Western Kansas world., 1888-01-07

Rractioal System Of Tsaching Deys 1oes1ez
Languages.
rfyornhiT1 Magnziua

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Practical System OF Tsachinx Dsys 1orsten
Languages.
ECornhin Magazine.l
The people of Emsenau are Catholic,
and use the Romanisch language. In
its purest form, as spoken by the ma
tives of the Vorder Rheinthal, Roman
isch or Ladinisch is well-preserved
dialect of rustic Latin. In the Rhine
Valley, where Emsenau is situated, it
has, however, been largely adulterated
with German, while in the Engadine it
tends more and more to assimilation
with italian. There are several varie-
ties of the dialect to be found in iso-
lated valleys of the Grisons, all of
them testifying to the long occupation
of this Rh@tic province by the Romans.
The Romanisch population speak with
pride of their tongue as the key OF
languages. There is truth in this boast;
for Romanisch exhibits remarkable
richness of vowel sounds, which en-
ables those who use it tocatch with ease
the accent of other races, while It's vo-
cabulary has much in common with
French, Italian, and Spanish. In the
schools German is taught, and sermons
are occasionally preached in that Ian
guage for the benefit of resident
alients.
The inhabitants of Graubunden
speak, for the most part, German;
about $4,000 speak Romanisch; and
smaller section, belonging to the
valleys of Mesocco, Bregaglia and
Poschiavo, use Italian. Now the same
education is given in all districts; and
among the Italian Graubundeners
there are both Protestant and Catholic
villages. It is therefore a frequent
custom for German families to send
one or two of their. sons during the
winter into an italian family, receiving
an equal number of italian children in
return. Business communications,
which are continually going on across
the passes of Bernina, Maloja, and
Bernardino, facilitate this exchange;
and thus, without any additional ex-
pense except that of the journey, two
families may obtain for their lads the
advantage of ACQUIRING foreign Ian
guage.
It should be mentioned that the
schools in mountain villages are only
open during the long Alpine winter
that is, from the middle of October till
the following Easter. This. though it
somewhat retards the scholars advance
in learning, is excellent for his health.
All through the summer lads and boys
tend sheep or COWS upon the fields,
help their fathers to make hay, roam
in the woods and get their fill of air
and sunshine. The schoolmasters have
gone to the villages, where they NOW
and gather in the crops like other
peasants to whose households they be-
long. Such being the arrangements
for Swiss schooling in the mountain
districts handy lad Of IA OF Is may
have the glorious opportunity of being
taken to the breezy pastures where the
cattle pass their summer, He will go
as help to the Sem, or head herdsman,
whose business it is to collect the milk
and make the cheese for several fami-
lies. Or he may be employed as
goatherd, or be used to prevent the
COWS straying beyond boundaries. No
child, setting out for holi
day at the seaside, departs from home |
with a keener sense of exhilaratiop |
than little Melchior did one June morn
ing in 1874, under the care of his ia
theirs friend, the Sem. They were
bound for those high meadows above |
Panix, in tina Vorder Rheinthal, which |
belong to Emsenau. It is great event,
this translation of the cattle from their |
winter quarters to the highlands, 5000 |
feet above the sea, above the forest |
line, within sight of glittering glaciers,
and under overhanging crags of mighty |
precipices. The whole village is astir |
long before daybreak and the animals,
who know we'll what good time is in |
store for them, are as impatient as their
masters. The procession sets forth in
. long train, COWS lowing, bells ting
ling, herdsmen shouting, old men and
women giving The last directions about
heir favorite beasts to the herds
men. Rude pictures of the ZaIg aMf
lie Alpe9a, as it is called, may some
times be seen pasted, like frieze or
Das-relief, along the low panelled walls
IF mountain cottages. These are the
work, in many cases, of the peasants
who write the names of the
,attle over the head of each, attach
oreposterously huge bells to the proud
eaders of the herd and burden the
linds with vast loads of bread and
household gear and implements for
making cheese.