San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-03
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE.
UP the Rhine--Through SwItzer-
Iand--lnto Italy ! ne Original
BronCho-Eeautiful
Naples.

Daily LIGHT
1 will take up the thread of my
narrative where 1 left off, and thai
was at Coblentz. The trip up the
Rhine by steamer to Mayence was a
most enjoyable one. Scenery,a grand
panorama of ideal romance; il
must be seen to be appreciated. The
cliffs on either side studded with old
castles, some in ruins, some in all
their old time grandeur. If l had the
time and means, would like to live a
month on one of the steamers and
make the trip every day up and down;
it seems to me that one would never
tire of the scenery and the many
legends which found their origin along
the banks of the beautiful river.
On the way to Switzerland, we
stopped at Strassburg 10 see the old
cathedral, a grand pile. 1t is in the
hands of wOrkmen, who are repairing
the damage done by the iron balls of
the FTancO-Russian war, but it can
never recover its once grandness, as
it looks patchy all around-new
steeples along side of the old moss
covered, fresh statues look ill at ease
beside those clothed with age. BY
the way i do no blame the Germans for
taking Alsace-IIorraine from France,
if it is all like the portion we passed
through on our way to Switzerland:
Land all in the very highest state of
cultivation, and the yield in every
thing is very heavy. 1t is what a
good American granger would call
farmers paradise.
In upipU from Pa1a 70 Canaro Inv
way of Bern, Fribourg and Lausanne.
the great dairy portion of Switzerland
is seen. The pasturage is magnifi-
cent and the meadows yield great
quantities of the very finest hay. The
harvest was in full blast and the air
was laden with the sweet doors of
freshly mOwn hay. 1t was quite
picturesque to see upon all the mead
Ows men, women and children now
ing, raking and loading the wagons
Nothing of much Importance to be
seen at either Bern, Fribourg or Lau-
same. Bern, however, is well worth
a visit, as it is an old town and gives
one a good idea how the Swiss live
and have lived. At Geneva it set to
so we did not tarry but passed
over into France along the banks
of the RhOne and thence to Turin, It.
ally, by way of the Mt. Cents tunnel
The tunnel, well, it is only a hole
the mountain, seven and one
half miles long, and if any one is Gu
riOus as to what can be seen or what |
the sensations are, just cross the pond, |
go through and you will be thoroughly |
[ will only say that the
French side was hot, but Overcoats !
were quite comfortable when we
reached the Italian side, and only re-
greet 1t did not last long. For several |
hours after leaving Mt. Cents, the |
scenery was grand; gorges, cliffs, noun
tain streams and mountains Oh either |
side covered with snow. Turin had |
no particular attractions other than to
pay our respects to the aged Hunga-
rian patriot, Louis KOssuth. The old |
although eigty-saven |
years of age, is hale and hearty. He |
does a great deal of literary work and
with great eXactness, takes his con-
stitutional walk in fair weather, or in
lieu thereof plays billiards by him.
self.
From Turin we went to Milan, and
there we passed the entire day in or on
top of the cathedral. 1t is the grand
est pile OF white marble, set in place
by skilled workmen, that we have
seen and we have seen all the noted
churches along our route. The inte-
rior is not particularly gaudy or elab-
crate, but simple, plain and such as
true believer would imagine or ideal
ize as a place of worship-out-
side it is quite different and
me as mere monu-
ment or work of art, to which the
skill and brains of many centuries
have contributed their best efforts.
We stepped OH board the cars and
after sweltering for fifteen hours we
reached Naples-Ot all the places /
have ever been at, Naples comes
nearer to my idea of hell-imagine
and picture to your mind the abode
of his Satanic majesty and a visit to
Naples and its surroundings will fill
the bill.
The city, houses and streets, peo-
pie, eatables and and surroundings
whether taken in detail or as a whole.
is hell. Streets without execution are |
horribly filthy. Here you see an en-
trance to fine palace, with Major
DomO, in peculiarly ideal yet ele-
CANT dress uniform, with long staff
or baton, his ensign of office, standing
guard at the archway, which is
filthy awaiting his masters arrival,
and on either side filthy dark hevels,
the abode of still filthler and poorer
specimens of humanity.
The cooking is horrible, and it is
just possible that a free and liberal |
use of oil is necessary to destroy the |
perhaps natural birthstone taste of all |