The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-12-14
AMONG THE

vored with Beer and Tobacc3-A Moon
light Picnic in Search of the succuient
Mushroom.
CASTLE MAREscH, Bohemia, Special Core.
spondence, Nov. 3.-We have loft the Aus
trian Manhartsberg and come to this old castle
to SIP end the harvest home month, the most iu-
teresting Of all seasons in Bohemia. TIE
Marusskau, a temple hill raised by tho Sclsves
to their goddess Of silence and rest, stands
crowned with birch and fir trees just beyond
the castle moat, and casts a deep shadow over
the meadows, now filed with yellow vetch and
purple asters-meadows where. once a Roman
army encamped, and where, even in these
days, tho plowboys find coins and
medals bearing the inscription and
~lostrais of Hadriau. To the northwest
are the celebrated fossil rocks of Beraun,
where petritied snakes and trilobites lie scat-
tered among the stones and states. bearing the
impress of lilies aud fern leaves. We visited
these old slate q%uarries and chalk hills last
week. Our party were so enthused with scien-
tifc research after listening to our worthy
hosts lunch-table talk-the Sclayic legends of
the horse with the golden hoofs W ho made
three jumps over the land of The S~claves, and
wherever the hoofs touched Il mountain of
gold rose from the earth-thatw we insisted upon
fSfsS ''Nh 10y Wy " Wv HolNN
mountain" Three Of these horshoe-formed
hills lie near the Bohemian township Of Beraur,
ono discovered 0v a French mineralosist sixty
years ago contains u slate quarry, where
superb specimens Of fucoids are found, and a
httie removed from ii, is a precipice Of chalk,
IN which petrlhcations of unknown periods are
lying. 1t is quite true the stones arc petriiied
worms, and concrete of shells, often SO minnie
as 10 require a niaguifying glass to distinguish
them, and these, on n mountain, mauy thous-
and feet above the sea. DeIdelly the deluge
tioated many strange things about. One of cur
party found some superb specimens Of coral,
and ~ petriied fish in an iron rock, or rather
III ground containing iron ore, aud called the
"E sensohluct" Our host, the Herr Baron,
docs not think anything too wonderful for
Bohemia. To him it is the first nction OF the
world, and his after supper table talks are con-
cise reviews of the political, religious, and art
history Of his beloved land.
A SUPPER.
These supper tables are so unlike ANYTHING
ever found in America that a desert ption may
be of interest. A S O'Clock the notes of a
French horn call the family together to a table
spread under the lindsns of tho park. Down
from the woodland walks on the Marausskau,
or from the rose gardens and goosebe rry
bushes. (Such gooseberries are never found
IN other lands-sreat PUPPY, jelly-flled, oval
bulbs, the size of a pigeons egg.) Well,
from these corners the guests emerge, and
we take our places under tho lindeus. We sit
where we please, waiting, of course, until our
hostess has taken her place. There is nothing
on the table but the glass-shaded candles, n
silver BASKET of schw Arzsshrod Very brown
bread, salt sellers aud our plates. At a sign
from the hostess supper is placed on the table
by the servants, who Immediately withdraw.
with the exception Of the oldest family servant,
u sort of confidential steward, who remains to
serve wine and beer. Tho menu is very sim
pie, roasted meas or fowls, with French salads,
or game with compete, a weak, diluted form of
preserves, very little sugar, and q vast
amount Of water. The best Of the repast is
Plisner beer and the baron's stories, and the
run OF feeding the dogs, who go wagging their
tails round the table begging for bones They
VIII lap up a saucer of beer and evidently rel
isn it, judging from the increased wag of their
talls. When all have finished eating. beer
and bread are placed on the table, the former
IN huge earthenware pitchers. the latter in
their pipes, and the ladies their cigarettes. ana
the perfume of the woodlands is lost in Turk
lsh Latakia. Nine o'clock < is the hour for rctir-
ing. Occasionally the young people steal away
from tho group, at the supper table, and
wander of tothe hill of silence, "Marausskau,'
where the full moon shines down through
branches of hemlock and weeping birch. Such
nights as we have had since our coming to
these northern Mills repay us for all the losses
we sustained during the summer on account of
Austrian arlstocratic etiquette.
KARLsTEIN.
To-day, after listening to the baron's lecture
last evening upon the former wealth of Bahe-
stein, the famous fortress built rs a jewel
cssket for the regalia OF the kingdom BY
Charles ". of Bohemia. 1t is a
rock fortress in the very heart of
and cedar. the river Moldau flowing on one side
of the rocky height from whence the fortress
rises. The tower, in the upper part of which
IL the chapel where the imperial treasures were
kept, rises 2 feet above the battlements.
Tue walls are fourteen feet thick, and the win.
dows. which were Of jewels set in leaden
frames, are not more than TWO feet high. This
chapel, where the walls are one superb mosaic
Of agate, amethyst aud onyx, reminded us of
the cathedral chapels at Prague, seen
year. The guido who showed us
over the castle told us that in oIden times
this chapel, during divine service, was lit with
1888 candles. The more historical chapel of
st katbrlna, opening from the private apart
meut OF King Karl w, is quits as interesting,
II not in relics OF the early centuries, certainly
in richness of decoration and precious stones.
Like the Maria chapel of the crown jewels in
mosaic of topaz, jaspsr, chrysoprasus and
chaicedony. Hero it was that the pious
Karl tasted and prayed three days
every year upon the anniversary Of
the festival of that saint his life had been
miraculously preserved from the knife OF the
assassin. On these DAYS no one dared, to dis
turb him. The oratory, where he knott before
an oak prayer-desk of his own carving, is
behind the altar of the larger chapel dedicated
to st. Katherine, and where the kings family
and the court heard daily mass. The entrance
TO it opens to the right OF the altar, through q
magnificent oaken carved door, richly inlaid
with iron traceries. Through this door, in
thnse days, no one but the king dared pass,
and the only means OF communicating
with tho praying monarch was by a
narrow hole in the wainscot OF the oratory, and
reached from q similar opening behind the
high altar. Through this narrow passage q
crust of bread aud 3 cup of wine and water
we're passed, and the state papers to which 1t
was necessary for his majesty to Immediately
h1 his signature. 1t is quite impossible to,
stones IN this oratory, and the beauty Of it's
ceiling, composed Of sapphires aud emeralds.
The present stones are limitations, for 80 many
OF the real gems were stolen in the Hun
garlsn and Austrian wars with this land,
that the decorations of its channels would
have been utterly lost had not the piety Of
later sovereigns restored their exquisite beauty
as Well IS It wac possible in an age of war and
famine. The mossic walls are, of course,
formed OF the original stone, firmly imbedded
IN gypsum onea washed with gold, but now
dead and brown, holding the purple amethyst
.nd pale green chrysoprasus with iron grasp.
Our visit to this grandest OF Bohemian fort
resses quite subdued our taste for lcss-deco-
rated churches in the neighborhood, so We
have urged the baron to take us to every place
of historical interest in the surrounding coun-
try, and they are many.
A HUNT.
An account OF our mushroom hunt last
night will be the proper thing with which to
close this first edition of Harvest home days in
Bohemia. The delicious flavor of Bohemian
"pilsen,'' or mushrooms, led US to ask orr fair
| hostess what they looked like. whore they prax.