Omaha daily bee., 1891-10-04
IN MENORYUOF CALVARY.
Religious Enthusiasm Shown by the Ty-
rOleah rpasantry.
sHalNes ALONG JEE PUBLIC HIGHWAYS
In the Heart OF the Alps I'm Mid
summer - Where Peace and
Quietn98 May bo
Fohnd.

Innsbruck, Tyrol, Aug. 2s,-fSpecial
Correspondence of The BEE,]-1t is to Tyrol
that one turns with eager anticipation for
that tranquility and complete repose not to
be found In cities. After a short time one
wearies OF that noise, that hurry, and that
busy traffic which makes up city life, and a
longing comes over one for the country and
its quiet charms. Once here, we find our
~longings at an end a restful quiet greets us,
and we welcome il as a friend. The air
comes crisp and cool from glaciers and snow
Alp; the green of the piue forests rests our
eyes, after the binding brightness of the
city; the delicate perfume of the pine is
waited to us by the mountain breczes and
we drink a refreshing draught at the print
tive fountain, fed by the spring which buo-
bles up at our<eet.
At Peace With All the World.
Our chalet among the mountains delights us
with its complete simplicity, its cleanliness
and rustic appointments, The floors are OF
plain pine wood and interpreted. Our rooms
would scarcely satisfy the fashionable belle
in a city, yet here they seem to be a part of
the place and entirely in keeping with the
surroundings. The walls are covered with a
gay colored paper in which birds and flowers
ap pear TO be at war with one another. From
q hasty glance l should imagine the latter to
be having the better part OF 1T. There are
five windows hung with long chintz cur
tains, while the few pieces of flu rniture
which are scattered about the big room are
covered with q bright red, lowered Gre
tonne. In the corner stands a large white
porcelain stove, without which no house Is
considered complete, for fires one must have
in winter, and open fires are unknown in
Tyrol. These stoves are often overloaded
with decoration. being the chief ornament OF
a room, the elaporately carved or tainted tiles,
are often quite a study, entire scenes, usually
biblical in character, being worked out
upon them. Over the beds hang severaI
crude colOred prints, in black wooden frames,
showing Christ and the holy mother with
the apostles, engaged in various srriptural
pursuits. These wall embellishments are
evidently intended to administer to the spirit
ual side of our nature. The meagre furnish
ing is completed by a plain pine table, and a
wardrobe for clothes, which stands at an I'M
certain angle, making one hesitate to APP
proach too near it for fear of being crushed
to death in q mass of debris.
In the Heart of the Alps.
With all this simplicity, everything is so
clean and tempting that l would not eX-
change my room here for one in Paris, with
frescoed ceiling and tapestried walls. The
views lEOu Iuc BIGtu COSctCu ScidluduSd i
charming. yt-c
Looking down from a height of 400 feet, we
see Innsbruck with its numerous bell towers
and quaint gabled houses; the glacier fed
river Ind. traversed by stone bridges; the
stately Alps, in the background, forming an
almost complete circle. around the town; each
high plateau with its schloss or red rooted
church; country roads winding in and out
among the hills and valleys.
To the left lies Hall, with its tall, pictur-
cnr1a ntTrnr thn yUh.tQ walls nF JtS anpinnt
cloister cleaning in the sun. Among the
sombre Units of the pine woods, stands the
castle of Ambras; and still beyond, the Mittel-
geberge, covered with meadows and forests
and pretty doris. ~
In Memory of Calvary.
The walks about the country are many. the
roads well kept, and the peasants one meets
toward strangers. Ready, always, to give
whatever information they may have to give,
and generous, to an amusing extent, with the
contents of their snuff box.
Shrines abound everywhere, usually built
as a chapel, with the l~ifeless Christ done in
wood or wax. Some of these are very real
iStic.
Looking in at the iron grated door, the i'm
preston one receives is that of life, and in
the darkened tones of the chapel we seem to
be looking upon real physical suffering.
These calvaries are to be met with on all
the country roads. They are carefully looked
after by the peasants. There is frequently a
dim wax taper burning upon the altar, or a
small olive oil lamp, shedding its uncertain
light upon the inanimate body within; while
a bunch of Alpine rosen is thrust between the
bars, and a cluster of wild fern leaves, placed
there by the faithful. Away from home
these shrines appeal to one in a peculiarly,
intense manner. They stand isolated and
alone upon the most cons plcuous point of an
Alp or dangerous ravlne, and far removed
from human habitation, they seem as mes
sengers OF peace.
The Patois of the People.
The people in the country speak no Ian
guage but their own, and that is but Il cor
rnption of the Austrian-German u patois,
which is tar from being harmonious on pleas
ant to the ear. To get way from the beaten
roads of the summer tourist, and penetrate
into the beautiful parts of Tyrol, some
knowledge of German is absolutely neces-
sary. One then finds himself away from the
palatial hotel and its much informed porter,
and walters, who put many OF us to shame
with their almost perfect knowledge OF
English. while we know so imperfectly their
language. We must now turn our attention
to nouns and verbs, and try to recall to mind
our Ollendorf, to make known our wants.
The inns are simple and unpretentious. The
landlords are polite; the rooms scrupulously
clean; the food cooked a lAllemande.
The people are honest and have not yet
learned to be extortionate in their demands
upon the travellers purse. The inns are
usually two stories high-the lodgings above,
the restaurant, which serves also for dining
and smoking room, below.
For the traveller, be he a Croesus, must
dine and sup with the usual frequenters of
such inns. The taps are running all day, and
all night, as well, for beer is the only drink
one can obtain here, unless 1t be an inferior
quality of wine, or n weak kirschwasser |
doubt il one could fipdla bottle of brandy or
whisky in any one of these villages.
l give this tip TO my fellow travellers, l. O.:
fill your flask and keepit well corked when
you start on one of your long tramps in Tvrol.
II will become precious Us you penetrate into
the mountains. 1880
As to Food,
one has little choice. 5he meats are:usually
veal or sausage, sometimes the chamois,
when the hunters bringlin their bag. Then
there is saur kraut, cheese made OF goats
milk, fresh eggs and a black bread with
anice seeds scattered through it, OF luXur-
les there are none. we have left the fashion
able table d'hote behlndus, with its highly
ornamented plate and eldless line OF sweets.
The Mother Of Sorrows.
AT the village olof Absam we rested
for a time to svisit the miraculous
Mother of Sorrows, q painting upon glass,
which was executed, go the legend goes, dur
ing a great contiagration by a hand directed
from heaven.
This is the ~fayorite pilgrimage of the en-
tire province and even the whole of Tyrol.
People iock to the spot in great numbers to