Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-01-31
..rhe Lsnd OF the Midnight Sun"

the Midnight Sum-" and from a.brief re-
port of which in the Herald, We extract
the following beautiful word picture
In opening Mr.. Du Chaillu said :
There is a beautiful country far from
our shores, far away toward the Icy
north. 1t is a glorious land, with snowy
bold and magnificent mountains; deep,
narrow and delightful valleys; bleak
plateaux and slopes; wild raviues; clear
and picturesque lakes; immense forests
of white birch and fir trees; gigantic
and superb glaciers, unrivalled in size
by any in Europe. 1t is of this country
that / have come to tell you. The riv-
ers of this great country, in their hurri-
ed flights from the heights above to the
valleys below, tumble down as if from
heaven in gigantic waterfalls and cas-
cades so beautiful, so lovely, so white
and chaste. so matchless in their beauty
beholder never tires Of looking upon
them. have told you OF the leading
features of the country, geographically
considered; let me now say few words
about the people, their mode OF living,
their code of morality. have been an
extensive traveller, but never in all my
experience have met with such an
honest and simple class of people as the
inhabitants of Norway, Sweden and
Lapland. Their faith in human nature
is something incredible, and their hon
esty exceeds all bounds. Often have |
left my money behind me in afatmhouse
and as often have | been followed on
the road by nv late host with the treas
ure forgot in his domicile. They
scorn to take any reward for doing what
they consider their duty, and as often
as | have offered them rewards they
have been rejected They are very
religious people and very democratic
people. OF their religious simplicity
volumes could he written. They are,
for the most part, in fact all, Protestants
or Lutherans They bury their dead in
graveyards around the churches, and if
a man dies 200 miles away his body
must be brought to the graveyard and
inferred. A stranger can tell the con-
dition of almost any lady he meets.
Those that are engaged to be married
have one plain gold ring, those who are
married wear two, and those who have
family wear three. When n mans
wife dies in this northern cline the
husband and his friends have three
DAYS ioli6cation. About their demo
cratic ideas / cannot give you better
notion than by mentioning the fact that
! sought an interview with the King
snd was accorded the same Before l
was five minutes in the royal presence |
was asked to smoke cigar, aud at sep
arating was requested to call again,
which. / did. When returned l had
to look for the King myself, there be-
ing no guards or servants around the
house. ! found him putting on his
coat in room up stairs, having just
the finishing touches on one of his pic
lures. A few words about the midnight
sun. witnessed this grand phenome-
non while standing on Cape North, the
most northerly extremity of Europe.
The sun, instead of setting as it does
here, and running across from east to
west, keeps going around in circle,
the lower periphery of which is just on
the horizon. When it makes the lower
curves it is partially obscured, but it
rises again and describes circles in the
air for nearly two and half months.
1t then goes away, but total darkness
does not eusue, for the moon, the stars
and the northern lights illumine the land.
OLD VIRGINIA CoURTEsY-We once
heard of an old Virginia gentleman who
so much State pride, and at the same
time, so much courtesy that he made it
rule never to ask stranger where he
was born, for fear that he would he put
to the modification Of acknowledging
that he was not porn in Virginia. But
one of the best anecdotes Of old Virginia
courtesy, that we have heard recently,
is by John Rollins, who was at one
time q clown in John Robinson's show.
Rollins was celebrated for his ready wit
and quick repartee, and in answer to a
question whether he was ever at loss,
when in the ring, to reply TO any re-
mark made by spectators, said: "Never
but once, and that was when our com
pany was exhibiting in Warrenton, in
Fauquier county. 1t was part Of my
role to play drunken man. came
into the ring as usual, in full clown
costume, with a bottle of whisky in my
hand, and while acting the various char
acters of intoxication, 1 noticed an old
fellow standing near the rope which en-
closed the ring, occasionally winking
and nodding at me, as much as to say,
if convenient, please pass that bottle
around this way. His greasy black
cloth suit high crown hat, slightly
mashed in, gold-beaded cane and red
nose told who he was He had evi-
dently seen better days, but was q fine
illustration of broken down Virginia
gentleman, whose decline could be trac-
ed to an DER fondness Of looking upon
the wine when it is red Passing around
the ring, / stopped Immediately in front
of the old fellow, and extended the bot
tie asked him to drink. With one hand
he took the big cud of tobacco from his
mouth, throwing in on the ground, bis
looks exhibiting his desire for a strong
pull at the bottle, while his smiling
countenance plainly told the intense sat
isfaction he enjoyed in anticipation Of
so soon satisfying his appetite, when,
just ss he reached to take the bottle, j