Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-17


sharply defined against the sky and its clothing
of snow and ice illuminated to dazzling bril-
Hancy. Less than ], 200 persons have braved
the certain amount of peril attending the ven-
ture and tested their physical endurance by
making the ascent to the summit. Two days
are usually required, but the ascent and return
have been accomplished within twenty
four hours by few. The guides vie with each
other in the number of accents and should
members of the party give out or be unwilling
to make the second stage, all the guides with
the party go to the summit Notwithstanding
for the sake Of the record and the prestige de-
rived therefrom. Several of the guides have
made more than sixty ascents and are accord
ingly the leading citizens in the native popu-
latlon Of the village.
IN THE EVENINGS.
As evening draws on the strings Of mules, like
the COWS, come home, bearing on their backs
the tired, aching forms of amateur mountain
climbers. who have been scaling the mountain
sides and skirting dizzy precipices by mule
power. Then the more ambitious climbers who.
disdaining the aid of mules, set out in the chill
air of morning with fresh new alpenstocks,
great hob-nailed shoes. neatly brushed. volum-
inous knee breeches, and other things more or
less essential to mountain climbing, straggle in,
sweaty and dusty, hungry, but cheerful. They
all assemble at the evening table dhote, and
the poor walters and mattresses listen to the
oft-repeated tales of crossing the Mer de Glace,
other feats counted common.
THE MER DE GLAcE
is a part Of large glacier and has derived its
name from the form of the surface, which is re-
garded as resembling waves. 1t is perhaps half
a mile wide at the point of crossing, and with
your shoes covered by short socks prepared
for the purpose and furnished by the hotel
you tread your way. under the direction of a
guide amid the yawning holes and crevices OF
the glacier, deep and narrowing they de-
scend and many filed with icy water. There
Is practice in vogue among the hangers-on
about the neighboring hotel above of doing
what Is denominated as the .'chop act, namely
as party Is about to cross the Mer one of these
fellows steps forward with an ice ak and makes
great ado cutting unnecessary steps and
inches in the ice for a short distance. The oc-
casion for all this becomes apparent when he
pauses, and the party one by one files by
signifies that he expects q reward for his
services.
SEMINARY GIRLS on THE ROAD.
Up the valley Of the Arve, then up winding
accents and down again, and the white cross of
Switzerland in its crimson field ioated above
us. Again we ascend and as we glide along a
level stretch Of the narrow roadway the most
enhancing spectacle OF all was unveiled to us as
round a bend came drove-we purposely avoid
the word "bevy''-of seminary young ladies' two
by two. alpenstocks in hand and weaT ing broad
brimmed sun hats. Instantly there was a
scrambling off machines and a training of
kodaks, whereat the angels in sur shades paused
in confusion. Suddenly the ranks opened and
the stern preceptress stepped to the front. and
scrutiniZing through her spectacles the now in
their turn confused photographers, with severe
accents asked US collectively what we wanted
We plucked up our courage and replied that we
were about to honor ourselves by taking the
young ladies picture, which explanation was
satisfactory, and the images Of fair forms were
soon indelibly stamped upon the gelatine films
of the battery.
THE WELCOME SIGHT OF AN AMERICAN FLAG.
Once more we go down a succession of short
terraced windings, frequently dismounting to
make room for a squatty. diminutive carriage,
the only sort suitable for the character of road.
and drawn by single horse. Several of the
Elwell- Higgins party carried attached to some
part Of their machines the American colors
and as we passed one OF the carriages slowly
creeping upward q little girl, who, with her
parents, was interestedly observing the process
sion OF wheels moving downward, exclaimed
''Oh, mamma! there's the American fagr'
and clapped her hands together with Joy. The
child joy wac but q manifestation of the feel
ing which pervades every American when he
finds afar from home the stars and stripes. He
may not have really known or felt what the
flag meant to him. He may not have thought
OF il as anything more than q pretty COM
bination of colors adopted by Congress many
years ago, just when he doesn't remember But
let him go abroad, where foreign tongue in
continually sounding in his ears and the habits
and customs and surroundings are new and
strange, and the sight of his country's flag
thrills him as nothing else can. 1t seems to
bring distant home and friends nearer, and il
| that his native land and its banner are the
grandest on the face Of the earth. At a point
on the Rhine between Cologne and Coblenz
an American flag has been for several years
during the season displayed from Q building
within sight Of passing boats. One has only to
chiefs and hats by the numerous Americans
always to be found on the passenger steamers
to find an ample demonstration Of the feeling
| to which have referred.
IN THE VALLEY OF THE nHoyE
We were now in the valley of the Rhone,
which we were to follow to its source, and we
babe goodbye to our jolly companions, in
whose company we had travelled from Cha
mounix. Near vernayez. where we entered the
valley the river TRENT bursts through Q mar
row gorge, the overhanging walls of which al
most met four hundred feet above the waters
| surface. Roaring and seething the current
plunges furiously down over the rocks, then
more calmly, with q depth of forty feet in
places, out into the open. Ingress to the gorge
with ratings, clinging by cables from above
and iron brackets beneath TO the rocky sides of
the gorge.
BROTHER wHEELNAN.
When we remarked to . French-Swiss today
that We were Americans he smiled knowingly.
That could not be. he said. for il we were
Americans We would be in q carriage-fne,
grand-and he looked at our rusty corduroys
significantly. No, sir, NO one could deceive
MIN about Americans. He knew Americana.
HAD ne not seen many thousands of them: and
ne smiled again at our futile attempt to DDS
I9r wnss We were not Not 30 incredulous was
| the soldier who escorted us this eveninr a. -
took q walk about the town. Asking Il We were
not bicychsts. and saying that he was : rider
himself, - grasped cur hands With bed ~ ~