Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-16
A Happy Glance Back at the
Wonders OF Switzerland.
Several Hours Climb Of Snow-COv-
cred Mountain, the corner Graf.
Node OF Travel and Scenery.
Descent from Its Barbarous Grandeur, tn
Cold and Srowo. the 1urka Pass, Into
Rich Meadows and Green Fields.
Special Correspondence of the Gazette.

FAR AWAY FROM SWITZERLAND.
FREIBURG, Sept. live are compare
lively far away from the wonders OF
Switzerland now, here among the wooded
hills of the Black forest; but must go
back and tell you the grand climax, the
send-off, the final illumination, the
brass band, torch-hght procession, and
concluding act of our Swiss travel, the
ascension OF snow mountain. When |
say it was the GorneT-Grat you may
think l am trying 10 perpetuate Mark
Twain tramp abroad joke; but no, lit was
very real mountain and very snowy
one. Others may know the Goner-Grnt
as an innocent, green hill, but what We
climbed was a huge thing, covered with
snow from foot 20 two feet deep. And
what added immensely to the interest OF
it was this: We didn't lose the path,
but, what was very much more unusual,
the path had lost itself To be sure
the re was some sort of a new path made
by the guides, but it was most une-
quivocal way that took lis straight up,
rough-shod over everything, without
ONE Modifying ZIG-zAG.
The morning after our ascension of the
Riffelberg and our night under the
featherheds of the Riffel house, we took
q chair with four bearers, to divide be-
tween the two of Us, and started oil III
the snow. The day was absolutely per-
feet; under our feet WAS winter, but
summer was in the air ana in the sky.
1t was strange TO wake up from nights
deep sleep and find oneself in such
region as that which the Riffel house
looks off upon. Peak after peak of daZ-
zling white, of black crags and preci-
pieces stretched half around the horizon
across the deep gulf OF the Iermatt val
ley. We seemed to be on a level with
the pedestal of the Matterhorn, and the
mighty shaft outlined sharply against the
cleaning sky looked startinEly near.
Back of the hotel the snow fields ex-
tended up in apparently easy slopes to
the hidden summit of the GorneT-Grat.
1t had been thirty years since the old in
habitants had seen the Riffelalp covered
with snow the first of September. Up
those
DECEPTIVELY GENTLE SLOPES
we went, alternately on foot aud ID the
chair for the first hour. The chair bear
ers did not think it easy; they stopped
frequently to rest; their feet slipped in
the unevenly trodden snow, and once one
of them fell down. They were paid ex-
ira for coming in the snow, but heard
them declaring they would never try it
aguiu. 1t is q very comfortable mode of
LOGON otion, this being carried in chair
on poles; much preferable 20 mule-back,
but it does give one despicabie feeling
to be packed around by human beings
like an inanimate thing Before the end
of my half of that hour began 20 i'm
agne that had grown square and had
lid on top. 1t was queer journey any
way. Nobody spoke; occasionally we
met tourist returning from the sum-
NIT, where he had seen the sun rise;
there was the crunch, crunch OF the
mems boots in the snow-the
WIDE EXPANsE OF SNOW
around, the Matterhorn behind. One
might think it very strange necessity
that drew people up in these desoiete
heights. OF course it was necessity. [
should like to know who would dare to
come to Zermatt and not ascend the
Conner Graf, no matter what the condl-
tons.
The second hour was oueerer still. The
chair was left in Il snow bank; two men
carried our shawls and rugs, and the
other two drew us up that uncompromis-
ing course of the new path by means of
the chair straps thrown over their shoul-
ders. 1t was not exactly like being tied
together, but almost as good, and from
that experience we think we have very
fair idea OF
REAL ALPINE CLIMBING.
We looked straight down ct our feet: we
did not speak; we did not think; we just
went, over loose, rolling stones, up steep
rocks, now slipping on q hard trodden
ridge, now up to our shoe tops in soft
snow, but getting along somehow, with
out thinking of the summit or anything
else but just each step. ! can t explain
it in the least, but there was pleasure
and satisfaction in it that We were not so
much conscious of at the time as after
wards. Perhaps it was the satisfaction
of conquering physical difficulties; per-
haps jast the minds delight in unusual !
l have heard Alpine |
talk since, and they tell OF just |
the same name!ess satisfaction in their |
long days OF Flooding in the snow. 1t is |
not altogether the danger that is fas- |
cinating, nor curiosity 10 see the top, |
nor ambition to say they have been there |
tain after mountain. They like just the |
doing of it, and they come to have a
kind of craving for it.
on TOP OF THE GOENER-GRAT,
ten thousand feet above sea level, we |
Seemed to be in q universe of cleaning |
W ite and blue. Never in any Southern |
sky have we been impressed with such
dazzling depths OF blue. We seemed to
be right up in the midst of the sky,
" hich, like diaphonous robe of radiant
blue, was curled about pure white
" orld. That wonderful view suggested |
nothing desolate or gloomy; sun, sky
and snow irradiated the circles of mighty
peaks and their rivers OF ice, making
them GLORIOUS, joyous exultant. We
sat on two empty cracker boxes drinking
dirty hot water prepared by the man
under the little shed on the summit,
wondered how the snow could withstand
such sun. We had no need at all of |
,ur wraps; We never do have need of |
mem. We tugged them around with Us
through Italy for every body had said,
'Oh, yes. plenty of wraps are needed
or q spring in Italy We reached
switzerland and said: ''Now we shall
iced our ulsters, aud our shawls, and our
rugs; now we shall be rewarded
or all of our palms, and We had visions
" ourselves