Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-09
The valley itself appeared less fertile and

The valley itself appeared less fertile anG
FAR MORE WILD AND LONELY
than the ChamoniX or Grindlewald VAL
leys. There were occasional cha,ets
small and notwithstanding, without the
wide-spreading wing-liks roofs of tn
! Overland. There were no fields of &f5AHs
and scarcely a tree but evetSYseos
The tiny farms consisted Of ap6fato
patches and hay fields. No EisDsloped
gently down into the valley, nor rose up
from 1t in steep, but green and grassy
banks; it is closed in between the rig6a
backbones of mountains which towerSp
thousands of stony feet in an utter abSB-
don OF savage magnificence. ThVSS
craggy, Jagged walls are built up of thin
layers of rock 80 distinct from each other
that one can count them in riding past at
distance OF some yards. Sometimes
these rocks rose up IN rounded form like
the tower of castle, opening to Lett
white cascade dan down, the onlY6H.,
ing, moving thing in n -
DEAD WILDERNESS OF sTONG
sometimes pine trees struggls 4p the
cliffs on steps of stone; and wherever a
little earth had lodged on sufficientlyI
large platform there would be a three
cornered spuck, which meant a oha1H
and square inch or two of green, mi
meant garden. A square foot of(bNk
Texas land would doubtless max fich
Swiss farm. They say there is ono village
near Zermatt where it is necessary to put
spikes on the chickens feet to keep them
from sliding down hill. Baedecker
quotes this 80 seriously that one nigh:
De inclined to take ii as q statement of
fact If one had not seen the Swiss chill
dren walk like flies on these precipitous
mountain sides.
The Matterhorn is the most seclusiye
mountain of any Importance in switzer-
land. 1t is hidden, as far "a it is DOS
slble for mountain to be hidden, in this
little corner Of the Penniue Alps, where
1t can only be seen from the round end
OF the valley of Zermatt, in which is the
village itself, small collection of
CHALETs AND BIG HOTELS.
The magnificent obelisk, rising from a |
pyramid-like base dominates this yaIlev |
IKE king. No other high mountain |
SHOWS to any advantage from the village:
the Riffelalp stands in the way of Monte
Rosa; the summit of the Breithorn slapts
oack out OF sight; the Weisshorn shows
only its great black side, and so the
Matterhorn is left the unrlvalled
sovereign OF the valley. Oh, he was made
w - mug. 4ucT6 Is 10 QUESTION 6DOut |
t, even though other mountains near by
are greater than he, when measured by
vulgar feet and inches. He stands upon
his mountain throne, 10, 900 feet of solid
tone Dear me, l have dropped into
'oetry) as one who has always reignsd
IND ever will. That very evening of our
arrival, stood alone looking at the
datterhorn from the path near the sum-
NIT OF the Riffelalp. What had been
AIN IN Chamonix, was snow in Zermatt.
no the patches OF snow near the foot of
ne mountain had grown larger as we as
ended till now we were between solid
eids OF snow six inches deep. The path
'as very muddy aud We had gone slowly.
that IL was now
THE THIRD HOUR
nat We were plodding upward. Nv
'other on mule-back with the guide
assed on ahead and was hidden behind
no OF the white curves of the path; there
ere no more ascending and desoendinn
'urisfs, nothing but a world of blaiH
40 white and a sky of sunset eloi& ~
nero are certain impressions that coi{4oI =
one who is alone In a scene Of n
and only when alone. Then 7
10 Impressions ara not colored BIZ
iorher human Thought; feeling Il not
avn out IN words, there Il great