Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-11-28
WHOLE NO. 1859.

clouds and occasionally the dome of
Mt. Blanc, bright with sunlight would
appear above the clouds. After enjoy
ing the wonderful view .or more than
an hour we descend and reach our no
tel by six o'clock
During the day we have made on
foot taoenty one miles of mountain
travelling, having climbed two peaks
each 5000 feet high. The reader can
get some idea OF what it is to lift
ones body mp these two mountains by
thinking OF going up-a pair of stairs
$4,000 steps high, or going up and
down pair of ordinary house stairs
about 500 times in one day. 1t was
the hardest days work had done in
many year.
There are six competing lines Of
stages from Chamouny to Geneva, a
distance of so miles, and SO sharp is
the competition between them that
the fare to Geneva had fallen from IS
TO francs. These great coaches are
each drawn by from three to six horses
and make the distance down in six
hours. Much of the way the road is
cut through rocks and walled up at
the side. / think / never saw so fine
carriage road or one with such a
good road bed and grade. And indeed
the fine roads over nearly all Europe
are wonder to Americans. Most of
them are graded almost as carefully
as rail roads aud the wagon track is
covered with broken stone,
The upper part of the road is
through rough country, but the ten
miles nearest Geneva is in rich and
well cultivated region. ! should re-
member this ride as one of the pleas
artist of my trip if it were not that
native" smoking "long nine! made
of the most villainous tobacco which
ever grew, sat on the seat in front Of
me and gave me most of the way this
wretched second hand tobacco smoke
All over the continent almost every
man smokes and drinks beer or wine,
and the presence Of ladies is not con-
! sidered a restraint to either
Geneva, which is beautifully sitnat-
ed at the foot of the lake is one of the
most important cities in Switzerland,
aid contains more foreign residents
than any other. II is mentioned by
Caesar in the first books of his "Gallic
War" and from that time has been a
| place of Importance. 1t has a large
number OF watch and jewellry estab-
lishments and extensively manufac-
lures music boxes and carved work.
On clear day one can get a fine view
of Mt. Blanc from the quay in front
of the Hotel de Russie. In Geneva
and along the lake there are a large
number of English hotels and ladies'
boarding schools. On our former WIS.,
it we attended Pierre Hyacinth's
church but some one else conducted
the services. We however saw him
and his American wife as they left the
church.
While in Geneva we were awaken.
ed very early one morning by an un.
earthly noise under our window. Our
first impression was that half a dozen
full brass bands had come to give us
a serenade, but on looking out We
could see only a market woman with
a little wagon and a donkey abou,
the size of a four weeks old calf
The woman seemed to be reasoning
with the animal and enforcing hel
argument with frequent slaps on his
long ears. He was sustaining his
side of the discussion in a way in
which only donkeys can, and which
cannot be equalled or initiated by
anything in this world, and it was
his vigorous presentation of his view
of the question which awakened me
When l looked at this insignificant
little animal and heard the fearful
noise he made which seemed to fillth
air for miles around, it seemed aston
ishing that such wonderful vocal pow,
ers could be wrapped up in SO small {
brown skin, and the longer his pow
erful argument continued the NOR,
my wonder grew, and to this day
cannot hear donkey address an au
dience or speak to friend couple
} of miles away without being 6llet
with awe at the wonderful manner il
} which he seemed to be constructed
Until / heard this Geneva donkey
! never half realized what must hav,
been the interview between Baaliu
ard the beast on which be rode, o
what was signified when stbe as
} opened his mouth and spake."
We will bring this long letter to
close by asking our readers to get
through ticket via Mt. Gents tunne
to Naples, 500 miles away, wher,
we hope they will be sufficiently re
covered from the long ride of tw,
days and nights without the comfort
of sleeping car to 60 with us to thu
buried city of Pompei and make tn
ascent of Vesuvlus.
.. r. BURcHARD