Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-09-16
AMONG THE SWITxERS.


TELL THE AXENsTRAssE, AND OTHER
SWISS ROADs-UP AND OVER AND DOWN THE
RIGI-AMERICAN WRINKLES IN swITzER
LAND - AMERICAN MOUNTAIN RAILROADS,
AMERICAN STEAMERS, CARS, MILK CONDENs-
ERS, &c-ZURICH THE SWISS BOSTON-SwIsS
SCHOOLS AND SWISS NEWSPAPERS.
Editorial Correspondence Of TIE Star.
CHAMOUNY, August 81, 1873.
Luce1ne with its excellent hotels and at1rac-
tivepOsitiOn: and as a sort of crossroads point
for tourists, is, like Interlaken, good place
to meet people. Landing on the Schweizerhof
quay We came across Mr.. John Boteler and
wife, of Washington, and at breakfast in the
morning at the Schweizerhof, who should
saunter in but Mark Twain, with that inim-
liable Geliberation of manner which charac.
teriZes him at home; and he has lost nothing
of the lazy drawl OF speech that makes him a
marked man amongst these glib tongued con-
tinental people. He says that European travel,
after all resolves itself into the matter of find
ing a few good hotels but yet he thinks it pays
to get out of the stream of petty politics and
commonplace news for awhile. He is accom-
panied by his family and by the Rev. Mr..
TWitcbell, Of Hartford, a young clergyman of
the sterling sort, who seems to have won the
approval of Marks rather critical Judgment
that publishes the hotel arrivals noticed the
names Of Theodore Tilton and daughters
ill large capitals, and it is evident they are con-
Sldered distinguished Americans.
at Lucerne one must see the ThorwaldSen
dying lion, which, suppose, it is hardly ne
ceSSary to say commentaries the bravery and
hdenty OF the Swiss Guard, who laid down
their lives ID defence Of Louis XVI. and his
family at the Tui.eries in 1872 It is a noble
conception, grandly executed, and do not see
why il has not the same claims to Immortality
that those older sculptured Inspirations OF
genius have-the LAGOON. the Nlobe, the Dy-
the seamy sandstone in which it is cut makes
its preservation in its present position only
matter OF years, and already portions of the
figure have We been replaced, but the original
MODEL by ThOrWaldsen, from which it was exc
ecuied by the Swiss artist, is carefully pre-
served in tuilding near by, and from that it
can be reproduced at any time: At Lucerne
the lion is naturally the subject Of the wood
carvers, as the bear is at Bern and some of
the more elaborate copies in wood are spirited
reproductions of the great work of the Danish
sculptor. Near the lien of Lucerne is the
fetschergarten, a great. curiosity, showing
that at one time the site OF Lucerne was at the
bottom OF a glacier, thousands of feet in depth
That was in the time OF the ice period, when
all switzerland, with the exception of the
tops OF the mountains, was covered with ice !;
and the fact that the ice did not reach the
highest points. accounts for their retaining the
peculiar sharpness that gives them the names
OF horns and needles. Most OF our American
mountains, at least on the Atlantic slope, have
rounded erests, from the grinding action of
the ice going over them in this ice period. The
Lucerne Glacier Garden" was discovered in
digging the foundations of a wine cellar, and
some gigantic pots OF glacier holes caused by
thew. the Whlrilng OF stones driven round by the
as glacier mills, We're found there. BY way of
contrast to this illustration of the period when
ice covered all the northern hemisphere, there
is shown in the same inclosure fine specimen
OF the petrlfaction of a palm, the product of
tropical heat, and which was found in quar-
rylng in the same neighbOrhOOd. OF cores
pondIng interest is the fine collection at Ltl-
cerne OF the relics of the lake-dWellers of
Switzerland.
WHERE ONE MAY GO FROM LUCERNE.
From Lucerne one may go up the frowning
Mount Pilatus Supposed to be the abode of
evil spirits and to be haunted more especially
by the ghost of Pontius Plate, who, according
to tradition, committed suicide in black lake
on the mOuntain) or up the Rigi, or make the
the land OF William Tell and then ascend the
Rlgi on one side and then 20 down on the
other, as We did. Lake Lucerne, or the Lake
OF the -Four Cantons, is generally held to be
certainly has, in its four arms, all the varied
charms OF pastoral landscape and grand noun
tain scenery to satisfy every taste. Our pretty
and swift steamer. patterned after the Amer
lean side wheel steamers, starting out from
Lucerne on lovely morning crossed the lake
SO many times in making landings at different
lightful variety of views. At Vitznau, the
landing for the Rigi railway, we left our lug
gage at the wharf In charge of a porter, to be
afternoon. Then we got, almost Immediately
into the Tell country. Perhaps it may be cOnsid-
cred qulxotlsh to make a pilgrimage to what is
called the band of Tell, since the modern his
torlanS declare that immortal hero myth,
but feel like entering a protest in behalf OF
the boy population OF the world against this
summary disposal OF the patriot archer; and
the places identified with his name; especially
as those places are all handy of access and
VIII not hinder us In the least in getting up
the klgl In time for the mountain sunset. Soon
the boat paused at Brunnen, the resort of
French and German artists, and which is the
port Of the Canton of Schwyz which gives its
name to Switzerland and the Swiss. On an
emlnence OF this beautiful place is the villa
residence OF one of the BenZinger Bros. who
carry on the great Catholic publishing estab-
llsLment at EnsiedelD, on the other side of The
monastery Or abbey town OF Switzerland thai
has sacred shrine so famous that an average
OF l5O,UO pllgrlms visit it every year. The
Benzlnger Bros. employ seven or eight hun
dred people in their establishment; large
business Tor Switzerland. They print Catholic
books in all languages, and have an extensive
mouse III Broadway, New York, and another
our right monument to Schiller, who helped
TO 1mmortalize William TELL and then on the
same side, about mile further on, is the
f1eld OF Gfutil, where the Swiss patriots met
70 plan rebellion against the Austrian tyrants.
II is a nttle Shelf OF green on the side of tall
Gins, and does not look like a very good
place lOr patriotic mass meeting but it
IS explained that by having precfpices in
their rear they could get out OF the way in
short order If attacked in front, as they
were better climbers than the Austrians. Next
on the other side was Tells chapel on the
Identical spot where he sprang from GessIer's
boat; but that we took In on our return AT
Ter one or two more zigzags across the lake to
village landing places, we reached Fluelen,
the end OF the lake, and from thence took an
omnibus to AltdOrf, where William Tell was
bOrn-if he p0S bOrn-Of which, however.
there can be no doubt. 1t was a delightful
Tact 1or the believers in Tell to notice some
very Old apple trees ON the road in the out
sKlfts OF AltdGrf; and it was observed that
the apples were very small which is cOniirma-
ilon OF the accuracy of Tells aim. Then lust
IN sight OF the quaint old stone inn, where we
got ulnner, was a statue Tin plaster, and not
IN enduring marble, as it should be) of Tell
StanainS on the spot where he stood when he
shot the apple from the head of his boy. Then
AltdOrf, and pictures and images of Tell ali
ABOUT The place. AitdOrf wouldn't be a
healthy place, evidently for the historians who
want 10 make myth of Tell Everything
Oldtlme and quaint about AltdOrf, notWith.
standing 1t Is within short distance of the
ST. GOtthard pass, and on the line OF the tide
Oh travel over that pass into Italy. Our din
lhg-room at AltdOrf was on the third floor OF
me hotel and the first floor was a stable Our
dlnner included. amongst other odd things
an omeiette served up with mixture of stewed