Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-21


at every stage, the preparations beforehand,
the personal characteristics and previous and
subsequent history OF every one of his seven
teen guides, the moral aspects of the achieve
ment, together with a comprehensive account
OF every previous ascension In any way remark
able, from DE-. Paccard's ascent in 1856 down to
the present day, were set forth in their regular
order by Nj. SpecSly-Burger with extraordinary
1ullnesS. Under favorable circumstances. aud
WITHOUT interruptions, his narrative consumed
from three and a half to four and half hours
lie became terror to all Geneva and to the
country for miles around"
The American gentleman paused to take
breath, while surveyed the distant mountain
with new interest. The opal tint had dSap-
peared.
'.YOu may have heard" he continued, "of the
grand ideas entertained by the American bank
ing house of BOwleS Brothers before that firm
came TO grief BoWleS Brothers were to have
branch houses in every metropolis on earth,
from Moscow TO Yokohama. Their system OF
finance was to cover and embrace the habitabie
globe, and the head center, the handspring, the
brains of the whole establishment were TO be
located here at Geneva. II | remember well,
they published maps of MercatOrS projection,
in which Geneva was in the middle, surrounded
by q series OF cOncentTic rings, showing how
far away Paris, London, Vienna, Berlin, New
York. were from the headquarters of Bowie5
Brothers. Geneva was to be the capital of the
world
Here my companion sighed. did not ven
ture TO ask him why.
awhile the dream lasted" he went on: ii
was splendid dream. BOwles Brothers were
as liberal as they were sangaline. Everything
they did was done in a brilliantly magnificen5
style. The equipment of their counting house
the
But ] said, care you not wandering from
NJ. Specify Burger?r
Il am coming to NJ Speckly-Burger directly
In the summer OF 1872 society was exceptionally
gay in Geneva. The hotels were crowded with
fashionable people from America and every
country OF Europe. That was the summer, you
remember, that the Council OF Arbitration in
the Alabama matter was in session here. In
accordance with its policy, the house OF BOwleS
Brothers gave grand banquet and reception
to the members of the International Council. I
never saw another gathering so brilliant or 50
cosmopolitan as that The upper saloon of the
banking house was thronged with the most not
able men and women of Geneva and Europe.
The enterpriSing American hnancierS on that
occasion entertained scholars, diplomatiStS,
eiergymen, warriors, citizens. and princes:
Followers of John Calvin lOstled disciples of
Aachiayeih and Metternich. Russian cOun-
tesseS prOmenaded with petroleum princes
from our own dear native land. oh. it was
Now listen. When the enjoyment was at
Its height. returning to the grand saloon from
the supper room observed group in the mid
die OF the floor surrounding somebody who was
diseOurSing with zeal and in a haute roir
strangely cut OF place then and there. 1 did
not need 10 look. IL was Speckly-Burger. By
some abOminable blunder he had received
card.
Those Immediately around Specify Burger
were for the most part strangers, unacquainted
Ill.
had given him his opportunity. and he had
seized 1t. The group grew larger every mo-
meIt. We who knew him, attracted by a hOrri-
BILE fascination, hung about the outskirts Of the
thrOng. Our hosts, the genial t1nancierS, were
in despair.
Isl again assure you, messieurs and mes
dameS,' Speckly-Burger was saying, that my
ascent was very much more remarkable than
that OF De SauSSure, the naturalist, who had
nearly as many guides and weighed many kiio-
grammeS less than do. But, monsieur, pray
rio oh,
order of the narrative. Where were we? All!
We had lost sight Of the GrandS Mulets, and
were struggling On over the dreary eXpanSe of
the second plateau toward the Derniers Rocll-
erS. / twas nearly exhausted by the immense
eXertlOnS OF the early morning. Strange as it
may seem, my great weight became more in
stead of less oppressive in the raretied atmos-
phere. This singular fact has puzzled many
Savants, and myself am at loss how to ac-
count for It. had passed one dangerous crew
asse with great difficulty by being dragged on
my back over frail bridge of crushed SNOW
which cracked under my weight, while below
me yawned chaSm of unfathOmabie depth
Up one icy precipice had climbed by means of
slippery notches cut with hatchet. Up an
other precipice had been hoisted by the Sheer
strength OF my seventeen guides l threw N.Y.
self at full length upon the snow, and begged
my companions to leave Inc there to die. Atthat
moment experienced a
q am boring you," said the American sud
denly tnterrupting himself.
by no MEANS" l replied. ] was listening
watching Mont Blanc. A small cloud had set
tied upon the summit, where NJ. Speckly-Bur-
ger stood in 1865.
Well" continued the American. "the inter-
minable yarn went on. The situation seemed
very black indeed. Specify Burger was good
for at least three hours more, and now that he
had acquired full headway, nothing less than
an earthquake or the uprising OF the waters of
the lake could arrest his narrative.
do you remember that crisis in our civil
war when the great rebel ram steamed up into
n q hxl| To cir raFlNl0
ships before the eyes OF thousands Of loyal men
and gallant sailors who were p0werieSS to block
her way? II seemed as If nothing could stop
the Merrimac. 1t seemed as il She would over
ride our whole navy and sink the very ship of
state itself. Then do you remember how an
Insignificant and ridiculous concern-a cheese
mudscow and all alone gave battle to the VIC
toliOuS black monster?
DUST as Speckly-Burger had crossed the
sixth erevasse and was drinking bottle OF Gin
revive his almost extinct vitality, thin little
gentleman, dressed in black, entered the room,
and quietly made his way into the inner circle
OF the great cOnverSationalfSt'S audience. The
appearance OF the new conner was anything but
formidable. He had hardly one-Quarter of
Speckly-Burger's weight. He was q nervous,
MT him well. He looked as If the mere concuS-
sion OF one of Specify Burgers lightest SEN
fences would knock him over.
90 II was about hundred and fifty metres
further on said Speckly-B Burger, that l most
unfortunately tumbied into a moulin. A moulin
ladies. is a circular hole eaten in the ice by the
action OF the water. They are sometimes OF
small diameter, but OF prOdigiOus depth. The
diameter OF this moulin was nearly equal to the
diameter OF myself; therefore / sank to nv
waist and stuck there immOvably. The guides
exhausted their strength In vain attempts 10
pull me out. Horrible to relate, before had
been many minutes in the moulin felt myself
sinking deeper-veIy slowly but very surely
sinking deeper On reflection the cause will be
obvious TO all OF you. The natural warmth OF
my person was imperceptibly melting the ice
around me, thus allowing my extraordinary
weight 10 pun me steadily downward. What
were my sensations In that time Of peril. But
ton after button OF my camirole disappeared be-
breast deep. l uttered short, but feryent
prayer, and closed my eyes to await the friC-
oric death that was imminent. You ask, mad
anne, II actually persisted? Thank heaven no,
The mercy of Providence and the presence of
mind and ingenuity Of Johanna Mar6li, one OF
my guides, preserved me from the most terrible
OF deaths. Selling two alpen-StOcks, he placed
them horizontally upon the surface ice, one on
each side OF me. TO that simple expedient
owe my life. sank 10 my armpitS. bat could
sink no further, for hung there In an unco.n-
Portable and precafiOuS position the two truSty
ashen STATS creak1ng under my weight How
was finally extricated? That invOlveSa Scien-
tine explanation OF considerable length You
see that the "iross, or snow ice OF the sur
face,
-. object, said a thin yet solemn and pene-
tratlng voice. i object TO the unwarranted as
sumption. or Implication
"Amazement was plainly printed On every
A ns nf ON VnlI,