Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-10

carriage ahead dies out around turn
the sound springs up almost under
meath, and, looking out, the mail wagon
with its elk horses, although . mile or
SO in front, is only hundred feet be-
low. Presently It reaches the valley
and starts out on tho straight road,
with twenty or thirty other carriages
following in succession. An American
LADY has described this scene as being
$50 Jolly tho carriages all strung out
like A funeral" She must have been
of Irish descent, for no. one but an
Irishman could imagine the funeral oil
a corpse able TO control its nerves I'M
der the strain Of jiugling bells, such
heat, such dust, and the cTamped posi-
ton.
LUCERNE.
At last the little town Of Alpnacht
comes into view, with the Lake OF Luz
cerne lying bey Ond it, and in another
hour the steamer, which lies waiting
Mt the wharf, will have landed in
Lucerne, by far the PROTEST situated OF
the Swiss cities, and tho pleassntest OF
its summcripg places. Lying ct the
end of one Of the arms Of the lake, 1t
has the advantages Of both water and
mountain scenery here combined as no
where else. The lake Of Lucerne is al.
most in the shape Of cross. The city
At its highest point looks south over q
long stretch, with q view OF the
Alonseht and Kussnacht arms to
the right and left. To the west,
with the lake at its base, rises
Pilstus, the northwestern outpost OF
the Alps. TO the east, on the oppo-
site side Of the lake, the Risi reaches
up TO slmoet tho carno height. In
front, beyond the lake, the mountains
are piled one behind the other, higher
and higher, until the view is stopped
by the peaks Of the snow-covered Alps,
which, at midday, glisten in tho sun,
and later are tinted by its afternoon
rays. Pilatus will first attract atten-
ton with its rough peaks, the highest
of which is nearly seven thousand feet.
1t is favorite climb for tourists, who
have here one Of the best views OF the
higher mountains. According to one
Of the legends Of the place, Pentius
Plate fled here from Galilee and
drowned himself and his remorse in the
lake near the summit Of the mountain.
Pilatus is the Mathematician for
The surrounding country. There is An
old saying that
III Pllstus wears his cap. serene Will lie the
day;
II his collar he puts on, you may venture on
the way:
But II his sword he yields. at home you'd
better stay"
TIE RIGI.
Opposite 10 Pilatus, and forming
with it 3 gateway through which the
waters Of the lake extend farther back
into the mountains, stands the Rigi
almost in the form Of a pyramid. This
is seldom climbed now, because the
" cogwheel" road makes it SO easy
10 reach the top. There are several
roads of their kind in Switzerland, all
copied after that Of Mount Washing
ton. Between the two rails, laid in the
ordinary manner, two other parallel
rails are laid about five inches apart,
connected at intervals Of an inch by iron
crosspieces. Underneath the en-
CINE, which on level leans
forward at considerable angle,
is o cog wheel, the teeth Of which,
catching in the crosspieces Of the
rails, force the train up grade at about
six miles an hour, or on the down trip
hold it steadily back at the same rate.
In one place the road passes through a
tunnel, and immediately after over
curved bridge fifty feet high, the grade
Of which is heavier than an ordinary
engine and train would be able to
mouHt. AS the train rises along the
side Of the hill the lake is seen further
and further below, and the view above
widens, mountains not seen before
coming into sight, and those already
known appearing more prominently,
until after On hour and half tho sum
nit is reached, and the whole range OF
the snow-clad Alps, one hundred and
twenty miles long, lies stretched out
from right to left, with the Wetter-
horn, ScbreckhOrD, and Jungirau, be-
sides the lower mountains in full view.
Below in the LpTerzer lake, one
fourth of which was filled up by 3 land
slide some years ago, which destroyed
five villages lying on its banks. The
st. Gothard railroad can be followed
from lug, one of its termini, along the
bank Of the lake Of that name, By the
Lpwerzer lake, and seen to disappear
among the mountains many miles away.
The mountain, however, with its tun-
mel, from which the road takes its
name, is hidden. Towards the north
west, at the foot, lie the lakes Of Luz
cerre and Zug, Zurich with It's lake, and
further in the background the Black
Forest and parts CT Bavaria.
Returning to the lake, tho steamer
carries US back to Lucerne, which, with
its old walls and towers and sleeples,
has very much the same appearance as
during the days Of walled cities. But
as the boat approaches the signs of
change ard improvement show them
selves. The SchweizerhOf and Nation
al hotels, the theatre, the shady walk
along the quay, the pleasure-boats seat
tered over the bay, filled with gaily-
dressed people, the sounds of music,
and, if at night, the 1ashing and burst
ing Of fireworks and Examinations, are
all evidences that a later civilization
reaches even into this sport. The
quay is the principal boulevard. Here
the visitors promenade or drive in the
mornings or afternoons, or gather
in groups in the shade Of the
trees to enjoy the air from
the lake, while music from the porch
of the Schweizerhof or National, adds
much to the peace and quiet and con-
tent which the surrounding mountains
and the lake force upon one.
JACK HoRNER.
------sep------
Tobacco started I'm England.
ti4Ondop Standard