Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-09-12

consisting of the following articles:
!: The robe worn by the Virgin at
the Nativity; it is of cotton, nearly
ten yards long. q The swaddling-
clothes in which Jesus was wrapped.
composed of coarse cloth of a yellow
color 8. The cloth on which the
head of John the Baptist was laid.
4. The scarf worn by Christ at the
Crucifxion, bearing stains of blood.
5. The spear by which His side was
pierced. All these relics were pre-
sented to Charlemagne, the story
goes, by the Patriarch of Jerusalem
and by Haroun-al-Raschid. They
are preserved in, shrine of silver
I gilt, the work of artists of the ninth
century. In 1861 more than 500, 900
devotees made a pilgrimage to AK
la-Chapelle to worship those relics.
The number who attended the last
exhibition, was less, but still enor-
nous. The Cathedral also contains
many jewels, gems, canoes, enamels,
etc, though not as large a collee-
tion as that at Cologne; but the
French carried off several millions of
dollars worth from the two churches
and sold them to the jews to raise
money to prosecute their wars of
conquest. The gold and silver orna-
meutsy candlesticks, and crueifxes,
they transferred to the melting-pot
and changed them into coin. -a go
The next place of most interest TO
be seen in Cologne is the Church of
St Ursula, whose walls are "freseo-
ed" and ornamented with the bones
of
ELEVEN THOUSAND VIRGINS,
the companions of St. Ursula, who,
according to the legend, was a prin-
cess of Great Britain 1900 years
ago, who set sail with her virgin
train Pagan girls destined as
brides of a Pagan army which had
marched into the Rhine country un-
der Maximus from Rome, to conquer
that part of Pagan Germany. The
virgins, by some mistake, landed at
Cologne, which was in the hands of
Huns, who massacred the whole par
ty in evaporation at their refusal to
break their vows of chastity! The
hideous relics mee5 the gaze all
around the walls of the church, ov-
erhead and everywhere. They are
built into the walls, buried under
the floor, encircle the doors and
windows, and FIJI glass cases. The
bones of the Saint herself repose in
a costly coffin behind the altar,
while the skulls of a few of her ia
Vorite smaidens are deposited IN the
golden chamber, incased in silver,
along with other relics, such as the
stone vessel which held the water
turned into wine at the marriage.
feast, pieces of the true cross, nails,
thorns, etc.u The worst Ofthe whole
matter is, the clergy of Cologne still
lend their sanction,to 10 all these pious
frauds, because their exhibition con
tinues to be a source of revenue to
them. Multitudes of the poor, de
luded, superstitious peasants come
long distances, to pay their scanty
money to get a sight of the sacred
humbugs. ,,,-- --- 9
From Cologne to Mayence is I2O
miles at which point the river Main
enters the RhineLit is twenty miles
up the Main to Frankfort. a rail-
road leads along each side of the
river, on which run numerous trains.
daily, while the river itself is cover
ed with steamboats,, barges, schoon-
ers and RATS. Except on the Thames,
there is no river in Europe onwhich
there is so much commerce and ship
ping. 81, zr:z7. iaasas Fl .sf'
THE RHINE .sfs- .
is the favorite German almost
an object of worship. They have
fought for its possession for 1900
years-ever since the days of Julius
Cesar. They cling to its valleys,
and its mountains with a tenacitY
and desperation unprecedented in all
history. The Roman legion drove
them away from it a short distance,
after many a desperate and bloody
battle; but the Germans continually
renewed the struggle for its posses
sion. Cesar drove them back about.
so miles to the east of 1t, land sta
toned several legions along its line
at strategic points and planted colo
nies of Romans at all the favorable
spots. His successors carried, out
the same line of policy, and the old
military camps, fortifcations and
walls, constructed by them, may. be
seen and traced along the east side
of the Rhine Valley from Utrecht,
in Holland to Bale, in Switzerland,
and up the Main for long distance.
Many of those Notifications are so
to so miles back from the Rhine
where they protect fertile valleys OF
commercial strategic points. Sever
al of the German Notifications are
planted on the same ground of those
ancient Roman works. Towards the
end of the first century, these lords
of the universe were in part COM
pelled to surrender their conquests
to the Teutonic tribes, who had
made an irresistible onslaught upon
them; but the Emperors Trajan and
Hadrian recovered the territory for
merly possessed by Rome, and re-
stored the walls and Notifications,
which the Germans had DESTROYED.
However, it was only after long and
tough fighting that the Teutons were
forced away from their dear Rhine.
The Romans maintained their sway |
until near the beginning of the third |
century, about A. D. 27O, although
continuously assailed by the untam-
able natives. At that time the Al
lemanni Mattiaci and Franks united
their forces, advanced against the
Roman chain of Notifications, broke
it, demolished forts, tumbled down
walls massacred colonies, defeated
the legions, and drove them across
the Rhine, abolished the Roman
woke and recovered their
beloved RHINE.
The Romans renewed the struggle
for hundred years, under the EN-
perors Probus, Dioclesian, Constan