Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-05-29
Zurich Letter.
ZURICH, May |, 1884.

Dear american
One by one the cherished heroes Of my
boyhood days were demolished by the re-
searches OF unfeeling historians and among
my dethroned favorites, William Tell oc-
cuped prominent place. clung linger-
ingly to that unerring archer for years. and
now am receiving the reward Of nv faith
in being able TO find the views Of the Swiss
themselves on the subjec, and surely they
ought 10 know. have lost no opportunity Of
asking every educated Swiss to tell me his
belief and to my delight nearly every one
declares that he did live and that the at
tempt TO make myth Of HIM has no fact
or foundation, and is only the movement
Of iconoclasts. who would have us believe
that nothing existed previous to the 10Th
century.
The American Consul here has personally
investigated the matter and he declares the
story as told is substantially true.
Certainly the Swis, believe it and one
sees reminders Of il everywhere, signs, carv-
ings, paintings. etc, representing the scene,
and the enacting Of it is favori,e amuse.
ment of the children. saw a party of
boys from TO years old performing il
short time since. The hat was put on the
pole, one Of the number sat short distance
away and frowned severely on the scene,
representing thus the tyrant so several Of
the boys filed along and duly Frustrated
themselves, when another Of the boys ap-
peared leading the youngest He s,ernly re-
fused 10 bow, was seized.an apple was placed
on the small urchin's head and the arrow sent
toward it. The archer could not have been
q lneal descendant of Tell or he had de-
generated, for the arrow struck the apple
bearer square between the eyes, whereat he
set up wall that was only appessed by al
lowing him to eat the apple.
Many OF the children have stupid look
ing faces but some are bright and in,elii-
gent. During continued storm Of rain
little Swiss girl was taken to a near neigh
bors. As soon as she had cleared herself
from the wraps she walked to the window,
gazed for an instant at the heavily pouring
rain and then turned and said. why Frau
lein FL, rains at our house and It is rain
ing at your house also |, had been rain
ing -'eadil, then for week
The hills are 50 many and steep here ,ha,
e ,ba ne fE..,s
COW, and women. The manufacture Of
cart. and harnesses for dogs forms quite an
industry. They vary in size Of course 10 ft
the dog or dogs that draw them. Al. ve-
hiclc, even to the smallest dog or hand cart,
is supplied with brake i, does no, work
BY lever d, that would not be powerful
enough for these hills, but is a screw and
crank and when used etfectuaI, prevents
the wheels from turning
lnc peasants one sees are simple and
hones'. and sometimes appear in picturesque
costumes. but more frequently their dress
is the exact counterpart OF what our grand
parent, wore. Little short coats with broad
brimmed soft hat, for the men, and straight
skirts with what used to be called "son-
i-zus" r,r Tho unmsn They aluay. sr.as 70
stranger, whom they may meet exactly as
our Old farmers used to do-a good old
custom that j, fast disappearing in Maine.
They are very successful farmer. a, they
mus, need be for each one has only hand
fui Of soil TO cultivate. There Is great lack
Of modern farming implements, and de
light 10 trying 70 explain to them how
do il in America. A, soon as the grape
vine starts to grow they turn the vine back
on i;self and tie it with a wisp OF straw.
On asking an old man why he did that he
said I've always do" ''les, but ~hy ?"
asked. Il don't know, he said, hut it is al
wa.s - done" This will illustrate the
conservative non-progressive ideas Of the
fathers did and the reason they know for so
doing Is that their fathers did IT, At pres
ent there i, an epidemic Of typhoid fever in
the town and the inhabitants are much
alarmed ,hereat
Last summer. during the cholera scare, the
burgoma,ter Of village, few miles from
here, became so alarmed at the accounts he
read Of it, that he assembled the authorities
and upon consultation it was decided that
due preparation should be made before
hand to receive ii. and so rs the best that
could hc done. the order was given tha,
grave should be dug for every person in the
village IN order that the dead need not lie
around above ground. Unfortunately for
the success Of this forethought the cholera
didn't come at all. and the graves lad to be
flied again. They haven't gone as far
a. that here, but the ease is quite serious
and We have over 100 new cases a tla,
sometimes, and as the hospital, are filed to
ov-lhowing the public buildings are being
fitted up to receive patients
Three Of the twelve or fifteen Americans
are down with it now and Others have left
the town. TX Minister Sargent and family
have been spending few days here but
have zone to Paris now MORRIS,