St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-01-02

would seem to have answered equally
well, passes our comprehension, but
there WAS doubtless some good reason
for IT. When once in the tunnel there
was no perrcptihle difference between
thi, and amy other. The carriages
| were well lighted with lamps there
WAS intense darkness without, but no
smoke. no clnScurSS of atmosphere, nor
anything To render the underground
ride uncomfortable. Ii was after our
exit that the heaviest engineering feats
came to view, and here WAS fought
what might well he called the battle of
the giants. where mountain and preci-
lamchc were gIapplcd with and at last
overcome. The train was held IL check
10y the grinding brakes as il trundled
down the steep decline. s!liTtiug deep
aby>scS on il ucIc shelf of rock, span
ming flIrhtful gOrgcS. passing under
vaul;rd chambers to dodge the course
nt uNullnchcS. running int" and out OF
tunnels. and doubling and twisting III
every pn>>ihlc direction. Snow noun
talm~ were visible on all sides, and the
aii throughout the day was mcomtort
abb cold. II was Just about sunset
when We emerged from the valley near
SuNa. and rolled out upon the open
i Il.
large nrN station ut Turin.
This cutrrpri>ing city of 25O.OOO in
hahiIantS i worthy of more attention
than We can here hrSt"w upon tive
are now concerned rather with the route
than with towns. From Turin To Genoa
III" road lies through rich plains planted
the leaves of the latter being used Is
food tnr the silk-Worm. ~ we left
Turin the fields were white with h"ar-
frost. but the temperature hccanc
warmer ~ We approached the >ea al
Gruua 1t j. only Within the last three
"r t"un yrd> that the railway has been
opened from Ncuii lulbuSII ~ ->lC'
and this supplies the only remaining
link which was much nccdcd-tn open
Il communication bctwccn France and
Italy ria Mar>cillcs and the Mcditerra
mean coast. The o. line runs through
y hat i known - the Riviera di Pnnentc
Il narrow strip of country lying be
Il, L. l., !,
and the sea on the south the rock '
coast in some places coming down III
bold pIomontOIi,> to the water. The
greatest difficulty in the construction ut
I'll" road WAS that OF expense t"r the
amount Of >ca-wall and of tummcling
and rnck-cuttiug is far greater i'll pro
portion than on any other railway i'll
Europe. II is 4 single line. and slowly
worked the time occupied i'll running
the l2u miles h'.iu" eight hours express
ur au average of H. miles an hour. The
slow trains take ten hours. But there
j. charm in the country through which
it pa>~c>. that richly rompcu>atc~ fnI
the time consumed. Om the one side
tl,. Mediterranean. A. lovely ~ woman.
and always Interesting whether >mIl-
ing in sunshine or raging III storm ON
the other. the rugged rocky fnot- hills of
the. lower Nlp>. which f"rm a barrier
against the Wimd~ and cold of the north,
and render the Intervening space al
uo>r - atl"pical paradise. The olive. tn"
fg. and the l,aLu flourish here. and
orange and lemon orchard, alr scatter
ed along the entire route. The towns
nf SlVuuI. nucglia. san Reno. li"r-
di-hcra. Mention" and Nice are well
known health resorts f"r the invalid,
and are tlcqucuicd hy many in health
lao desire - mild climate for the win
ter.
Notwithstanding the great conNc-
uicnrcot lhcrailWay between Genoa and
Nice. We v"I'd earnestly recommend
ttinu "rlr own "Xpcriencc) to those who
may have occasion to pass over this
route unIN once in their lifetime. Ia
take Il carnage ANA 90 hN the ctlchra-
ted C"lnichr Road. which III some places
climbs along the c"rnirc of the over
hanging mountains one or two thousand
feet above the sea. and commanding Il
view "f scenery of surprising grandeur,
and in other places rlnS down 10y zig
za@> int" the valleys. and through the
towns. and along the sea-level. 1t j.
one of the most romantic and charming
rides in all the wide world, and one
never to he forgotten by those who
have traNcIscd il.
And hcrc ends our journey from
Geneva to Nice. {. r.
Letter from Nehraska