The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-09-03
EUROPEAN LETTERS.
SWITZERLAND FAR AHEAD
OF FREE AMERICA
In Physical and Geographical
Beauty, but i'm These AIOne-HeT
People are impoverished and
Her Treasury Drained.

kEGE AEChSuhS
INTERLAKEN, SwITzERALND,(
August, 1889.
1t is interesting to one whose home is
in the loftiest mountains of the eastern
slope of the United States to compare it's
features with those of this land of the
Alps.
In physical beauty, we must confess
that this country is far in advance OF
ours. The mountains, while more lofty,
are approached to their very base by an
almost level plain, varying i'll dimensions
as the huge masses above jut in upon or
recede from it. In this way the traveller
obtains more adequate idea of the dizzy
heights, and while enjoying the fruits,
flowers and balmy atmosphere of our
dear South, perchance he secs apparently
within reach of his arm field of ice and
snow, from which innumerable streams
come rushing down, and i'll their leap pre-
sent cataracts of wonderful beauty and
variety, at times dashing with inconceiv-
able fury out of the solid rock, through
which the water had worn it way during
ages past, and at others becoming the
most delicate rainbows, making mist be-
fore reaching the bottom.
A combination of these charms, as seen
through an atmosphere absolutely trans
parent, and which fills the lungs with
pure tonic unequaled i'll our experience
produces an enjoyment far surprising
anything at home, and intensified, ifsuch
a thing is possible, by the peaceful rest OF
the calm waters of the lakes on all sides.
After thus trying to give our impress
,Sions of the country, and acknowledg-
ing it's superiority in scenery to our own,
we are happy that we are citizens of a
nation which ensures to all, the lowest
;as well as the greatest, political advan-
tages such as to these poor people is I'M
known.
In conversation with charming Swiss
gentleman, (evidently a man of culture,
because he said 'oh, sir, your French is
excellent, but so seldom have an op-
portunity to exercise my English, please
'xIp me to converse i'll it,") we were led
l.. L.. the conclusion, that although Switz-
o,l. o pd is a republic, like our ownin many
rssre, % is. it is Impoverished by the CON
atSp .tt Yessity for maintaining stand
s.ar. :', :, 10 protect its borders in the
lux ,'n ~ Franco-German war, which
cr.n; o'',. f.;ond o c, em,'d to consider as both
oua III y ,I, ",,5 ,rob, rble at any moment.
One effect of his CT neilluai ulallL oil tnt f
nations treasur Wis tn >s1mpoverlshmlent l OF t
the people, and Mre do n<!sa le,nel.pea f.,I ~
have seen such pa intul evlt 'elce Vi sI"aIu tI.n
poyerty, as is exhibited among lne
peasantry. God de Tend our good noun noun
taineers from any ap proach to It: May
we never, in America, see as we H"u YES
terday, a man, a wo man and a uos
voked together to heavy cart, Arag
ginp it up one of the ste ep roads heaVily
loaded with some luxury for a party OF
tourists, How little we consider thoSe
around us, or the blessings winch shot'iu
fill our hearts with gratitude.
Another most pitiful sight, on yester-
day. For the first time we set 1901 upon
a glacier, wonderfully beauti iul beyond
all imagination. At one point srotto
has been excavated winding INTO tne
solid ice probably a distance OF Loo leeI'
TJpon entering, we hear sad, weird music,
and. at its dark extremity, seated Ill an
lev cayern,pitch dark except t'r aim
lnmn. a haggard old woman, ninety
Years in appearance, strumming upon her
zylophone, in the hope oiten Valli' 'i''''
the visitor may bestow aims.
Our heart was touched, indeed, andyet
was the sympathy sincere You may
Judge, tor, when we returned TO the hSht
of day, we found that the coin we mad IN
stinctively selected to prove our SSymPa-
thy was ten centimes, or exactly Two
MANY strange sights! One of the
strangest is to gather sweet, DriSht
mountain flowers, very similar to those
with which Craggy abounds, within a
marvelouslv short distance of the Me
de Glace." We cannot blame our friends
if they discredit this statement, and yet
we know it to be true. Although the
purity of the air enables us to perform,
with ease, climb which at home would
fatigue and exhaust us, still scramble
apward of 5000 perpendicular feet
makes us perspire, and, in moment, we
enter this protto, its walls of crystal ice,
its floor covered ankle deep in small tralg-
ments which surround our feet ana sip
into our shoes, The sudden change Ill
temperature is most startling, and few
moments suffice, the bright sunshine ana
daisies are far preferable. and TO thenl
we hasten to return.
Interlaken could hold us satisfied tor a
full month, 1t aboundS in all chat IS at
tractiye, walks in all directions, drives t.
more distant points, such as Lanterlrun
nen, Trimmelbark, Murrein, Grlndel
wald. each of which should have day
but with us, all crowded into one, 4
lake on either hand inviting to san OF
row. In short may it be our good fort
une in company with our loved ones nov
far away, to come again to TINS SWEEP
spot. .,. ,;..o.;,,
farewell, which is done with real heart
ache. and we are on the lake "i lhun
again the poetry OF existence. AS ouI
.n1eosant little steamer gains distanc'
from the foot bills of the shore, 1t atiord
a panorama, of which no artist can CIV
an idea-and it is not strange that tn
attempt has not been made. -,
A range of snow clad peaks, OF whlcI
the central is Jungfrau, (they all seen
to make obeisance to the sweet neN
wife"l extends arounds pne-fourth OF tn
horizon, and glitter in the dazzling morl
ing light, while the water underneath
tries to give a reflection of the charm
above. and sends back the bright hues
flowers and rocks which bound II
shores. 49,,
Our boat glides along too swift,
stopping at many piers, at each OF whlS
we long to land and linger, and at tt
end ofa short two hours, we disembaI
at the town of Thun, and take our sea
on an attending train, and at this m
ment are flying towards Berne, which,
the capital city, we cannot pass by, al
of our stop will advise you anon.
T.'W. P.
DanxIIIe Tobacco sales.