The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-12-07
THE SWISS CHICAGO.
Sketches of the Burned City
Geneva.

The smoAe from the smouldering embers
of Chicago has hardly been dissipated when
there comes from beyond the water intelli-
gence that another g City of the Lake has
all but suffered the fate of its American
sister, to which it bears SO close resem-
blance. Geneva, if not as complete waste
as Chicago, has so narrowly escaped it as
to afford almost a parallel to our un-
paral eled calamity The full extent of
the calamity has not yet been ascertained,
and can not be estimated for some
days.
Fortunately Geneva offers natural barri-
ers to the progress of the flames which will
likely take away from the extent of the
disaster. 1t is situated upon the slopes of
Two nlns wmcn are ulSided by the khone,
which, in its course from the lake, forms
two islands, on one of which portion of
the town is built. On the other of the
islands there is a handsome promenade.
The islands and the two principal parts of
the city are connected by fine suspension
bridge. The streets are wide and spacious.
The public buildings include the Cath
olic Cathedral Mgr. Mermi.lods,) the Hotel
de Vile, the University (founded by CAL
vim and Beza), the Hotel de Ia Couronne
(Which has been burnt,) the Hotel de
/ Ecu the museum Of art and natural his
tory; the bubble library, containing $4,000
volumes and many valuable manuscripts.
The largest section of the city is Oil the
left bank of the river. The Quarter de
St. Gervais, on the right bank, is the seat of
the manufactures, and the residences of
the humber classes. The Quarter DIES
Burgnes is the fashionable section. The
manufactures of the town are world famous
The population of tho canton, of which it
is the capital, is about 64,Oo0, including
$4,000 Protestants, 29, 900 Catholics, and
Il few hundred Jews.
If it were admissible to trace historical
or social contrast between city which has
a history older than the Christian era, as
well as social surroundings long establish
ed and widely connected, and mushroom
city of yesterday, with its society in a met
aphoric if not a wholly chaotic condition,
it would not be difficult to discover many
points of resemblance between the center
of Swiss commercial and mental activity
and the great commercial center of the
oSth ha &, hat Ia -.
Of the lakes and that both have suffered
from that ensmy which both, of all other
cities existing, should have been best pre-
pared to fight.
Few towns Of Europe have a more inter
csting varied history than this city,
which, having passed through so many
trials, now undergoes the ordeal Of fire, A
hundred names rise to the lips when Geneva
is mentioned-names famous in letters, in
arms, in criticism, diplomacy, politics and
theology, saints and sinners, herosiarchs
and martyrs, pedestrians and latitudinari-
ans, orthodox believers and incorrigible
skeptics, reformers and believers in Rome
infallibilists, and haters Of the Scarlet
Lady, friends Of imperialism and admirers
of the universal republic, members of the
Peace Society, and come cutters of all
kinds, by no means forgetting the arbitra-
tors of the little trouble between these
States and Great Britain. Geneva is not a
town of last week, or the month of Octo-
Der. In the second century before Christ
it was not of sufficient Importance to at
tract the attention of Rome-the legions Of
which made it their own-and even since,
Rome, pagan and papal, has had its eyes on
this important centcr--politieal, CONNER
cial, social and religious. Of the stormy
history of this capital during all the period
from the days of Charlemagne down to the
Reformation, and thence to-day, almost
every one knows something. In war it has
become the object of attack of the German,
the Italian, and the Gaul, and with varying
fortune it has generally returned to its old
love--a republican form of government
and political association with Switzerland.
In religion it has been a central point of
the fight between Calvinism and Catholic
ism, and at the present day this fight is
carried on with as great bitterness as in the
days of the Prince Bishops and Calvin and
William Farel Merle d dAubigne on one
side and Mgr. Mermillod on the other, are
fair types of the contest in which they are
so eminent leaders. 1t is a curl Gus incl
dent of this quarrel that the accurate and
the earliest news of Rome and of Catholic
ism is now to be obtained through the
agencies of this capital of Calvinism and
free thought.
OF the great names whom business or
leisure have associated with this city, and
the delightful region that surrounds it,men-
ton may be made Of Frances of Sales,
Calvin, Jean Jacques Rosseau, Beza,
Madame de Stael, Voltaire, Gibbon, Marie
d dAubigne, Mermanod, Byron, Shelley,
John knox-who was enrolled citizen Of
| Geneva-Necker, our own statesman, Gal
/ latin, Beranger, Cassaubon, Marie Louise,
Josephine, Sir Humphrey Davy, Sismondi
and Dumont, and the eminent scientific
scholars, De Lue, De Sauserre, Bonnet,
Huber and De Candolle
! To Protect Roofs.
The Freman's Journal says wash
composed of lime, salt and sand, or wood
ashes, put on in the ordinary way of white
washing, will render a roof ffty-fold more
safe against taking fire from falling cinders
the vicinity Itpays the expenses hun