The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-08-29
LETTER FROM SWITZERLAND.
ASwiss Shooting FestivaI-Types of Trav
elers. Etc., Etc.

ASWiss Shooting festival-iypeso OF raw
eIers, Etc., Etc.
Boston has her jubilee, and Zurich
her shooting-fest,- loud and
long and overpowering. We don't
quite hear Gilmore's bass drums and
batteries over here, except by tele.
graph and it is presumable tina,
you don't hear the eternal crack OF
the Swiss rifemen over there. The
shooting fest is national one, and
the greatest festival of the Swiss
people-taking place once liz two
years. 1t commenced this time on
the l4th, and the crowds that attend.
ed for eight days, were something
enormous. 1t is perfectly safe to say
that almost every man in the coun.
try attended, to say noting of the
women and children of Switzerland,
as well as the rifiemen from almost
every part of Europe, and one com,
pany from New Orleans. Even Tur.
key and Russia sent their shooting
delegations. The great wigwam,
erected as banqueting house, had
something more than mere size to
recommend it to the lover of archi.
tectural beauty. Its length was 700
feet, width $50, height to span 20
feet. The immense roof was sup
ported by single spans, of hundred
and fifty feet, not post or column
being used in the building. Each
corner had its castellated tower, and
the grand entrance, with the general
decorations of the house, might have
rivalled some of the descriptions OF
Solomon's temple, as seen by a cor
respondent of the New York Herald
on the spot. From seven to eight
thousand persons sat down every day
10 dinner and speeches inside the
wigwam.
Some tive hundred and fifty rifle
companies from Switzerland took
part, and l don't know how many
Unions from other countries. Among
the most conspicuous were the dele.
cations from France, dressed mostly
in red uniforms, and stimulated by q
superb French band of one hundred
and fifty performers. The shooting
exercises were opened every morn.
ing and noon by salute of twenty.
two cannon--one for each State OF
Canton. Over one million scores
were made by the shooters, and the
prizes won were very numerous and
handsome. Every Swiss is q rifle.
man, SO you may well guess there
were shots made, worthy of the prizes
given.
The members of the Swiss Diet and
many of the diplomatic corps from
Berne attended the festival part Of
the time and not the least distin.
guished visitor, for day, was Miss
Nellie Grant, the daughter of our
President. There were to be seen,
too, the peculiar Swiss costumes, fol
here each canton has some singular
female costume of its own, which is
geable, and is worn, if no,
every day, at least on all holidays.
The whole city was decorated. Ev'
cry street had its grand arches
trimmed with ever-greens and flow
ers, while from every house waved
from one to twenty flags. Steamers
railways, omnibuses and private con.
veyances bore their share of flags
and holiday livery.
But the festival, with ali its noise
and excitement Is past, and who is
not glad of il? The peasants have
returned to their homes in the noun.
tains, and the man of the city, to his
office, shop or store. But the trav.
elers, all the travelers-they re.
main, coming and going as much,
more even, than ever.
Switzerland Is the land, the para.
disc, in fact, of travellers. Every
summer sees its hundreds of thous.
ands of people from all lands here,
hunting pleasure, seeing the noun.
tains, the lakes, the rivers, and most
of all, seeing each other. What diff
ferences there are in travellers, and
what nuisances many of them be-
come, with their bandboxes, poodles,
and trunks, and most of fall, with their
many demands on patience and for
bearance.
Our own country has sent her
swarms of tourists here, this and last
year. Kate Field said of them that
she did not believe a single fool
could be left at home, considering
the number she met travelling here.
Oil.princes. and shoddy aristocrats,
coming with their nnnkafa fnll al