The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-10-06
Vienna Letter.


VIENNA, Sept. ~, 1855.
those of your readers who happen To-
have passed through Goriiz on their way
from Venice to Trieste will not be sur
prised to hear that my Impressions de roy
age on returning thence to day are not of
the most favorable description. GoritZ,
where the uncrowncd King Of France re-
Gently died. is small plc,uresquely sl,us-
ted cathedral town of some eight or ten
thousand inhabitants, tor the most part of
a marked Italian type It covers a hill, i
some hillocks, and part of a fertile plateau
in the Carniola Mountains. The road from
Trieste is far wilder than that of the Cor
nice near Nice When the highest point
Is reached the train passes through the
karst, dreary wilderness %! stone, ptted
by huge holes, some of them 500 feet and
Others 1000 feet:deep. Vesuges of ruined
villages are visible here and there. The
karst Is traversed by several rivers tina,
alternately disappear INTO some yawning
chasm, and reappear above ground after a.
subterrancan course of several miles LII
Is a grisly scene. Emerging from this
mysterious country the railroad runs along
the river lsonzo, which forms the natural
boundary between Austria anu Italy, and
then reaches luXurant plain, decidedly
Italian in aspect. Gori,z is sighted shortly
attcrw The town itself consists chiefly
of monasteries, converts and churches,
noe OF them remarkable for their beauty
of architecture or their art treasures.
There is resident local arlstocracy,
which practices philanthropy on gener
Gus scale, headed by the venerable Coun-
tess Mathilde Won Coronni.
Two thousand eXclted and disconnected
Frenchmen, transferred fresh from their
native land to any city in the world would
probably enliven it considerably, even If it
were London or New York Imagine,
then, what must have been the effect of
the French invasion upon the quiet, out,
, ot-theway country town Of Gorlz during
the last few days The peaceful town.folk
themselves were thoroughly scared, and
, mad not recovered from their bewlldcrment
G when I lett yesterday morning. 1t was at
! lunch ana dinner hour that the hideous
i row and confusion reached its climax.
None of the hotels or restaurants had en-
gagged single extra hand tor the occasion,
S and the only chance you had of beng
J. waited on was to wait upon yourself Thus
princes and dukes, monsgnori and mar
quises were to be seen rushing about with
C plates of greasy stewed meat, bottles of
y sour VINE, and baskets OF bread just car
Q RED off IN triumph from the kitchen and
5 pantry. These de.lcacies were rarely Ell
5 Joyed sitting at the table. The window
II ledge, II chair, or an empty beer cask was
Y found acceptable accommodation where
o there were only tables for 800 or 400 Gus
Il toners. | never saw such scramble in
,, all my life. Then, not one per cent. OF all
y the visitors could speak word of any Ian
5 guage but French, and a. the natives talk
/ nothing but Italian or German, the inva-
!, ders haa some slight difficulty in making
It themselves understood. THIS led to many
r an amusing scene, generally followed by
y some such exclamation rs Que! sacrC
& pays, GU personnc parle Franchise a
a certain number Of French visitors apprG-
:. hcndlng that there would he no aCCommC'
u dations at Goritz, had like myself, taken
&c. up their quarters at Trieste. The scenes
C at the Trieste railway on sunday and Mon
day morning were extremely dlvcrtlng
- Giles a@uS, OF course, things are managed
is quite differently here We are IN n half
y civilized country, where the railways ser
l. wants do not screcch to you at the top o
their voice, where most Of them are ever
IS civil, and where you are not penned VI
DC like sheep IN hot waiting room TIL iiv,
J, minutes before starting time. The French
:, man, however, misses those home comforts
n of travelling, which so often spoil an Amer
leans trip to Europe. The railway NJ
rangcmcnts IN Austria, which by the way
,e are rs nearly perfect as possible, he pro
t nounces to be wanting III system and or
ganzation. ! never knew Fr,nChmar
i yet who, under three weeks stay in THU
d country, could fully comprehend the Aus
&c trian monetary system. heard a curious
% dialogue between passenger for Gor!t;
x and the ticket clerk at Trieste Station, ~
L the latter endeavored to explain that papeI
was the currency OF this country, and al
n though Monsieur could prefer gold he die
Y not have single coin Of that metal in ,b'
st Office Whatever the FrenChman's merits
) may BE, he Is certainly no traveller AHC
/ | return from Goritz hoping may NEE
d HIM as seldom as possible out of his OWL
! country.