New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-21

down to recent times prevented such knowledge
from gaining wide distribution. relic OF 'ne
old belief is, l fancy, at the bottom CT another
set of tales, which extend the underground P'''
sage through the mountain to a church IN oeat'ie.
staedt. about mile and half distant. ana
several wine cellars in the village. especially inc
cellar under the old tavern. These @'es Uii
OF masters and men who have gone into 'ne
cellars and disappeared forever, and OF CASKS Iui'
in the evening, found empty at nisht' t'oush
no one entered to draw beer or WINE. ana thc
cellar floors were found perfectly dry. Inc larry
tales of Ireland duplicate this class OF mysteries
without the aid OF passage to the unoel"orio'
The disappearance Of men from the ceh'i' 10
duplicated in tale which was current III 'ne
Valley not many years ago. and which was 'o'u
by o coachman to Ludwig Bechstein. au'hor VI
a compilation OF Thuringian LEGENDS, NOT more
than thirty-five years ago, as verl'aoie his''fS'
According to this story. five boys, WHO CIV"
weary OF the task OF caring for some NOTICES
they had been sent to tend in the 'ahey oei'"
the Hoersebcrg, tied themselves together WIN
straps, and began an exploration OF the cave
They had not gone far before the last OF me
live Loot courooc Nn cut the strap which
bound him to his comrades and hurried rack 10
the outer air. Tie others never returned an"
the survivor lived only three moh'hS' pae
,oced spiritless lad. who, like his predecessors
in the older tales, was never after known 70
smile.
Tho romantic surroundings which one might
naturally picture as belonging TO spo' WHEN
hns so long and actively occupied the lmaglia-
ton OF poets and talc-tcers are all waning ~
the Hoerselbcrg and its Cave. AS the traveller
in Tburingia. coming by rail from Welmar' ap-
proachcs Eisenach, he to his right long
row of bleak looking mountains. The val!ey DE-
low is extremely fertile, hut the SIDE OF Ut"
mountains is ba rren OF every vestige of v"rdrc for
more than half its slope from the top ms
slope is extremely prccptOus. and 10 ascend
the larger fIocrscllrrg There are two. the lesser
and the greater though the dlifcrehc" IN hel@h'
is only three feet. one is obliged to make con-
siderable dctour through deeply shaded valley
portion OF which for ever so long
has been known locally as tho "Zapf"n-
ur,nd7 IN this valley lives the "Zapfen-
wrth," the Landlord of the tap. who, Urn" 70
his name and an employment which has been
bis and his predecessors SO long MS tn" memory
OF man runs will refresh the traveller with
glass Of beer or cider for tritllng consldfra-
ton, although he is owner Of all the country
within the range of vision. The Lapfenwirrh
is himself Thuringan tradition. After one has
travcrscd the splendid highway in an easterly
direction from Eisenach for matter OF hve
mics or So past the little hamlets VI Wrctha and
Schoenau, be is ready to strike across the rail
way track and grain fields into the Zaplengrund
Before he enters tle shadows. he takes his last
look at the barren ridge which is his goal, near
the summit of which. If his eyes are good. he
can SO cleft in the rocks In country where
mountain caverns are not rariies the little open
iuL in tie side Of tie bluiI above him would
not attract even passing notice. and ii requires
considerable faith in tie guide 70 accept his
statement that that Insignificant cleft is III verify
the CAV" which has p,"p.cd Thuringm with ghosts
for p,,ssl' Il thonsaEd years or more. But II
is, in fac. tie dreadful Iioerseiloch. As he tolls
upward t.rou1n the valley he has ample time
- marvel AT the INSIGNIFICANT things which ex-
cited popular lma, i"atlor. in the long ago Around
tlr tr.d OF Ia" MOUNTAIN Is the village Of 'a",'rl-
st."It. whose na,nc Is iancliully derived from
Satans stacttr," or the Palace Of Satan where.
an Old legend relates. Quccn OF Eng gland. naluci
EIuswl-. once upon tine built chapel ahd
devoted herself t. fasting. prayins. and dong
deeds OF charity, until She had released the SUI
oi Lcr dead lord from the purgatory whose gate
way was III the mountain above ner. She Lad
been told 10 do this IN dream by on appari-
ton Of the dead King.
just after .raNins the Iapensrund and start
inH into the wooded raTiHc between the GREATER
and lesser liOcrsrI Muuni"LI.S o;r comes upon
q tiny sprug. whose waters fall into rude RISER
voir froin rusty piece 81 EaspIf liow theS'
rude realities jar on the imaSihation:l Lnass one
WIRE thirsty hr w"ui pass II without notice bnt
this Is he " sshrn"pElcin "-thr Little Fountain
at Jrsus--oi lhuIin-lan lcgcnd. winch sprIng
oIt Of tie barren rock IN Answer to the prayers
II Il shepherd vino Was talllSl.las with ll> ii'"k
Oh tA.s SPOT ~ tim" whr2i II was as bleak as
the sllr of the mountain Now II springs from
II Hillside 81 thlckiy grown a. 10 he almost I'M
pAas,hl. M hours walk through the woods
INNS one t. the top of ridge and within an
rishth 81 u.ilc 81 the cave II ones courage
:, not euual a. tnc exploration he can continue
lor another ten 'ainn'rs AMI reach a HANDSOME
lo.>c erected "n the highest point OF the ridge
hy he Th.rinrlNn Forest society. and take
s;imrlant III ,A- form of slas, OF beer or
cogna'. or kucmlncl Bat !; really isn't ncces-
,nl; II the hrs' distant view robbed the cave
Of soie II It's ronlnt.c Int".rst the nearer view
REDUCES II To the level OF pros,lc hole in the
r.ouud. Twenty feet hr!o" the ride there
/, a great N-shapcd crrvice. From this
a hole Of an irregular oblons shape
extends into the mountain side. II is about four
feet high ard from foot and Ia II Ia Nv" feet
WIDE. Water drpS down tie rocky SIDES and
the bottom is muddy. very muddy. CnGcterrcd
hy the unproWsing gateway. You N4ht your
c,nllc> and - III Tie ho''on DIES ends gradually
hut llirsalary; tho passage winds about 80 as
after you have taAtn IL Icrt III So"r back and
forcshoricncd y~irtlf generally 81 - {" he able
70 cake Roadway. The bottom gets inu,iie:.
Nou h.ye ahor!o,lsy WORKED y"ur way twenty
four lrr tpNarL mrdiAcNal pGrratory, "r tie
gay domains OF Dame Venus. Nou cont know
which. and Jon begin to hook about for thr
chtmhrr which pmdr,r>sor OF yours thirty
Dad years ago described u, beng LARGE cnoh.n
I" contain eighteen Er', hrs.'.r> LIKE tcn"a
carved clIt Of tie w. ~ rr,iln. place for ;..c
weary. when sGddrnli r,lr passage comes 10 all
emf. That WIS the y .rina experience: bat
.nub,cs, the whole rA;r,t e.; tlc Gn'i"rgruaii
passage WAS not travr.,.'l Icy aim. Old accounts
i:aiW II slAtl eight f~' Ion. and ln' scarcely
went thlrd OF that distance. II locked II, II
the tunnel bad ~: !lhd with dr' ~ place
wLcr. il WAS narrowed. to GlncI.slons W!.Irh
wuuhi have nrrcs,it,tr'l crawl'H4 III ~" mHd II
.l.r exploration coGd have hrcn continued t.rtlrr
la, M. arri.inuL''.d nl,.t nli VH his huuts
as he c1V.I conveniently carry, being uupf"-
vi,icd with iar!iii's tor excavation. AMI hayiu-
couyiucrl himself that DEGENERATE l,nrtrr /, u