Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-16
AMONG THE ALPS.
AN AMERICAN TOURIST WRITES A
LETTER FROM SCHAFFHAUSEN.

The Peculiar Dance Called La Fran
eaise'-A Short Ride Into Germany.
Solitude of the Black Forest-A Party
of Woodchoppers-An Interior.
In former years our little American colony
in Schafhauseu numbered in all six souls,
and, to use an excusable bull, two of these
Americans were Belgians, having resided in
New York some years. Now there is not
even a shadow of colony here, and beauti-
full as the tours about the environs are, they
are quite abandoned by our countrymen
The average traveller arrives at Schaffhausen,
is Immediately rushed into an omnibus
driven over to Neuhausen, sees the falls of the
Rhine, and then away again. Not SO your
correspondent, for quietly settled down at
the Hotel de la Poste, a quiet hostelry in the
city itself, slipped into my smoking jacket
and slippers, and was soon chatting with
mine host, Buchanan, just as if the seventeen
years since last rested here were yesterday
"Ah" said my genial host, 'you are just
in time, Herr Elson. Tomorrow evening
the castle, the old Munoth, is to be the scene
OF reception, given by the Stadtsrath to
the singing societies Of Canton Appenzell,
and | will see that You are specially invited
And invited was, and the following even
ing found me seated at the round table within
the esplanade Of the castle, while the Appen-
zellers made merry music about me. Then
dancing was in order, and although am not
a dancer myself will try to describe pc
euliar dance they call La Franchise" which
appeared very pretty to NE as l sat and
looked on. The sets were formed as for our
ordinary German at home, but after few
bars of music by the orchestra saw it was
to be quite different. Everybody is the pink
of politeness. "Mademoiselle, may | have
the honorl" the hat is raised, the lady courte-
sizes very low, and in fact more quiet polite
ness is displayed than one meets at a similar
Partisan gathering.
At length all is ready. After the custom
AIRY salute the music falls into veritable
minuet, as stately almost as the One of the
French Louis Follow it with me, dear
reader, in fancy, at least. The old minuet of
our ancestors, forward and salute, the gen
tleman holding the lady's hand with quite
| indescribable grace ms high as the shoulder,
then across and back again; but while | am
| gazing dreamily on this scene what do
heard Why, to be sure, one of Strauss ray
| ishing waltzes, and presto! the whole is
changed from the sober to the gay, and see
nothing but the rosy, healthy faces turning
about, while the tails of the geutlemen's dress
coats stand al an angle OF for5y-fve degrees,
so fast do these South Germans and Swiss
waltz And so the dance ends.
| But l have promised, gentle reader. to take
| you into the country, SO let US take this train
for short ride into Germany tor you must
remember Schaffhauseu lies on tho German
| side of the Rhine and We soon come to the
| village Of krotzingen, on the extreme south
ern edge of the Black Forest. 1t is justly
called the Black Forest, for the tall pines
and cedars grow close together, making night
| of noon under their shadows. Taking q car
riage, or, more properly, a sort of light cart,
| directed my driver 70 strike by the most
unfrequented road into the forest In fiji
teen minutes we were in q solitude so still
that it was oppressive. Not a sound save
! that peculiar swaying noise of the pines that
| only Bret Harte can describe, and an occa-
sional cry of bird very similar to our cat
bird; otherwise all is maj stically still
order the driver to halt, and while he is
| opening the little hamper and spreading our
| frugal luncheon l take my compass and make
| little inroad into the woods. | hear q
brook trucking over the rocks, and as | ap-
| preach frightened hare scampers through
the brush Poor creature! | am as much
startled as he, for my head is full of such
stories as the Iron Ring and half look &c
meet one OF the old robber chiefs and his
band, that couple of centuries ago made
this forest a dangerous place, and Whose
spirits, some Of the more ignorant peasants
| believe, are still to be met with by the be
lated traveller But bark! hear my guide
| calling, SO back l go to luncheon. The Wis
fellow has put our bottle of Macon into the
| brook TO cool, and we sit down together in
tine best of fellowship To our little luncheon
in the Black Forest. At length all is finished
and we drive along, and by circuitoui
route reach the village OF Staufen. 1t is
more populous place than l expected to fine
here. 1t has its own little hotel, called THE
Wild Man" and adjoining it brewery,
little row OF stores, and, in fact, is quite {
city in the woods.
But we plunge into the woods again ant
presently come to party of woodchoppers
their axes ringing merrily, but only against
such trees as the Herr Postmaster has giveI
permission to be cut. and still farther along
hear the dripping of water on a mill wheel
and here we enter the little village of Inter
munsterthaI, a veritable Black Forest dorf
knock at the doorpost of house, for Tbs
door stands open, and man with heavy
pair Of sabots appears, and ask permission
to come in and see bis house He is natur
ally surprised that any one should want t
see his house, but accords me permission ant
enter. Against the wall stands larg,
porcelain stove, at least eight feet high, whil
Just outside is his pile Of brush and wood fol
the winter. His cattle shed is just to tn
rear, and his chamber above, reached by
short ladder. The odor OF the cattle per
vades everything, 50 l make my adieus ant
We are soon on our way to Neukirch, wher
take the train back again to Schaffhausen
which reach not bit fatigued with II,
beautiful journey.-George H. Elson in Bos
ton Transcript