The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-09-26
OUR VIENNA CORRESPOND DEN CIV

| VIC NIhIlblN w WV i'NI''0'''' Wv wv
lcrlng with the sitting heat, but they
make their rounds Of sightseeing with
admirable perseverance,
Looking, wondering and admirlng
Dreaming, languIshng and pcwplIingi
They soc aud sigh they praise, they swear
Their grumblings stir the stagnant air;
Standing before some work of art,
Whose grace might move the stonlcst heart
They stand ns rooted 10 the spot,
And sigh, 1T isso COMPOUNDED holl"
But there are places few hours dis
tant from Vienna where, even In the
hottest weather, one can 1--WE comfort
ably, and such II spot has youl
correspondent sought, wherein to pass
few hours of rest and quiet. The
railroad from Vienna to Trieste passes
through mountainous country, and
one portion of it, called the Semmcr-
ing railroad, is carried up the Sem
merlng Alps by means of numerous
tunnels aud bridges to height OF
about three thousand feet above the
sea, and then avoiding y further ascent
by means of u straight tunnel fifteen
thousand yards in length, begins the
descent.
We bought tickets to Semmerng,
the highest station on the line, and
soon had the pleasure of finding our
selves surrounded by green fields
which gradually grew into hills, and
these into mountains, among which
we wound, now crossing magnificent
viaduct nearly u thousand feet In
length, now plugging into eternal
night, and laundering along through
the bowels of the earth, and emerging
into daylight, could see, hundreds of
feet below liz, nestled I'M lovely valley,
the little station ut which we had
stopped some time before. This part
of the road, twenty-five miles in
length cost upwards of seven millions
and u half dollars.
At Scmmering we found the depot
building, aud little eating house,
"Only this, and nothing more"
The hotel was u half mile further up
the mountain, and Is situated ut tho
highest inhabited point, though the
mountains around II still tower up
nearly two thousand feet higher their
sides covered with forests Of pine trees,
their tops treeless but covered with
grass and clover.
The "Shonnenwiendstien" mountain
lies just back of the hotel n climb of n
couple of hours brings one to the
top, where one has an extensive view,
especially in the direction fStyria OF
Steiermark rs II ~ chilled, Ourprescnt
home is in II farm house in u valley
about three thousand feet above the
sea level and about two hours walk
from the station of Semmcring. The
farmers here, rs throughout n large
portion of Styria, own their farms and
are therefore quite Independent. They
arc quiet, industrious folk, with good
common sopse, though lacking educa-
ton. They seem also to have better
appreciation of the meaning of the
word honesty than we have found
among the people in Austria.
Their soil is light, and the principal
crop is hay, but oats, wheat and rye
are also raised. Tho mountains arc
full of ore of the best quality, and arc
covered with heavy growth of pine
and other soft woods, from which to
make the coal for smelling purposes.
About halfa mile distant from here
Is II large smelling furnace, which gives
employment to seventy men, and turns
out, every twenty-four hours, five tons
OF the best of iron, and this it has dont
for the last two years without cessa-
tioI and the little mountain stream,
let which furnishes this furnace power
continues to aid mankind by. turning
the busy mill wheel or driving the
noisy hammer. So, even here the law
of compensation holds the earth has
too much wealth garnercd within thes,
mountains to be very lavish of Other
good gifts, and while the sturdy peas
ants have enough to eat, to drink, anC
to wear, they are coutented, having
no daring ambition, no deathless long.
ings. They IRE not
"Forever longing, forever signing.
For the far-of unattained and DIM"
Their life Is too full of ceaseless activ,
ity for that. The principal article o.
diet is ''black Bread" made of rye, ant
to those unused to it very unpalatablc
being not only hard but sour. Baking
day comes not oftener than once ,
month, and the solid dark brown
loaves, looking as If made of pig iron
are in few days left in baskets, eacl
loaf having its own basket. They ar,
then piled up In some convenient place
on shelf or on the floor, us the cas-,
may be.
Fresh meat is a rarity. Their mea
Is cured by first lying In salt severa
days, and then drying. From thi
they make soup occasionally, but thei
every day soups are naade of bsilin,
water favored with sour milk, thick
ened little with flour, and thei
poured over black bread; or lard |
heated, then thickened with -four an,
allowed to become brown, when boiling
water is poured upon 1t, acquiring thu
both color and flavor. Among tn
, | poorpet. this IL the nearest npproac