The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-02

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governed. The Swiss are . wonderfully
Industrious people. There are few idlers.
The summer, to be sure, is the busy. sea
son. Multitudes Of visitorsi come from
all paris OF the civilized world and must
be cared for. The COWS and goats must
be driven to their pastures-often high
up the Alps. The hay is to be made while
the sun shines. Men, women and child.
ren, therefore, are pressed into the ser.
vice. But, in the dead Of winter, the,
work goes forward. Wood and ivory,
carving, and clock and watch making
employ great numbers, and can be pur.
sued at all seasons. One thing pleased
ME greatly. The vast majority OF the
Swiss are owners Of land. It may
not be much that Is possessed. Often
il is a mountain side which is almost
perpendicular that is possessed. Still
the holding of land gives character 10 a
people, and it leaves its impress on these
hardy and fearless mountaineers. Lille
in chalet is not so romanticas itseems
at distance. The chalet may be very
dirty and the fare very poor. Yet these
houses which dot the valleys and slopes
Of the Alps have real charm for any
one who can appreciate the character Of
the people who inhabit them.
SCENERY.
But the greatest Of all the sources Of
pleasure to the traveller here Is the scene
~. Before entered the country had
large expectations. had from childhood
read and heard Of this land OF wonders. I
l must frankly confess that the reality
has far surpassed my expectations. The
grandeur OF Swiss scenery is indescriba.
Bic. As cataract the falls OF the Rhine
at NeuhauSen are really magnificent.
Tho impression leitwhen the river is full |
Is little less than that produced by Nj
agara, although it is Of different kind.
The lake Of Lucerne is almost without
an equal in the world. At one end you
have the gently Bloping bank covered
with herbage and dotted with residences.
But not far away Rhigi on the one side
PiIatus on the other, raise their heads to-
wards heaven. And as you travel on
ward, the sides Of the lake become sheer |
precipices supported by the Alps, down
whose sides the glacier makes its way, and
whose heads are covered with perpetual
snow. D. 2
RHIGI. 4
/ regard three scenes as the grandest
which the country affords. One is that
from the Top Of Rhigi, near Lucerne. 1t
is the best known, because railway
modelled after that Of Mt. Washington,
ascends Il and enables vast multitudes 10
see tho great sight. One hundred and
twenty miles Of the Alps are spread out
before you. Far away on the other side
are the mountains OF France, Germany
and Austria. Between are the hills and
vales OF Northern Switzerland: and at
your feet are the lakes, small and great,
Of the central part OF the country. The
view Of the Alps is somewhat distant, but
il is the most extended that can be seen
from any accessible point.
sCHYNIGE PLATTE.
Another Of these scenes is visible from
the Schynige Platte, mountain near In
terlaken. It has 10 be assembled by mule
or on foot. Consequently comparatively
few see the view. In my judgment it sur
passes that from Rhigi. So great an ex-
tent OF the Alps is not visible, but you are
brought face to face with the mountains
which are seen. The Jungfrau and the
Wctterhorn and the Furisterarhorn rise
precipitously before you for 10000 to H.
900 feet. The falls Of Staubbach 1000
ieet) are full in view. The glaciers Of
Grindlewald and the valley thousands Of
feet below are spread out before you. No
human pen can do the subject even ap-
proximate justice.
MONT BLANC FROM BREvENT.
And the third of these scenes is from
the mountains, right'across the Valley Of
Chamouny, from Mont Blanc. Mont
Blanc is The monarch OF the Alps, He
lifts his head covered with the pureSt
snow, above dilthe other peaks. He can
be seen from Geneva, fifty miles away.
He is very grand when viewed on clear
evening from the Valley OF Chamouny.
But il you would see him Alright, go up
Flegeite-a part Of the mountain to
which l have referred. There you be-
hold not only the top Of Mont Blanc, but
also large portion of the great glacier
-Mer de Glace-from It's source down to
the place where Il melts and the river
Arreison begins. There you get an ex-
tended view. Butyou need to 60 on to
Breyept and Chamber, al we did, to the
point where vegetation ceases and per-