Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-28

church door Is . bas-relief representing
the wise and foolish virgins. the works
Of charity, and at the top Christ in the
judgment and the angels ut the las;
day. The interior interests the visitor.
The pulpit. JU years old, is a curious
piece O. antiquity. The sisles contain
fine old monuments built in the walls.
The stained glass windows are embel-
lished with portraits Of Scripture char.
acters and events, and were painted in
Munich. They are beautiful specimens
Of art We were interested in this old
edifice from the fact that it is said to
he one OF the finest Protestant churches
in existence. From the terrace in the
rear OF the cathedral. rising nearly q
hundred feet, Immediately above the
Rhine, we had delightful view OF the
swift green river, and the dark heights
OF the Black Forest in the distance.
The day was sultry and hot, and the
terrace being planted with outrageous
chesnuts made it very inviting spot.
From Basic We travel by rail to
Lacerne, q pleasant town of some IT,
900 inhabitants about one third the
size Of Basle-delightfully situated at
the mouth OF Lake Lucerne, and ON
both sides of the Reuss, whose waters
are a clear emerald green and issue
from the lake with the swiftness of q
mountain torrent. In the old part of
the town the streets are narrow and
crooked, and with their old, quaint
houses give the place quite pictur-
esque appearance. Two singular old
bridges span the river. Under the roof
of each, supported on the beams, are
numerous faded oil paintings repre-
senting scenes from the lives of the
patron saints of Lucerne and events in
Swiss history; also paintings of the
"Dance of Death" (see Longfellow's
Golden Legend"). The memorial of
the Swiss guards-nearly eight nun
dred-who died at their posts in de.
Tending the Tuilleries, Aug. 10, 1892,
in the first French Revolution, is an
object of interest. The Lion of Lu-
cerne-a dying lion, % feet in length,
reclining in a grotto, transfxed by a
broken lance and sheltering the Bour-
bon lily with its paw--is carved out of
the natural rock, lying against the face
of high hill. We could have lin
gered at this romantic spot for hours.
The work is extremely impressive, and
affords proof that in true art the
simplest idea carried out by a master
hand never fails in its effect. The town
is we'll supplied with first.class hotels,
pleasantly situated on the margin of
the lake. During the summer months
they are well patronized. The traveller
will never regret the day or two spent
at Lucerne. The lake is one of the
prettiest in Switzerland, with its clear,
blue water, and in wild and picturesque
scenery, is unsurpassed. 1t is, more
over, memorable from it's association
with heroic legends of William Tell.
Few persons leave without making
an excursion to Righi, though compare
lively insignificant in height a ,472
feet above the lake,, yet its admirable
isolated position, commanding PIANO.
rama of some three hundred miles in
circuit, has made it the most popular
mountain in Switzerland. Everybody
ascends it, young and old, grave and
'gsy, men, women and children. It is.
said that every year from forty to Atty
thousand persons make the ascent,
which. compared with former years, is
an easy matter, as it is now made by
rail. 1t was formerly termed Right
Weld, pasturage of the Righi. The
south side consists of wide terraces and
gentle slopes, planted with fig; chestnut
and almond trees, and covered with
fresh green pastures, which support
large herds of cattle. You are taken
from Lucerne by a small steamboat to
Vitznau, where the inclined railway be-
gins. This mountain railway is an
American institution, was invented by
an American, and is in all respects sim
liar to the road which ascehds Mt.
Washington. The length is 7,755
yards, and cost 1,250, 900 francs. The
guage is that of ordinary railways.
There are four rails, two of them placed
close together, and provided with teeth
on which COW. wheel under the loco.
motive works. The train consists of q
single passenger Car, which is pushed
upward by an awkward-lookingT steam
engine, with vertical instead of
horizontal boiler. In its descent the
speed is regulated by an ingenius mode
of introducing atmospheric air into the
cylinder, and in case OF accident can
be stopped almost instantaneously. The
speed attained does not exceed three
miles an hour. During our ascent we
passed through dark heavy clouds and
terrific hail storm; many of the lady
passengers became quite nervous. Ar
irving at the top, where we found Q first
class hotel 1.-THE Right Kulm) after par
taking of q lunch, the clouds passed
away, the sun shone brightly, and we
enjoyed q most enchanting view of the
semi-circular sweep of the mountains
and surrounding country. The little
villages dotting here and there the val.
leys below US, appeared to the naked
eye precisely like children's toy houses,
with the customary church looming up
little above its fellows. Many per-
sons spend the night on the summit to
see the sunrise, which is said to be very
grand, but as a fine sunrise is the ex-
ception rather than the rule, it scarcely
pays, unless you are travelling at leisure
snd have plenty of spare time. On the
highest point is erected lookout some
twenty-five or thirty feet in height,
from which q fine view is obtained.
Our daughter counted from this stand
eleven Swiss lakes. We enjoyed our
visit to the top OF Righi. j. McC.