Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-10-17

ing about in every direction, cove
ed with passengers, while score
| and hundreds of sail-boats glide owe
their placid surface, like SO man
sea gulls.
1t was around the shores of thos
lake
THE SWISS CoNFEDERACY WAS FIRs
FORMED,
more than six and-a-half centurie
ago, by the union of four little Car
tons, each of about the size of a
average Illinois county. Othe
Cantons were admitted from tim
to time, until the whole numbere,
| twenty-five, Which now constitut
the Swiss Federal Republic. Aroun,
the four Canton lakes was laid tn
scene of William Tells mythical ex
ploits. A halo of rich historical
and legendery tales surrounds thos,
lakes and fills these valleys-tale
told to childhood, and implicitly be
lieved by all good and true Switz
ers. Within historic times the Swiss
have evinced special partiality and
affection for the region of the
''Lakes of the four Cantons," and
Mt. Rigi has been a sort of Mt. III.
on in their eyes. Some synical wri
tiers have ascribed the peculiar af.
fection of the Swiss thereof, less to
the romantic beauty of the region,
than to the abundance of excellent
fish found in the lakes-declaring
that a fat salmon more enchanted
their imagination than the loftiest
mountains and loveliest valleys.
However this may be, it is certainly
true that their descendants of the
present time understand the art of
converting the admiration of stran-
gers for the enchanting region into
annual showers of gold.
After a month of industrious
sightseeing, rapid travelling, and
Notwithstanding, through -Switz-
erland, finishing off with a grand
panoramic look at the whole coun-
try from the top of Rigi, the gen.
eral impression produced upon my
mind is, that Switzerland is a great
European or rather
WORLDS PARK.
This thought forced itself on the
mind at every step, for everything
one beholds seems to fit into that
idea. Very many readers of the
Tribune have seen the beautiful
New York Central Park, which is
far ahead of any artificial park in
Europe in variety of surface, in
loyeliness, and in imita-
ton of mountains, valleys, lakes,
waterfalls, glens, crags and chasms.
The New York Park may, with a
degree of accuracy, be
called Switzerland in the minia-
ture." There is certainly no other
park in the world which initiates
so many of the features of Switzer7
land, and it is heyery thing which
the charm of that park,
and renders it so far superior to all
others.
Now try and imagine five or six
New York Central Parks
all in one, with the mountains lifted
up to attitudes to correspond with
the enlargement; with the lakes and
plains spread out in proper proper
tion; with rivers, and valleys, and
to match; with an infinite
variety of surface, from sunny
slopes and quiet rural landscapes to
5he most terrific chasms, and preei-
oices of dizzy height, and vast crag-
" mountain-summits covered with
sternaIice, down whose rugged sides
tumble avalanches of snow, and on
whose torn face hang rivers of fro
zen water; and then you get some
dea of how Switzerland actually
ooks. 1t is park like in all its parts
md in its entirety, its extremes en-
1race
EVERYTHING IN NATURE
rom the simple to the sublime;
rom secluded deIls, and sunny val
eys, and vine clad slopes, to rocky
leserts, sunless gorges, and bleak
lesolation. Colorado possesses
ome austere features, not unlike
hose found in Switzerland. 1t has
Mountains almost as high and pre-,
,ipitous, and covered with perpetu-
i snow; but for want of rain in
summer and of mildness in winter,
is valleys lack the verdure and fer
ility of those of Switzerland. The
lewly discovered beautiful region
the Black Hills, from the de-
I have just been reading,
must bear considerable resemblance
% some of the less rugged portions
If Switzerland. The Yosemite val
ey, in California, finds its counter
)art in some respects among these
Mountains; but, while I have seen
lothing in Switzerland aeither like
II equal to that marvellous valley,
here are sights to beheld most WON
lerful and tremendous, and which
ind a parallel in no other part of
he globe. There is one peculia rity
# the country which contribr ties
much to its beauty: It's moisture al
ernated with sunshine. Irelan' is
allied the "Emereld Isle" Swift zer-
and may with equal truthful less
'e called the
"EMERALD HIGHLAND OF EURoPl e."
'he most rugged and precipit 5ous
Mountains are covered with d. anse
crest almost to the very snow-l inc,
wherever there is a particle of arth
n the face, or in the crevices of the
ooks to support tree life; and grass
rows and flowers bloom wherever
here is enough soil to hide their
cots. The Swiss farmers in the
eep mountain-valleys, have for the
lst fortnight, been cutting and
their third crop of hay
Or this season. 1t looks curious as
ne rides along up a valley, to see
undreds of men and women m ow-
lg grass on the sides of the me 'un-
aims sleeper than the roof to a
ouse, and toiling aryay up there
alt a mile to a mile above your
cad. While sor lie are cutting the