Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-19
ABOUT BUDA pESTH.
THE CAPITAL or HUNGARY.
hf'Nh' OF a Kingdom Modern Hungarian
Hi''o'v-cpen,ng OF the Nntiona, Exhibit
"on- Professor yambsrry ut Home.

In the summer of 1871, writes
buds-Pesth correspondent to the New
YORK Post, started down the blue
Danube in one Of the pretty and CON-
portable steamboats, plying between
vienna and Buda-Pesth, the capital Of
Hungary. | was bound for the latter
city. Among the passengers was the
inevitable British touring family
the well-ied pater and mater
familias, with two buxom daughters
armed with the neyer-failing MUIR
ray or Baedekar, without which no son
OF Albion or Yankee tourist ever VEN
lures to stir abroad. With guide.book
in hand, each in turn piteously appeal
ed to some fellow-passenger to explain
and point out the sights along the
banks but it was all of no use the
honest Mayors and jolly Austrans
were alike ignorant Of the queens Eng
lish. took pity on the helpless ira
yellers, and volunteered to act as their
cicerone. They accepted my services
enthusiastically--even though happen
ed to be a transatlantic cousin only.
OF course | thought they, too, were
going to Buda-Pesth, but imagine my
surprise when the old gentleman in
formed me that he was going as far az
Pressburg, Hungarian city on the
Danube, about four or five hours dis
tant from Vienna. / tried to persuade
him to extend his trip to the capital Of
Hungary. / had managed to gain over
the rest of the family, but he stoutly
declined to go further than Pressburg,
and assigned as an unanswerable reason
for his refusal that his Murray ended
with Pressburg. Indeed, he seemed to
have very vague ideas as to the where
abouts Of Buda-Pesth.
This happened fourteen years ago.
Both Murray and -Baedekar have as
signed quite respectable portion Of
their guide-books to almost every part
Of Hungary. in word, Hungary has
now its share of the things which
constitute the universal makeup of or
thOdox guide-books, and are calculated
to catch the unwary foreigner. The
Worlds Exhibition at Vienna brought
the first genuine tourist in greater
numbers to Buda-Pesth it became the
fashion for every visitor of the exhibit
ton to rush down to that city and
spend few,days there. The tourists
who returned to Vienna came back with
wonderful tales Of the beauty of the
women, Of the kindling music of the
Tzigsnys, the Hungarian Gypsies, Of
the cheap and delicious fiery wines, and,
above all, the free-and-easy ways Of the
inhabitants. They spoke with enthu-
siasm Of the admirable and picturesque
situation Of the city, extending along
banks Of the Danube, which flows there
broad and majestic like the Hudson its
best; on the right bank quaint and an
cient Buda. mountainous, and its peaks
crowned with citadel and the royal
castlc-the slopes covered with maze
of crooked narrow streets, lined with
moldy one and two-storied houses on
tHt IclI pdlh csbu, WI lCNcl pam,
with broad well-paved streets, busting
with commerce and modern life-and
everywhere magnificent palaces and
substantial new buildings meeting the
eye.
Your real traveller cares very little
for the veal and woe of the lands he
yisits-he wishes above all to be amused,
and so few of the tourists who were
allured to the banks of the Danube by
these glowing accounts paused to think
how and why it was that the guide
books had at last deigned to recognize
the position of Hungary as one fitting
to take rank among the civilized coun-
tries to be visited. And yet there was
quite a serious political and economi-
cal background to this apparently
capricious innovation. For since 1867
the Hungary Of old belongs to the
things bygone-not but that there will
always be a glamor Of grandeur sur
rounding that old Hungary which so
nobly fought and bled for liberty and
constitutional rights in lS4S, and sub
mitted with such stoical heroism to the
dark years of humiliation aud oppres-
sion following her disastrous struggle.
The year of grace 1867, which wit
messed the compromise entered into
by the nation with the Hapsburg dy-
nasty, restoring to the people their
autonomy, giving them back their place
as kingdom with king crowned after
the old time-hOnored fashion of their
ancestors, assigning to them proud
and commanding place in the dual
formation Of Austria-Hungary-that
year also tolled the death-knell Of Hun
gary as it had been. The new position
entailed the responsibilities such as
even the noblest patriots Of the old era
had not been called upon to face. No
less a problem was to be grappled with
by the new leaders of the nation than
the transformation into a modern state
Of country which bore the marks
of feudalism and misgovernment in
every part Of its organization. For
there was no denying that the people in
their struggles for political rights and
independence had spent their strength
in the ceaseless efforts, while other ma
tons more favored had been steadily
advancing in industry, the arts, and
prosperity. The nation, shaking off
the shameful bonds of tutelage, now
had to cope with the sober questions Of
manhood. The most of the fertile re-
gions of the country were cut of from
marts of the world by the absence Of
anything like roads of communica-
ton, either good highways or rail-
roads. In one word, the treasures Of
the soil were locked up and made mac
cessible. Industry was of the rudest
character, the products Of skilled labor
had all to be imported; money was
scarce and commanded ruinous rates Of
interest, and credit was so low that it
hardly deserved the name of credit.
But as a counterpose to all these draw
backs there prevailed hopeful and
sturdy spirit among all classes OF the
population, high and low, q steady en-
thusiasm ready to work and make sscri-
fees in order to bring about better
state of things. 1t is undeniably one of
the characteristics of the Hungarians