The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-09-14

| The following morning we prepared to
make the passage over the mountains to
Lautelbrunen, a fatIguing journey of
eight hours. Engaging q mountain boy
to carry our traps we set out. 1t is sur
prising with what facility the mountain
GERS carry burdens up the steep ascents.
Our attendant, boy fourteen years OF
age carried for Us weight Of thirty
pounds, and climbed the mountain with
more ease than we could do it with moth
ing to carry and our mountain staff toI
assist u.s. The passage was thronged
with tourists both on foot and on horse
back, there being on the route not less
than one hundred persons, besides guides
and attendants on that day. The sights
are well worth the fatigue. All around
us are mountain heights in all their ma
iesty; old JuEgfrau, with his snow.
capped peaks among the clouds, Wetter
horn, Fraulhorn, Silberhorn, eternally
covered with snow; Schneehorn, Schreck
horn, Lauteraarhorn, and other horns
with jaw breaking names, without num-
Der surround US on every side. Descrip,
ton is out of the questiOn--they must be
seen to be appreciated. Several houses
of refreshment are located on the route
and one large hotel Far away i'll the
distance we get sight of a herdsman's
hut, said to be the highest house In Eu-
rope. Numerous demands are made upon
the traveller purse and patience, until the
ANNOYANCE becomes almost insufferable
Old women and little girls are very anx
; ious to sell plot Of mountain strawber =
ries as large as small peas, COR q franc /;
others are anxious to sell Curiosities,
mountain slaves, &c. others have pears
and plums at eXtortiOnate prices; one
old woman was anxious to sell glass OF
milk for half franc, and it was "werry
goot meelk'; another old fellow would
8 fire gun for half franc and let us hear
e the echoes another BOBBY would blow
long horn-seven feet Iong-uttering a
most unearthly screoch at the same price
and for the same purpose; another under
pretence of repairing the path would
e freshen as much dirt as an old hen would
scratch in half an hour, and demand toll
from the passers-by, presenting paper
written in French and German We found
it convenient to "nlgchts versteichn," and
: find it so often.
+ Nobody thinks of leaving Switzerland
without chit of Mont Blanc, the highest
E peak in Europe We could reach Cha
monk, nearly at its base, by two or three
routes, the nearest being about three
days Journey over the mountains the
+ the longer one by rail being less than a
+ days Journey. We choose the latter, di-
vergng little from the regular track.
Leaving TntulacheD, small town, beau
f tifuly situated between two small lakes,
as its name indicates, we reached Mar
tgny in twelve hours, and on the follow
ing day made another passage of the
mountains in nire hours, this time, how
!, ever, by mule instead of on foot. We
reached the height of the pass at noon
Col de Balm-nore than eight thousand
feet IN height, where stands small
stone monument marking the boundary
between Switzerland and France. A small
q refreshment house is also kept by two
Frenchmen at extortiOnate prices. One por
ton of the ascent, rising abruptly nearly
q four thousand, at an angle of forty-five
degrees, was made by a path of such
short zig zags, that the extreme points
might have been included within two
parallel lines fifteen rods apart, and at
, one point on the height, the narrow
path, two feet in width, passed the edge
of q precipice where a mis- step of the
mule would send the rider sliding down
three or four hundred feetand thence over
a precipice more :han two thousand feet.
An English lady, few years since, lost
1 her life at similar pass by being thrown
from her saddle. Ha0 s.aos
! From the Col de Balm may be seen
: nature in her widest grandeur-majcstic
mountains. lofty peaks and crags, and
+ frjghtiul precipices, and although at a
, height Of eight thousand feet, we are
in broad mountain gorge, with noun.
tains rising one thousand feet on either side
, while far below is seen fertile valley, in
which the peasantry are gathering their
harvest. On the heights above us herds
of cattle are grazing,and far below us lie
huge banks Of snow. A good snow, ball
inc frolic was one of the luxuries indulg-
ed in We gathered flowers within five
feet of the snow bank. Mont Blanc is
4 seen from this point, but the traveller.
feels disappointment at first sight, so.
many peaks nearer by seeming as high as
the highest; it must be pointed out to be
recognized. Descending to Chamonlx
we come into close proximity to two or
three glaciers, similar to that already
mentioned, which we intended to ira
verse, but heavy thunder shower during
the night, rendering the mountain passes
muddy and slippery, disappointed US, be,
ing the first time our arrangements had
been frustrated by the weather since
coming onto the continent. In a few hours
the diligence brought us to Geneva, the
most celebrated city for watch manutac-
| ture IN the world. Il.
A large piece OF coal tell on Virginia
miner the other day, and crushing MIN
n l, nLorno 0Eh iC