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

PARIS TO SWITZERLAND BY THE TRAvERs VAL
LEY-HOw THEY SPEAK ENGLISH AT Pom
TARLIER-BERN AND THE BERNEsE THE
SWISS CONGRESS-EXTRA SESSION ALL ABOUT
RAILROAD SUBSIDY BABEL OF LAM
GUAGES BE ERNESE BEARS, FOUNTAINS,
OGRES, CLOCKS, ARCADES, GARDENS, RES
TAURANTs, WOODS. WATERS, RED-CUsHIONs,
PRETTY GIRLS, BEER, CHEESE, sUBLIMITIKs,
AND COMMUNES.
Editorial Correspondence Of The Stdr.l
CHAMOUNY, Aug. @, 1873.
Our party OF four George M. Oyster, Ru-
dOlph Kaufman, Charles T. Ely. and self
came from Paris to Switzerland by the way of
DijOn, Pontarlier, and Neuchatel to enjoy the
renowned view on the Travers valley, enter.
ing Switzerland, and the initial view of the
Mt. Blanc group from near Neuchatel. The
valley view was all right, but Mt. Blanc and
suite were not visible; though the green Jura
range, with storm clouds hanging over them
afforded prospect sufficiently interesting.
The finer portion of the valley scenery is be-
tween POntarller, the French frontier station,
and Neuchatel. At "Hotel de la Poste,' Pom
taller, where we stopped, there was the usual
sign English spoken here" but it was a de-
lusion. The landlady, the walters and all
spoke French and nothing else; and pretty
certainly the only Engl sh spoken there is the
swearing OF En2liSh-speaking people over the
deception However, hungry travellers, and
landlords having food to sell, can gener-
ally come tG an understanding somehow,
and we got what we needed. The Travers
valley road winds along mountain side by
some notable feats OF engineering, disclosing
at every curve some feature Of wonderful
beauty IN the green and closely cultivated val
ley below: Near Neuchatel we came in site of
the GuarrieS from which the limestone asphalt
is obtained with which our Pennsylvania ave-
nue. is paved from 9th street to the Capitol.
These quarries are owned by an English COM
in Europe for paving purposes, and especially
for sidewalks, but is considered too hard in
its natural state, for carriageways, and Is
mixed largely with gravel and other sub
atel were covered for miles with the vines that
produce the Neuchatel wine, but, as is the
case with most OF the wine growing countries
of Europe, the vines are cut low and trained
to short sticks, and have no more grace than
so many pea-vineS. 1t is interesting always in
Switzerland, however, to note the ingenious
Way in which the VINEYARDS are built upon ter:
ground utilized. AT Lyss, the names on the
railway station changed from French to Ger
man, and we entered upon our first experi.
ence OF the Babe! OF tongues that prevail in
Switzerland. The cottages or chalets now be-
gan TO have an air of neatneSs, lacking in the
French territory. There were new houses or
new roofs to old ones, aud everywhere indica-
the meadows were great piles of peat, cut IN
cubes, and piled up like bricks, to dry in the
sun. may add that the sun was decidedly hot
between Neuchatel and Bern, and we have
found touches of warm enough weather ali
through Switzerland, even in the higher val
leys, directly under the glaciers.
BERN.
The guide books, dwelling upon the big fea-
lures OF Swiss scenery, do not make very much
of Bern, but to me it has proved one OF the
most interesting points n Switzerland Its
elevated, picturesque situation, quaint build
ings, beautiful surroundings; its grand view
OF the Bernese Alps. and its character as the
political capital of the sister republic, all give
it attractiveneSS. Here we had the good for
tune to meet Mr.. John HitZ, who as Swiss
Consul General has so ably. represented
Switzerland in the United States for many
years, and who seems to be as highly appre-
ciated in Bern as he is with US in Washing
ton.
VISIT TO THE SWISS CONGRESS.
The Swiss Congress, or " Federal Assembly"
consisting of the National Council, and the
Council of the States, corresponding in some
degree to our House and Senate, is now hold
ing an extra session, and Mr.. Hitz took us
upon the floor OF the National Council, where
we had an excellent opportunity to observe
the workings of the popular branch of the
republic. This lower branch (Which, how
ever, is considered here the higher, and in
one hundred and thirty-fve deputies, one for
every a.0G of the population, or certainly one
from each canton: The Council of the States,
each canton was not in session at the SH time o Of
our visit. The Swiss Congress. after the fash
ion OF the Swiss people, commences its work
earl early II in ,t5 the day, q. m, but adjourns early
afternoon sessions. The question for consid-
Grafton at this extra session of the Congress
Is that OF subsidy or an increase Of subsidy
IA h0 nfh I'd frln no1 hun I, ,ioho
rail line is to be made between Germany,
northern Switzerland and Rome. AS Ger.
many and Italy are alike interested with
and tunnel, the three countries have CON
tributed each quota for the purpose; but it
seems that, as sometimes in other parts of the
world, the appropriation for the work has been
exhausted and it is not completed, so there is a
call upon the contributing countries for more
money. Now in Switzerland, where wonder
fully close economy is exercised in the expen-
school buildings, and public works of all kinds
are OF the best,) there is some demur to an
additional appropriation in this case; espe-
clally from the cantons not particularly inter
ested in the tunnel, and as several members
OF the Federal Assembly are stockholders in
the st.. GOthard railroad there is a pretty
lively controversy on hand, and the aforesaid
let of some decidedly hard knocks in the de-
bates. There is no charge of dishonesty in the
matter, but simply one of blundering on the
pdFG vi Gne engineer OF the road, Tor whose
incapaclty the stockholders are held RESPONSE
BILE. 1t does not seem either, to be considered
any dlscredit OF the credit mObilier sort, for
member OF the Swiss Congress to be stock
holder In this road. On the contrary, as a
national work of Importance it is held to be
rather matter of public spirit to engage in
its construction.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS IN FOUR Lam.
GUAGES.
The interest in the proceedings to stranger
is much increased by the fact that they are
carried on in three, and even four, different
languages, French, Italian and
RomOnsch, the peasant Latin, as old as the
times of Julius Caesar. The German, however,
predominates. something in proportion to the
preponderance of population of Teutonic
origin; the ratio of Teutons to Celts in the
country being seventy to thirty. and the Celts
are subdivided into Gallo, Romonsch and
Italian clans 1t appears, further, that the
medley of languages spoken in Switzerland
has undergone so much change that a French
man cannot understand Swiss French any
more than German can understand Swiss
German. The Swiss have been cOnciSely de-
scribed as race apart, having no language of
their own; no common code; no public debt ::
no kings; no subjects: no noble class; no pau.
per class; no standing army; no official
church.
TRANSLATORS NEEDED.
1t is part of the duties of the secretaries of
the Swiss Congress to act as translators. The