The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-08-26
Letter from Europe.

FRANKFORT oN-THE-MAI Aug. 4, 1875.
To the Editor of the Standard:
Since 1 wrote you last, we have visited
various cities of note, and also spent
twelve days in Switzerland, and among
other places visited the Rigi, formerly
called Regina, boat brought US in II
hours from Luzerne to Vitznau at the
foot of the Great Rigi, which consist of a
group of mountains about thirty miles in
circumference, and surrounded by three
seas, the Vierwaldstaller, Zeeger and
Lowerzer, and is assembled by an inclined
railroad, the track of which is an ordina-
ry one, with the exception that in the
center is rail for two iron cog-wheels to
run in, which are fastened underneath
the locomotive, the construction of the
car is similar to our summer street cars,
with wooden benches and seating 49
persons, the passengers being seated up
hill, the locomotive which pushes the car
is of 40 horse power, and is an upright
one, we reached the top of the mountain
in one hour and Is minutes, and the
height is 5,557 feet, there are two very
large hotels there, and after engaging our
rooms for the night, and putting on our
overcoats and shawls for it being a very
cold evening we started for the highest
point called Rigi Kuhn and there awaited
the setting of the sun, at little before s
o'clock the Alpine horn was blown
designating the time, after which
every one retired for supper, the view of
the Alpine was not good on that evening
the mountains being covered with its
smoky cap, we was awakened next morn
ing little after three o'clock by the
blowing OF the horn again, and little
while before the rising of the sun, in a
short time everybody was on the ground
and being clear cold morning, we had a
fine view of-the entire Alpine chain, COW
cred with snow and ice glaciers from the
Sentis to the Tillis and away to the Bemer
overland, also the Pilatus lay before u.s.
the spectacle is fine one, so was the
rising of the sun. We could count thir-
teen seas from here. At the foot of the
Rigi is the Chapel of William Tell by the
Hahlegasse, where Tell shot Gessler also
the Rhein takes its start here.
The cars in Switzerland are built some
what after the American style, only that
they are divided in classes. The latter
class is the cheapest and does the most
business Every train in Germany has
several conductors with one general man
ager. The conductors act at the same
time as brakemen. The railroad officers
telegraph, and in fact almost everybody
wears some kind of uniform. The rail
ROAD travel is perfectly safe in this coun-
try The officers of the road are empow-
cred to assess fines for offenses against
their rules, and any one entering car
without ticket or opening car door
while the train is in motion is fined.
Every crossing is closed on the approach
of train, nor is any travel on the track
allowed. Trains are nearly always on
time, the roads having double tracks.
Telegraphing is still done here by the old
system and not by sound.
There has been continued rainy wealth
er since we came until the last few days,
and people are very busy gathering their
grain, DC, which falls short of an az erage
crop The landshere i@all divided into
small parcels, and great deal of the
work is done by cows, you find some
times one or two cows hitched to a wag-
on, also sometimes a horse and COW
hitched together, the women folks do a
great portion of the field work, wages has
advanced since the late war over 100 per
cent, but living has gone up in proper
ton. farm hands are very scarce and
hard to be had, and command their own
price. The newspapers are very inferior
to those published in America, and most
of them are not any larger than the Dali
ly Standard was.
Yours respectfully,
B. KAHN.