The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-05-11
SWITZERLAND CORRESPONDENTS

EDS. HERALD.-The rains are over, the
SHOWS have melted, the floods have subsid-
ed, and the ark of Europe halts on dry
ground. For weeks the Danube, the
Seine, and the Rhine have been striving
to see which could swell the highest and
do the most damage to life and property.
The loss from this rivalry foots up mil
lions and millions. The sun now shines
warmly again and we can almost hear the
avalanches that are beginning thus early
to tumble down into the higher valleys Of
Switzerland. Within fortnight many a
poor peasants home has been crushed and
buried below the falling mountains of ice
and snow, and the loss this year to the
people of the higher Al ps will be very Sc
rious. When it rains here it SHOWS there
and as so much rain has fallen, the guam
tity of snow and ice waiting to roll down
the mountains must be tremendous.
Yesterday was gala day in Zurich-a
day of rejoicing and yet of mourning. 1t
was milestone in the city's history.
1t was putting aside the Zurich of the
past, and shaking hands with the new
town coming.
The cause of the strange events of the
day was the resolution of the city council
to tear away the last of the city s walls and
tewers-the Baugarter tower, and park,
and walls must make way for a new street
and new exchange.
1t was picturesque old spot overlook
ing the blue lake, and with its six centur-
les of history clinging to it had become
the pet Of old Zurichers and the admira-
tion of all travellers. Its gray old walls,
quaint windows and cornices, port holes
and embrasures overgrown with ivy and
swinging vines had strong hold on ev-
erybodys heart. 1t was the last watch
tower of town as old as the Caesars
From its gray old top the enemy had been
deserted and hurled back how eften?
Could its walls but speak, every stone in
them could tell of deeds made sacred by
history. The old sentinel had stood
wars, battles, sieges, plaques, and earth
quakcs unmoved and now must fall vic
tim to the avarice of common council
An odd old genius dropped off last year
leaving several millions for an exchange,
on the condition that the finest spot in
the city be selected for building place
The council must choose between the
| grand old tower and the old mans mil
lions. 1t chose the millions, and most
people in the city rise up and call them
| cursed.
The city was rich enough without max
ing the sacrifice; but what Zurich coun,
Gil once does, is done forever. The citi
zens determined to give the old hero a
farewell befitting his glory. Professions
in the bright costumes and strange armel
of the middle ages paradod the city.
Hundreds of children dressed in white
and bearing pretty hay ropes and baskets
OF flowers, representing spring, joined in
the parade. A great model of the tower
with gnomes and fairies among its vines
and in its windows followed in the wake
But the most interesting of all was the
parade of the twelve guilds Of Zurich
These societies are six hundred years cid
and some of them meet to-day in the
same halls and carry the same drinking
cups and horns used by their founders
five hundred years before the birth OF
the American Republic
In the evening the tower, and walls
and gardens were most wonderfully illumi-
mated. Music sounded on every hand
every procession, every society, every clut
had its band and colors. There were
seventy-fve thousand people in the street.
for not only the city, but the towns OIL
the suburbs were out to drink last pint
of lager or last glass of wine to the de.
parting sentinel.
The tower goes and with it goes tn,
Zurich of the past The town will nj
longer be known as picturesque old city
of art and letters and learning, only Il
is already stepping into line as one of the
great industrial cities of the continent
1t is to-day the second silk city of tht
world, and its cotton and iron houses dc
business with every quarter OF the globe.
The city is being beautifully rebuilt anc
there are no finer business houses il
Paris or Berlin. The expectations of the
country are immense when one remember
that it is only the little Republic of the
Alps, scarcely larger than Iowa, andwith OF
| ly three millions of population. More thar
sevcnty-five million francs worth Of silks
watches, ETC., are sent yearly to our own
| United States; aud to Russia, England
Germany and the East. three times al
much, Raw silk 10 brought here fgon