Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-05

loaf Prominent among the farm implements
were fails. which seem TO be commonly used
in threshing ont the grain. the threshinG ma
chine being seldom seen.
At BApEN-BApKN
our old friend, the shah of Persia, whom ws
met in London. turned up; but a. we left the
next morning. and on the evening Of our ar
rival he was engaged, there was no opportunity
for comparison Of notes. Tie morning follow
ing our arrival we arose early and before
breakfast went to the Trinkhalle to hear the
band play. We had no curiosity to try the
water; that had been satisfied at Weisbaden.
Baden-Baden as a watering place is rivaled in
Germany only by Weisbaden. 1t has annually
about 30, 600 visitors, who, among them, manage
to support the town very nicely. From Baden
Baden we entered the famous Black Forest, on
the borders of which the city lies. and which
in the number OF its legends rivals the legend
laden Rhine. The forest spreads itself over q
range Of high hills, the larger OF which are
each dignifed with name as Q mountain.
WHEELING IN THE BLACK FOREST.
For fifteen miles We followed road winding
up over one of the mountains with great moss
grown trees on either hand. making one con.
tinuous shade. Occasional views Of the adj
Joining forest-covered mountains were opened
10 us, but only for moment. and We were
again smut In. Little streams of ice cold water
came tumbling down at intervals, passing
under the road through miniature aqueducts
VIVID flowers, large ferns and other forest vege-
tatlon were plentiful. and moses softened or
concealed the barren ruggedness of the huge
rocks, wnich at not infrequent intervals peeped
through the rich loan or Law scattered about
threatening to continue their journey. long
since begun, down toward the valley beneath.
Although much of the road was heavy and
eareiy rideabie or the grade too great for COM
fort, we succeeded in riding considerable por-
ton OF the distance, chiefly on the descent.
DIVIDED FORCES.
After reaching the bottom a series of showers
set in, and with it strong breeze dead against
us, which chilled us through and through.
Even the bang-up dinner with which we re-
Warded ourselves had no beneficial effect, and
after grinding along for while shivering and
wlth our coat collars turned up, two of us. late
In the afternoon, determined to try the railroad
1or change and get into Basel that night,
party-there now being only three of us, von's
plans having taken him elsewhere from Frank
1ort could not just then descend to so plebian
a mode OF travelling. and gave it out solid that
ne should wheel the so miles to Basel Those
OF US who were wisest got into the CITY about
ll:3O that night. The unwise after laborins
along alone for 20 or 25 miles, put UP for the
night and spent the best part of the following
day getting in by train.
COWS AS DRAUGHr ANIMALS
Inc region through which we passed-the
Rhlnish provinces-is very fertile and the in
habitants apparently in tolerably prosperous
condition. The villages are reasonably neat.
and, no matter how small. the main street al
least Is well paved with small rough cobble
stones. we passed through only two or three
villages where there was any attempt at grass
or garden piats with fences in front Of the
houses, and these were in the neighborhood of
Baden-Baden. There is plenty Of good water
and pumps and running spigots abound, for
winch We are always grateful There appears
10 be more attention paid to market gardening
the raising OF fruit and vegetables, than to the
growing OF cereals, and hop yards are OCCASION
any seen. Cows, in the southern por-
tion OF the district, are quite univers-
ally pressed into service as draught animals,
and are more commonly seen at this work
than horses-sometimes harnessed in pairs
sometimes singly, and sometimes alongside a
morse. Their manner indicates that they have
been accustomed to that sort of thing from
early youth, and are in blissful state of ignor-
ance OF the fact that their sisters in other lands
had no earthly cares save lying in the shade
and chewing their cud For harness rope to a
great extent takes the place of leather; rope
tugs and reins-or rein, for more than one rein
seems to be generally regarded as a SUPER
hulty-are the rule.
THE ROADS
are, on the whole, only fair, being inclined to
be either lumpy or heavy; SO that we very fire.
quently resorted to the foot paths, notwitb-
standing regulation forbidding it. To pre-
vent one side of the road being worn out while
the other is disused it is the practice of those
charged with the care of the roads to place fap-
gots and loose stones at intervals as obstacles
to compel the use of the disused portion.
This section of Germany at least seems to be
vast military camp. Soldiers, soldiers every
where! Scarcely village but that has soldiers
lying around, temporarily or permanently.
One cannot but realize that this armed peace
cannot last indefinitely. Even the vaterlapd-
loving German will grow weary of the burden
OF supporting this all-consuming, nothing-pro-
ducing military mass.
1t now remains to be seen whether cycling is
failure in Switzerland. The prevailing opin-
ion among those who have learned that we in
tended touring there has been that we would
be obliged to walk most Of the time on account
of the mountains. EES