New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-28
WINTER TRAVEL IN EUROPE.
CHANGES OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

MT. GEMS TUNNEL-AMERICANs IN ITALY.
lrRoM 4 REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUyZ.l
NAPLES, March al suppose that half million Of
Americans have visited Europe within the last fifteen
years, and that at rough estimate, fifty thousand
letters, written on this side Of the Atlantic have
been published in American newspapers. just for
that reason, venture to send you few pages
which contain chiefly external impressions, knowing
that they will carry little interest to the many
who are familiar with the main lines of European
travel and possibly to the larger class who, staying
at home, acquire vicarous familiarity with lands
they never saw.
Detained in Northern Germany until the middle
of February found the short dark days of latitude
SO irksome enough, and although the weather was
singularly mild and soft, it could not Danish our
longing for the deeper blue of the Italian sky and
the dry air which, like that of home braces even
while it chils. When left Gotha the first cold
weather had just arrived the thermometer stood
about zero, there were six inches of snow on the
fields, and every traveller was bundled in furs from
head to foot like Russian The were heated
by tin boxes under the seats, filled with steam from
the engine surprising in discomfort any method
that could be devised. Imagine cold
floor and hot seat Like the process
adopted for enlarging the livers Of the Strasburg
geese 1t created fever instead of healthy warmth
and we reached Frankfort, after trip Of five hours
in state of complete exhaustion. was amazed at
the endurance of German our only fellow traveller
in the compartment. He wore an OvercOat an inch
thick sat with his feet in deep fur bag which was
drawn up to his knees. covered his lap with heavy
plaid, and then buried himself in fur robe, while
the seat under him was hot enough to char the end
of the os sacrum. From time TO time he east a
melancholy, reproachful glance upon us. who, gasp
ing for breath, persisted in having window open
with the right and the power which three against
one usually gives.
At Frankfort tried another than my ancient and
toodear hostel but with the same result. Whoever
wants to economic now must stay ut home. l do
not hesitate to affirm that in all the principal towns
of Europe, one pays more for the same amo1nt OF
nourshment and comfort than III the United States.
There are dozen excellent hotels in New-YOrk
where could have had gas coal fire, and better
provender for less money than paid in Frankfort
for dim candles, huge stove which never became
really warm and warmed pieces of cold roast beef,
palmed off as fresh beefsteaks. The sum OF
my experience for the past year and
half confirms this impression. The hotels in Ger
many have increased their charges so per cent
since 1870, without improving in quality. Ispeak of
thelarger cities which are most frequented by Amer
leans. In the smaller towns the increase is about 20
per cent and often with corresponding increase OF
comfort. The war, short as il was in comparison
with ours has scarcely been less demoralzng. II Is
pregnant lesson, that no amount of memorable ne
cessty in accepting struggle OF the kind, OF pure
patriotism in making it victorious, or of popular
will to draw lasting good from its results, can avert
the moral Tor immoral reaction which follows war
am not yet sure that the five milliards Justified
only by the law of retaaiOnl will rot prove curse
TO Germany. They have already produced an in
fation similar to that caused by our National
.tt..v aT
all sorts of &" wildcat enterprises, and rise of
prices so rapid and arbitrary as to create new and
unexpected embaTrassments in all departments OF
Office or industry. The school system, which was
the strength of Germany is beginning to suffer
seriously; in most of the cities the housewives are
compelled TO form COnsum- Gpene unions of con-
SUMPTION, which buy their supplies at wholesale
prices and while the laboring class is diminished
by an enormous emigration, causing an increase IN
the value of labor, which makes it, in many
branches nearly as remuneratve as i'll America,
there never was such confusion and distress among
the class.as now.
Many features of life in the two continents
thus gradually equalizing themselves. The old,
picturesque contrasts become fewer year by year:
accommodation and extOrtion. good and bad habits
are borrowed back and FORTH reciprocally taught by
the native and the foreigner and the result Is a
curious cosmopolitan mixture. The Engllsh-speak-
ing traveller no longer creates surprise when he asks
for a beefsteak with his morning coffee. On the
contrary, while it is offered to him as matter of
course he has probably learned to do without it,
His language is so generally spoken that lie is
baked in his attempt to acquire little French
or German. He is known and recognized as far as
the vision of a rdlet de place or a street-pedder
reaches. Even Americans and English are now
instantly distinguished not COMPOUNDED as formerly
tha / in
The main lines, followed by nnety-nine ouG of every
hundred tourists are like those streams which pass
through lakes so swiftly as scarcely to mix their
waters.
From Frankfort to Basel we found no snow. The
ears were warmed by Hat boxes of hot water. laid
foo.-stoos on the floor. Entering Switzerland, one
comes back to an ordered hotel system, with much
farer charges There an association OF landlords
which meets annually and discusses measures OF at
tracing strangers This is step in the right direc-
ton The old association, which was formed chiefly
for the purpose of extOrtion defeated ITSELF after
having nearly ruined certain notorious hotels. 1t
is now customary 10 have scale of prices displayed
in the rooms, which is partial check upon the host,
while il enables the traveller to economic in few
particulars when necessary. Nevertheless, there
are not many hotels, even in Switzerland,
where one can live for less than SO day. unless
~ n boarder by the week or month. All Baden-the
warm. friendly southwestern corner of Germany
was clear of snow, as have said; but from Basel TO
the crest of the mountains above Lake Leman,
Switzerland was picture OF Winter. 1t was curious
to see how the lower ranges completely mantled in
white initiated the forms of the Bernese Alps behind
Them The Jungfrau and its neighborng peaks APP
reared lower than in Summer, and not detached as
then. from the intervening hills. But the land
scapes through which we sped were sunny and
cheerful; boys skated on every pond; wood-seds