every workshop
and the articles made in it, to guard
against fraud in the substitution of
metals not Of legal alloy and thus to
prevent any deterioration in branch
Of industry productive Of such sub
stantial benefit to the city Every
traveller is expected to buy watch
either for personal use or for pres
ent The wood carvings are exceed
ingly pretty, very cheap, aud any
spare room i'll ones luggage is quite
certain to be filed with selections from
the almost infinite variety presented.
Making Geneva the base of opera
tons one can project dozen delightful
excursions in every direction. / de-
voted one of the three days assigned
to Geneva in an excursion through the
lake to Yilleneuve by steamboat, re-
turning by rail coach. We stepped
on board a puffy, fussy little steamer
not as clean, fast, or rs COM
Portable as your Lake Champlain
bonts-at S o'clock and disposed
ourselves SO as to take in all the love
illness and all the grandeur of the lake
and shores. Wrapped in heavy over
coats and protected from the slight
rain by umbrellas we put full faith in
Jupiter Plurius who ruined to suit us,
that is, he directed all the rain clouds,
shortly after we started, to the south
shore of the lake where, among the high,
bold, and rocky peaks and precipices
of the Savoy mountains and their
slopes, he caused them to burst III sue
cessive showers from morn till night,
adding immensely to our enjoyment
and creating, finally, picture of which
l shall have more to say anon. After
We had made our first landing, the sun
came ont gloriously, and within the
short space of three hours we were
from shivering with cold i'll thick
clothes brought to state of discom-
fort, without exercise, by the heat
Lake Geneva, sometimes called Lee
man, has the shape of the moon when
in her second quarter, its horns being
turned to the South. 1t is fifty-hye
miles along its northern and forty
miles along its southern shore, meas
ured from Geneva to Nilleneuve. 1t
is only six miles wide in its broadest
part, and it's greatest depth is nine
hundred feet. 1t is one thousand one
hundred and fortytwo feet above the
level of the sea. The lake is subjected
to arbitrary changes of level called
seicheS. This phenomenon consists
of a sudden rise and fall of the
water in particular parts of the
lake, independently of any apparent
cause. During these oscillations, the
waters sometimes rise FIVE feet; it never
l.. /. A. 4 1.