The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-08-21

n lhath Lake. Every mile OF the W.
a brings fresh interest to the One VIII
r travels it, but description of wha
: Is seen would seem to the reader to b
1 but repetition of what has alread
s been written in these letters. 1t ma
r be worth while, however, to note tina
e the little Lungern See, along the shor
Y of which the road runs for some dis
lance, was once a great deal large
{ than it now is, but the peasants of tn
, neighbOrhood tapped it some 80 year.
, ago and let off the water until tn
lake was reduced to one half its orig
4 inal size thereby gaining some so
, acres of excellent land. And 1t ma,
be worth while also to note that a lit
tie liver which empties into this Lake
/. named the Aa. The man who gave
me the name of this river gave me at
the same time this word: "Vierwald.
Observation-Disclosures
sellschaftsvorstandsprivatsecretaersa
Observation-Disclosures" Having com.
mitted these two words to memory ]
think may now claim to know the
long and short of the German Ian
guage.
Lucerne Is another one of the large
towns of Switzerland, and is perhaps
the most interesting, as it is altogeth-
er the most charmingly situated, of
them all. 1t is in the center of the
Tell country, for one may take boat
at its wharves and I'm a few hours
reach dozen places associated with
the name of the hero. A little dis
lance away Is the Chapel, an ugly lit
tie wooden summer house affair erect
ed on the margin of the lake where
Tell jumped ashore from the boat in
which Gessler was taking him a
prisoner to Kussnacht. And at
Thuelen, a little farther away, a mon
ument is erected on the supposed spot
where Tell shot the apple off the boys
head. Scientific" critics have agreed
1 believe, that no such man as Will
lam Tell ever existed. But they don't
go around Switzerland delivering lee
lures OH the subject.
Besides these Tell excursions it is an
easy trip from Lucerne to the top of
Pilatus,-a black, grissly looking
mountain which took it, name from a
tradition that PLATE took refuge there
after the crucifixion of Christ,-and to
the top of the Rigi. Invent to the top
of the Rigi because every well regu-
lated tourist goes there. And L had
the usual tourists luck in finding the
summit of the mountain enveloped i'm
so thick clouds that could not gee
dozen yards in any direction. 1 could
see enough TO be able to realize that
the view from the summit on a clear
day must be incomparably beautiful.
The really proper thing to do is to re-
main on the Iigi all night-there are
fine hotels on the very top,-to see the
sun rise. But as the sun only rises
clear OH an average of IA days out Of
the year, thought it not worth while |
to take the chances. I never cared |
much to see the sun rise anyway.
But there are interesting things in the |
town itself. One of these is an old |
covered bridge called the Kapell |
Bridge and from the timbers that
support the roof ~ paintings on wood |
are suspended. They represent
scenes in the lives of the patron saints
of Lucerne, and in Swiss history, and
were painted and placed there hun
dred or more years ago by the order of
wealthy and noble Swiss families.
Near this is another curious old bridge
called Sprener Bridge, and there
are paintings suspended from its roof
also, representing the dance of
Death" Death, in the guise of a
skeleton, is represented as present at
every point in mans life, at his
birth, his wedding. his work, his
playa gruesome panorama.
Leaving the bridges one comes soon
to the great wall, with its numerous
watch towers, which once defended
Lucerne from the assaults of the bar
barians. This wall was built in the
18th century, and is probably the best
relic of the ancient fertilization now in
existence. 1t is laid i'm solid masonry,
8 20 feet high and nearly half as
5hick, with a platform and loop holes
lear the top from which the defend
RS could discharge their weapons.
At fiequent intervals are towers,
vice the height of the wall and even
more strongly built.
But the chief glory of Lucerne is the ,
colossal Lion, carved i'm the solid rock
# the mountain side after the design
# ThOrwaldsen, as monument to the
swiss guard who fell while defending ,
he Tuilleries at Paris i'm the first Rev. {
luton. The great beast is represent &
d as dying from a spear wound in /
lis side, the spear broken in the
wound. The last agony, after terrifi C {
truggle and frightful suffering, is ,
epicted with wonderful power in the a
forehead, sunken eyes and 9
rooping jaw. But even in the throes I
f death the trust is not forgotten for a
he nerveless paw still rests its pro- '