Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-09-07

bad or good taste to object to them as egisla-
tors. There are some journalists in the body;
among st them the hard working editor of the
BaSter Ndchrichterl tBdSle Neps). who was
up to his ears in manuscripts, editorial, c0rre-
sponGence or what not, and was throwing Off
the sheets right and left with the facility Of
Count FoscO in Wikie Collins story.
SWISS NOTABLES.
Among the other notables of the Congress
is Dr. Emil Welti, of Zurich, who is pointed
out as the Swiss Bismarck. He is one of the
Federal Council of Seven the highest execu-
tive and administrative authority of the coun-
try. The members are elected by the Federal
Assembly for a term of three years, and they
superintend the administration of the differ.
ent departments, finance, commerce., post and
telegraph fOr in Switzerland the telegraph
lines are managed, and admirably managed by
the goyernment), Justice, military, interior and
so on. This Council of Seven elect one OF their
number as president, and the present incum-
bent, DR.. Karl Schenck, of Zurich, has served
four terms. Lest this precedent should excite
alarm In our own republic, make haste to
add that the terms are only one year, each, and
that the President has no great power. The
Federal Council like the British Cabinet take
eress. Another celebrity is Simon Kaiser, a
keen-eyed erratic. hatred deputy from Solo
thurn, who is described as a sort of Ben. Butler
in the way OF making things lively in the Swiss
congress. He seemed rather mild article Of
the B. b. persuasion, but perhaps it was not
one OF his busy days. Deputy Stampfi, of
the man to whom the United States are iu-
debted for his sturdy and effective services in
her behalf on the Alabama claims commission.
The members have practical common sense
aspect, and from the fact that they are re-
quired to dress in black (at least to the eX-
tent of black coat are rather sedate look
ing body. None of them had their legs on
their desks; there was apparently no base
ment restaurant to supply "cold tea or other
refreshments: they have no previous question;
h'ibustering is not tolerated, aud altogether
n Iujln
The pages were quite in accord with the
general gravity OF the chamber. They were
gray headed old men, and wore large silver
badges: The newspapers Of Switzerland were
seemed, however, to make only very brief alb.
stracts OF the proceedings. The accommoda-
tlons for the reporters appeared rather inferior
aud they were scattered here and there in
chance corners in the galleries and below. 1t
would appear the likeliest thing in the world
that with such diversity of race and religion
IN the Swiss Congress there should be sharp
matters OF creed and origin: but l was told
that they get along very amicably together
Protestants, Catholics, French-SWisS, Italian
Swiss. and German-SwiSS all working in unity
for the common good. Thus, in body where
the Teutons have majority, the presiding
officer is French.
OTHER MATTERS.
1t is said that there is not bad hotel or a
bad road in Switzerland. This is, perhaps
putting it rather strong. but the Bernerhot
where we stayed in Bern, is certainly up to
the mark, and there is a sufficient reason why;
the two prOprietors and their wives are at the
table in person to see that the guests are well
served This. too. in a first class hotel, with
rooms and appointments in the best style. In
other leading hotels in Switzerland the hosts
are not above waiting upon their guests at
table. After well served early dinner we
started out to see various objects of interest,
ircluding, of course, the bears of Bern, for the
m h of tn tfyY frSNr, I,n1,
the name comes; and by the bequeSt of
patriotic Bernese lady a perpetual fund
las been established for the support OF some
nothing remarkable of their kind, however
and have been apparently so much overfed by
visitors that they don't show off worth a cent.
terest-.the famous clock where whole troop
OF mechanical bears, assisted by a rooster,
harlequin. and Father Time with his hour
glass, go through some curious evolutiOnS
every hour; the streams OF mountain water
running down the streets as in Salt Lake City;
the red cushions in the balcOnied windows,
where the BerneSe ladies sit of an evening
the long arcadeS along the streets, where you
may walk for miles III the shade and do your
shopping; the double and triple terraces of
streets, one above another on the abrupt Gifts
lined with unique old time houses; the pretty
Bernese girls in their saucy. gypsy hats and
costume to match; the Ogre fountain where
hideOus old child-eater has bag-full of
on I1r not banme and Is
market place where the country people dis
play their products; the rOmantically situated
restaurant gardens. commanding such mag
nlfcent views OF mountain and valley that
one partakes OF the sublime and the eatable-
lager, L!mburger and grandeur, all at once
Most enjoyable of all was the carriage ride
through the diversified envir0nS of Bern. The
river Aare. flowing one hundred feet below,
makes loop about the city, and with its
green meadows in one direction and bold
banks in the other, lends great charm to the
A SOLID CITIZEN OF WASHINGTON UNDER
TAKES TO WELD FLAIL.
We stopped at dairyfa house to get
some fresh milk, and to see some of the fea-
lures of Swiss farmlife. Three young men
and a girl were threshing wheat in primitive
style with fails on the barn floor. They han
died the fails with great dexterity, and one of
I spare his name-was inspired to try "flai
ing" himself, it looked so easy, but he struck
out SO wildly that the by.standers scattered
cept one of the rustic threshers, who got him.
self doubled up in such a purple-faced cramp
OF laughter that he could not get out of harms
way way: staa III a became, therefore, duty to disarm
ana 10 iead him away to recOmpensing bowl
OF new milk,
COMMUNIsTIC FORESTS.
Part of our ride was on the skirt of an ex-
tenSive forest owned by the municipality of
Bern. The trees have been carefully planted
and trained, and the sale of the wood and tim
ber brings large income. The poor people
are allowed to take away any dead branches
that fall and we saw several women dragging
OF parcels OF wood they had gathered. The
forest must have been cleaned pretty closely,
for 1t was as clear of sticks, twigS, or even
chips as If it had been raked. A large proper
ton OF the wood land and pasture land of
Switzerland Is the property of the cOmmunes
or municipalities. The wood is cut and as
sorted under the heads of log wood, limb.
wood and brush wood, and is either sold at
auction for the common fund. or Is divided
equally among the members of the commune
The cOmmunes OF switzerland are not at all
OF the sort usually understood by the term,
They are close, conservative corporations.
very tenacious of the rights Of property. and
admitting no one to membership who does not
pay for the privilege. In communes like Bern
and Lausanne, owning large tracts of land and
forest, the price Of admission is higher than in
the poorer cOmmuneS G. s. N,
CONGRESSIONAL NOMINATIONs.-The dem.
OcratS OF the third Minnesota district have
nominated Ignatius Donnelly for Congress,
He has also received the greenbackers' nom.
lnatiOn. The twenty-Seventh New York dis.
trict nationals nominated D. A. Pierrepont
for Congress. 81. j. Hoyt, of Muskeg gon, has
been nominated tOr Congress by the dem.
ocrats OF the fifth Michigan district