The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-10-02

ond bald and barren. These are mol
only stupendous and imposing, bu,
they are beautiful, green and fruitful
from the base even to the most tower
ing summit. And then there are sc
many cascades, and SO many ruins o.
old castles and towers, and 80 many
quaint and picturesque villages. AL
of these things taken together make
landscape of SURPRISING interest, un'
equaIled, it is easy to believe, by any
other mountain scenery In the world
At Rothkrinz, little town few
miles north of Lucerne, we come upon
a road, and the two hours from there
to Zurich takes us across a nearly
level farming country, with meadows
and gardens, very lovely to look upon
Zurich is city beautiful for situ-
alton, being built at the foot Of the
lake of the same name and command
ing from its higher suburbs splendid
view of the lake and the wide valley
of the Limmat which flows from the
| wooded hills that surround it and the
serrated and snowy mountains that
lie beyond it. I used to imagine that
all the mountains i'm Switzerland were
covered with everlasting snow and
that the traveller was always in sight
of it. The facts are that there is moth
ing like as much snow i'm the Alps as
there is in our own Rockies. All the
way from Lugano to Lucerne, al
though the road traverses the rugged
est range in the entire Republic, there
are only two or three patches of dirty
snow to be seen. But the mountains
that lie to the south of Zurich are
really covered with snow and thus add
very materially to the picturesqueness
of the situation. Zurich has the fur
ther distinction of being the largest
city of Switzerland. and I should take
it to be the most fourishing, as it
certainly is the most enterprsing and
progressive. The river Limmat rush.
ing from the lake, furnishes unlimited
water power which is freely used by
numerous manufactures. Fishing in
this stream by-the-way, is forbidden,
and Looking down into the clear water
from the balcony of my hotel I can
see whole schools of fish, lazily drift
ing with the current or eagerly fight
ing over some bread crumbs that may
be thrown to them. There is a great
University here and several fine pub
lie schools, which are even yet In ses-
sion. Which reminds me that I didn't
see public school in Italy.
But aside from its situation and
from its educational and industrial
features, there is nothing of special
interest i'm Zurich. From force of
long habit 1 went to visit the c;;the-
dral, which the guide book said was
erected in the tenth century on a site
indicated by three martyrs, who after
being decapitated took up their heads
and walked to this spot to show that
they wanted "a church built there. 1
found a placard on the door announc-
ing that an admission fee OLA cents
was charged. The door was locked,
but vigorous knock brought modest
young man who opened it and after
taking my twenty confines, admitted
me. Entering 1 saw one of the plain
est, every dayest church ever saw
in my life. The walls looked as ifI
they had been whitewashed only yes
terday, the benches were nearly new,
and there was absolutely nothing
either pretty or interesting about it
except three new stained glass WIN
dows. The modest young man evil
IDENTIFY saw that I was surprised and
disappointed, and so, after
asking eff the Distinguished Gentle
man perhaps speaks German" he ex-
planned in an embarrassed and apollo
yetic way, that "There is really moth
ng whatever of interestin the church.
they say that it was built in the tenth
century but that is probably not true.
They also say that the great Charlie
nagne once visited the church, and
he Distinguished Gentleman prob
Ibly saw an old and squatty effigy of
him in the tower OH the outside. But
his is certainly not so, because Charlie
nagne was dead at least 100 years be-
ore anybody claims that the church
vas built. 1t is true that the church
vas Catholic at first, and when it was
hat there were many fine paintings
III over the walls. But after the Re-
the Professionals took possess
ion of it and they spread several coats
f whitewash over the idolatrous pic
ures so they are now all blotted out,
$ the Distinguished Gentleman may
bserve." At this point 1 ventured
D ask why it was that an admission
se was charged, since there was moth {
lg whatever to see? 1.-THE Disting-, +;
ished Gentleman will pardon me-" {
as the reply, "but there are a great c
ANY strangers like himself who t
nagine because the minister is old it a
lust be interesting. And so they come {
pre- every day end knock on the door c
I'd there must be somebody here to
ben it. And so stay here all day a
nd tell everybody, as have told the I
istinguished Gentleman, that there
nothing whatever of beauty IN in d