The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-10-23

5000 feet above the sea, where we were
to spend the night: at the right loomed
up the twin peaks of Mt. PilatuS 5000
feet above the sea: the whole reminded
us strongly of Lake George, the noun
tains coming steeply down to the lake,
with the same narrow margin between.
1t would be no hardship to spend a
summer at Zug.
The little steamer conveyed us to the
inclined railway, patterned after that on
Mt. Washington in New Hampshire,
and which is built up one side of Righi
and down the other to Lake Lucerne.
In half an hour we had landed at the
little village where the railway begins,
boarded the train, and were slowly
climbing the mountain: on neither side
of it is the grade as steep as on Mt.
Washington, and the train moves little
faster. Some places we passed on the
way up were rather pOkey; somewhat
frightful to those having first experience
of such a road; the steepest grade was
% feet rise in 100. AS the train went
higher and higher, the view widened out
before us, peak after peak came into
view, while behind us could be plainly
traced the track of an immense
land slide which had overwhelmed a
village beneath it in 1900. There is fine
profile of an old man near the top OF
Righi, looking from the foot of the rail.
way at Arth. An ordinary locomotive
pushed the car up steep grade to the
st. Gothard railway which passes along
there, then the cOg-engine was attached
and pushed us to the top; an intensely
interesting ride, but one lady said she
would not wish worse to her greatest
enemy, than to send him up that railway
The upper part of the road passes
through a steep ravine behind the noun
tain for some distance, coming out on {
ridge which it follows to the top: as til,
train came out suddenly onto this ridge
involuntary exclamations broke from
every passenger at the glorious beauty
of the scene before them.
Arrived at the hotel, every one started
for the lookout and feasted their eye
on the prospect spread out below them
twelve lakes, many towns and villages
and hundreds of mountain peaks, man,
of them crowned with snow: in on,
place glacier was plainly visible. Wes
and north the hills were low, revealing
lovely country, with the Black FOres
Mountains in Germany bordering tn
horizon. AS the sun sank down out o
sight, an old mountaineer came out witt
his alpine horn and gave us sample o
its music, and the yodel as well. Tn
sun gone, the cold began to be felt ii
was only 36o during the night, and w
began to think about dinner.
We found very large and handsOm
hotel, full most of the summer, a goOt
table and nice rooms. Although at jus
the same height as the Tip Top Hous
on Mount Washington, this hotel is no
fastened down in any way, while the Til
Top is held by heavy chains passed owe
the roof: why this is so | could not tel
unless because Mt. Washington is eX
posed to the full force of the wind iron
every direction, being the highest land
there, while the Righi is surrounded b.
much higher mountains: but surely tn
wind has chances plenty to blow thi
hotel down, and it sung very loud son
at our windows that night
A very pretty sight is the long lines q
electric light on the quay at LucernC
plainly seen although miles away. W
did not propose to get out of bed at an
unearthly hour to see the sun rise; coul
not have seen it any way, for in til
morning dense clouds dripping wit
moisture enveloped the mountain top.
Mark Twain tells his experience q
trying to see the sun rise from this place
both times oversleeping; the secon
time the sun was a little way above tn
horizon, so they enveloped themselves j
blankets, as they had been told was tn
fashion, and rushed to the lookout, righ
among crowd of people fully dressed
only to find when they got there that
was nearly night; they had slept all day
and now the sun was setting. The whol
mountain is mass of fcOnglomorate rock
unlike any other / have seen, and like a
the lower Swiss mountains splendi
great trees grow thickly nearly to tn
summit, which is covered with grass
cattle were feeding at the extreme tOI
All the submits being free from tree.
nothing hides the view except the cloud
which are usually an intolerable nu
sance. The train started down the Othe
side toward Vitznan ON Lake LucernC
through cloud which was like a thic
fog and driving rainstOrm combined
and we were well down the mountain bC
fore getting out of it; then we had som
lovely views: on this side, the railwa
was not nearly so trying to the nerves a
on the other.
Vitznan is pretty little village charm
ingly situated on the lake shore, wit
Righi towering high above it. The hote
had broad piazza built out over tn
water, which in pleasant weather wa
used for dining; having the most beauti
full outlooks in every direction. AcrOs
the lake a mountain of bare rock dc
scends vertically into the water, yer
much as Cape Trinity does on the Sag
nenay. An hours sail on the lax
brought us TO Lucerne, which we foun
beautifully located about the round en-
of the lake and built up the sloping hill
side, ie top crowned by the old cit
wall with its queer old towers, one O
which had been painted and gilded int
a great clock face with one hand. Thes
clocks with a single hand we found YER
numerous in Europe, but how they tel
the time of day by them, we could no
make out.
The River Reuss, clear beautiful
stream flows through the city out of tn
lake, and the new broad quay and park
built along the lake shore is a charming
place TO stroll or rest, Righi and Pilatu
in plain sight and between them III
snow covered peaks of the Benese ObeI
land.
In the middle of the river, is curlou
old stone tower, supposed to have bee
built TO protect the tower from tn
pirates who infested the lake, and clos
by are two of the queerest old covere,
wooden bridges, crossing the river at dii
ferent angles: one of them has funny oil
paintings inside. The town hall is 81
exceedingly quaint old structure of stone
and in it is museum of old relics, anon
them what we especially desired to see
some wooden piles used by the ancien
lake dwellers, prehistoric men; ais
bones and seeds found in the caves, an,
broken earthenware from the bottom o
the lake, together with many tools an
weapons made of stone. As / looked a
the piles, cut with stone axes, my thought
went back TO the mysterious past, whe
a race of men known TO us only by thes
few remains of their handiwork, lived o
this lake; and wondered how man
centuries had elapsed since these pile
were cut in the forest. There was yer
large collection of ancient armour an
weapons; queer old bows and arrows, an