St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-09-14
A Letter from Switzerland.
FROM an Occasional Correspondent |
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, }
Aug. Is. 1877

that offers more attractions to the
tourist than this land of mountains and
valleys-of glaciers, waterfalls, and
wild gOrges. The facilities for explor-
ing it have been extended from year to
year; carriage roads and even railroads
have been pushed up the valleys, and
carried over some of the toughest
passes; and bridle-paths almost in
Vulnerable scale the mountains en- zig
gag, and traverse places which, in other
countries, would be considered inacces-
sible. In the great centers-such as
Geneva, Interlaken, Lucerne, and other
towns, there has been a lavish expen-
diture of money, too lavish, perhaps, in
the erection of "Grand Hotels,n which
must make their harvest, if at all, dur
ing the three months of summer travel.
Hotels and boarding houses (pensiOns)
have multiplied also among the noun
tains, and in the remote valleys, hold
ing out inducements to tourists to scat
ter into retired places.
These enterprises were undertaken
during the prosperous years which sue
eeeded our civil war, and during the
last few years of Louis NapOleon's reign,
when money was abundant, and it
suited the fancy of the travelling public
to order freely, and disburse literally,
and often extravagantly. The Swiss
live upon foreigners, and those flush
times stimulated their greed beyond
measure. Had the same prosperity
continued, many of their dreams of
wealth might have been realized, but
the times have changed, and many a
man who built upon the hope of sud-
den fortune is DOW upon the verge of
bankruptcy. The hotels and pensions
which ought now to be crowded with
liberal-handed tourists, are but scantily
Occupied-the tables are spread but the
guests do not come; at least, they do
not come in paying numbers.
The most profitable of all tourists
|
They pay handsomely and extravagant-
| ly, where people of other. nations econ
Omize consequently their presence is
all the more welcome ut these luxurious
hotels. But there has been steady
decrease of American arrivals since the
summer of 1874. The Centennial last
| at hnnnn who nirrht
otherwise have visited Europe; and
perhaps many would have come during
the present season, who now prefer to
wait another year in order to attend the
promised Exposition in Paris and thus
poor Switzerland has to struggle on
through time of deep depression and
disappointment. Added to this there
is feeling, amounting almost to con-
sternatiOn, over the loss to the watch
trade, of the American market. The
manufacturers of Waltham, Elgin, Chi
source of Swiss wealth, and where or how
it will end is question which these in
dustrious people find it difficult to solve.
They once thought they were sure of
this trade in all the markets of the
world, but what they saw and learned
concerning American enterprise at the
Philadelphia Exhibition, and what they
are learning now every day through the
loss of American orders, fills them with
dismay and fearful fOrebodings. II
they ever recover this lost trade, it
must be done through many sacrifices
and by prodigious efforts. The num-
Der of hands employed hitherto in watch
manufacture in Switzerland, is esti-
mated at about 10000, but so great is
the depression in the trade that not
more than half of these are now occu-
pied with work-and consequently there
is much distress, with very little pros
pect of early relief
In the midst of all this distress-which
falls not far short of national disaster
there comes from France report OF
very humiliating disclosures of fraud
practiced by Swiss jewellers and watch
makers at the French custom houses on
the frontier. These frauds, it appears.
have been Systematically planned and
carried on for considerable time, and
some of the most respectable houses in
the trade are implicated in them. The
Swiss newspapers are silent upon the
subject, and the Paris journals from
prudent motives are equally silent; but
l have been at some pains to procure a
copy of small journal published at
Lyons, which gives detailed account
of the operations of these offenders.
These details are curious and well worth
recounting, and l translate almost lit
orally the following statement.
According to the treaty of commerce
existing between France and Switzer-
land, all manufactured gold introduced
into France from the latter country
must be declared at the frontier, receive
an official impression or stamp, (pOin-
cOnnage) and he subject to a duty OF
371 centimes per gramme weight, lChicL
duty is refunded in case these articles dc
not find sale in the French markets ana
are returned to their original Oacner IN
Switzerland.
Taking advantage of this clause o
the treaty, a group of manufacturers
and dealers in Geneva, having accom-,
,,l;oaS a r Dor;s ynnS Rordaauy Harve