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

A fine military band occupied stand
near the entrance, while a splendid
orchestra occupied pavilion near the
building: they played alternately, while
crowds of people listened to the lovely
music; some seated in chairs on the
immense piazza, or on the road way in
front, others promenading about the
grounds. The tops of all the build the
were outlined by gas jets set closely
together; along the fence were round
baskets Of iron full of gas lights, resend
bling,balls of fire; winding in long lines
in all directions over the lawns were
small colored glow lamps set few
inches apart; the trees around the park
were thickly hung with large paper
lanterns, and scattered about the grass
were banks of large artificial flowers,
lilies of the valley, tulips, fuchsias and
other sorts, lighted by concealed lamps,
and each bunch encircled by rows of diff
ferent colored lights. The whole effect
was gorgeous, it was like fairyland.
Two springs, one hot, the other cold.
flow constantly from pipes in the great
"Trirk Halle" and these people go to
imbibe the water, which has pleasant,
although scarcely percoptible taste, and
is not hot enough but that it can be easily
swallowed: the flow from these springs
has continued undiminished for thou
sands of years. In the bath house near
by are two marble basins five feet deep,
for swimming, one hot water and one
cold; marble steps furnish easy access to
them: smaller baths are also provided in
separate rooms.
From Baden we travelled uia Often
4. 4 Il nply
Forest railway to Neuhausen where are
the falls of the Rhine. At first the route
was over the fiat plain, then climbing
the steep grades, twisting and doubling
in every direction through the noun
tains, passing thirty-eight tunnels, many
of them long and some. curved, finally
gaining the great plain at the top 2700
feet above the sea. An observation car
was attached to the rear of the train,
giving fine opportunities for viewing the
grand scenery of the narrow valley.
This part of Germany has only lately been
opened to the world, and is very prm-
tive; the houses are unlike anything
we saw anywhere, very large, built
always against side hill with over
hanging matched roofs reaching half
way to the ground. ,
A porch across the front on level
with the second floor and small galleries
at the sides helped to make up a very
curious exterior. The basement is
occupied by cattle, the middle of the
house by the people and the attic by the
fowls, all the houses precisely alike.
Usually half the residence part was used
for storing hay and grain. Some of the
farms along this valley are on very steep
hillsides, it looked as if the seed must
have been planted by shooting it in with
gun. Mark Twain says they some
times fall out of their farms and are
killed. The different crops are grown in
such funny little patches, the hillsides
often look like striped quilts.
Nearing the Swiss frontier we passed
, through a mountainous country, many
of the peaks having ruined castles
perched on top: three of these were
, near together, each on peculiar conical
rock nearly 500 feet high; lots of work
= for the occupants to get home oI
go visiting, and to get. provisions and
) water up there.
The Falls of the Rhine are much like
those at Cohoes, only less precipitOus,
and have greater volume of water; il
/ | is really a very pretty fall especially al
! night when illuminated by the electric
r light: Europeans think it very won
derful, but after Niagara it looked small
E end tame. We went back three miles tC
E Schauffhausen, to take another railway
t the place is just on the line between
v Switzerland and Germany, quaint
A town full of old buildings, the old fOun
G tains which furnish the supply of waite
S were very interesting, for we coult
: watch the people going to and from
i, these, or gossiping near by, just as wa
5 formerly done in every city, town o.
village, in olden times. The very swift
4 current of the Rhine at this point fur
n nishes a magnificent water power, Sc
e that much manufacturing is carried on
< AS we boarded the train eight men can't
e UP in single file each with bag contain
/: ing g0od-sized pig, slung over hii
h shoulder, every pig meanwhile singing
$ something that sounded very like glor!
J, hallelujah. The bags deposited in
( heap on the floor of the baggage val
d wriggled about until the pile resemblet
+ lively cheese. The charming concer
o was swelled by the voices of lot o
d little pigs in crates.
1 The railway from Schauffhauser
o follows the Rhine some distance, theI
g crosses a divide and goes down lonl
e grade to Zurich, although that place ii
!. 1850 feet above sea level. At frs
O up through quite wide valley which
gradually grew wilder and more rugged
+ at the top of the rise the land was in q
@ rough state, an unusual fact, as gen
4 orally every bit Of it is cultivated
/ From this point we had our first view
!. Of the Alps, some distant snow-cappeC
v peaks. =.
r Zurich has $4,000 people, is finely sit
v uated at the end Of the large lake of thu
!. same name, and is built on both sides o.
q the river, of beautiful clear grIen watel
/ about 200 feet wide which flows out o.
|. the lake, dividing the old and new part
of the city: the old part is on th'
steep hillside, maze of narrow winding
streets. A large university with hand
some buildings occupies prominent
place about 100 feet above the river
having a grand outlook over the
city and lake to the great mountains
a long way beyond; the snowy summit'
seeming almost like shining white cloud,
in the distance. We visited the old
church where Zwingli used TO preach
the plainest of plain building, both out
side and in. The city is very handsome
many fine broad streets with gooC
buildings, and large museum which We
did not go into as they have the fashion
of closing churches, museums and stores
from twelve to two every day; wher
we were ready TO visit the museum
it was closed. Fancy the peopll
of an American city of that siz,
closing up everything at sucl
hours.
Along the river, which is CAREFUL!
walled in, were large wire cages wher'
swans, ducks, geese and fish, swan
about, the latter plainly visible in th'
clear water. From Zurich to Zug is ;
railway ride Of an hour and half, NJ
over a steep divide 1000 feet above th'
sea, then down to Zug, which is about a
high up as Zurich. Zug is a charming
little town of 1000 people at the foot of |
high mountain, on ground sloping gentl!
down to Lake Zug which is a lovel,
little sheet of water 2ix9 miles. Thi
view of lake and SUR Inding mountain
from the landing is enchanting: at tn,
left the Righi, with the hotel ON top