The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-09-01


season, some in diligences, others in
post carriages and on horse and mule
back and large number on foot
This with the departura from the diff
ferent hotels of the ladies and gentle
men, on foot or upon Inule-back, for
I the numberlcss excursions created
4 from Chamouni- from visiting n small
cascade to the grand ascent Of Mont
Blanche hustle of guides and mules
and the general hilamty and excite
ment, battles description and must be
realized to be appreciated. All this,
however, is seen-except the arrivals
and departures--only in fine weather
and those persons whose time is limit
ed, and WHO arrive there when the
weather is bad have my sincerest
sympathies We were especially ia
yored in this respect and with the ex-
ception Of two days the weather has
been all we could reasonably desire,
from Geneva 10 dats ~
One of the first duties we had
to discharge was the selection of
the baton or Alpine stock, a stout,
round stick, six feet long, and an inch
and a half III diameter, provided with
an iron spike three inches in length,
securely fastened in one end, the 9th
er end sometimes left plain but more
frequently ornamented with q black
knob and that oftentimes with Cham
ois horn, which latter frequently does
more harm than good These Alpine
stocks are all branded Chamounix, at
the top and whether the traveller
does mountain, a glacier, a pass or
an excursion, the name of each IS
burned below the last brand by To-
cal artist, for Twenty confines "a tar
if established all over the different
ranges of the Alps. So, in travelling,
when You meet a party and desire to
know whore it has been, you refer to
the 'batons, crafty your curiosity and
preserve that diguifed silence English
men, with occasional rare and refresh
ing exceptions, seem to think essential
even in the widest recesses Of the
Alps where Nature so belittles man,
that, for once in his life, you would be
inclined to think John Bull would for
get himself or his taciturnity. After
: the baton selection is made, a matter
of no moment with us but of great i'm
portance to him who proposes to over
come Mont Blanc, or the lesser giants,
! when weak stock may lose life
there are special batons for this latter
7 service, stout and plain and well Sc
lected We repaired to the bureau
du chef guide to order mules anc
guides for an excursion to Montan
vert, over the Mer de Glace, along the
Mauyais Pas, etc, back to Chamouni-
an all day job. The guides, mules, anC
all matters connected with them ar,
regulated by the state They are un
der the management of quite en- che
and governed by an elaborate code O
laws and tariff of charges which al
V must obey.
o About two hundred and fifty me-
b are now enrolled as guides, subject t.
o the control of the central bureau, anC
= are selected from their supposed fit
n ness for their business and the charac
i ter of the certificates which they ma
g be able to secure from their employers
n Their names are registered in
It book and they as well as the mule
r are subject to an examination; eacl
5. takes his turn, and if guide is take
K out of turn a fine of twenty-five franc
It is imposed on him. This arrange
is ment keeps down a spirit of emulatio
st among them, keeps up the prices an
IS enables the native population of Chs
,e mount to get through the winter an
A. spring, avalanches and heavy freshet
is excepted, very comfortably. Althoug
ut the English complain of the regulation
a rates as being exorbitant and doub
in those which would prevail if the bus
IS, Aess was opened to competition, | stl
I'd think that the security of life and IL
d. few accidents which occur are OWN
m mainly to the care which the burea
n. imposes on each member and that
10 displayed by them on all occasion
Mt when on duty. l could not find tn
ut any one of them had amassed a TO
llf tune, though some, no doubt, we
n passing rich with forty pounds yea
rs AS we entered the bureau some Ia
of dozen guides were receiving the
IN orders from the Chef, short, brigt
oh eyed, sun burnt, active, why man WI
id avery decided aquiline nose-just SUI
he nose as | would select on the gui
,rn who may some day escort me oy