Telegram-herald., 1891-12-13
bern and IT'S BEAR Pits
The Quaint Swiss Capital by the
swift Rolling Aar.
ITS WONDERFUL OLD CLOCK TOWER
That Has chtasd the aears Of Csa-
sariss-An Obssisars EnxtishmAa
Whs farntshsa . Treat fer the
BeArs-w ws,ax~pnt's wild Leap.

IA ost SuftouHucu " ioop oi tue Wiuu-
ing river Aar stxnds Bern, the chief
city Il Switzerland. A more quantity
beautiful city would be hard TO
find. and if eles nliness is really next 10
godlIness the Rerness must be very
good. Tue Aar 10 tappsd at its highest
point in the circle about the city, and
through the center of every street runs
channel of the water covered by broad
fiagstones- AT intervals of 200 feet o.
less are huge stone basins and the pure
cold water boIls up into these and then
flows away again into the lower chan
mel. About the basins the women Ia
their picturesque costumes gather to get
water for culinary purposes, and vt
others reserved for that purpose. great
road-backed, muscular da mes stand
washing clothes. Many n spicy tidbt
of gossip Is here exchanged and the
hearers chuckle aud nod their heads
with evident enjoyment. They rub the
articles III the water and clap them
tiercely against the stone sides of the
basin As they wiring them one
by one the great knotted muscles
stand out like the ropes upon their
arms and shoulders. The clothes are
neatly packed IN hi % u, 8 ALLOW baskets.
the good DANES don Jnclr kerchiefs,
place the basket on top OF their heads,
and then out of their fsthomless pock-
cts they haul their knitting and trudge
away 10 their homes. They carry all
burdens on their heads and always
knit when their lands are not other
wise occupied. Ii is not an uncommon
sight at five O'Clock IN the morning to
see woman fifty years Of age tramp
ing along the road to the market with
q bushei or more OF garden truck on
her head and knitting rs she goes. She
will sit half the day on the curbstone
until her stock is sold out and the
knitting goes on all the time.
Features Of the Place.
There are numerous oruamen tai
fountains of bronze and stone, and in
every group there are from two TO y
dozen bears. One, fountain that at
tracts general attention is a fierce look
ing ogre in the act Of devOuring child.
He evidently has enough for mess,
for his pockets are full of kids. The
ogre is unfortunately an extinct species
whose mission was to devour small
children who made life miserable for
railway travellers ana patrons OF thea
tiers. There is great field FOR robust
ogres today, and their absence 10 some
thing TO be deplored.
Three great thoroughfares traverse
Bern from end to end, but the names
are changed every two or three blocks.
Stepping out of the railway station
the traveller steps into the street
Called Spitalgasse. Like all the other
streets 1t is paved with stone with the
water conduit extending through the
middle and on each side line with long
rows of buildings. The second story or
the buildings extends out to the edge
of the sidewalk and . row of pillars
supports the overhaDging portion.
This forms sort OF arcade and per-
son can walk all over Bern in pour.
ing shower without an umbrella. All
he has to do is to scud across the stree,
at the end Of the blocks for he is unde er
snater all the rest of the time.
A short distance down the street
brings the traveller to the Kafgethurm
or cnsctower, used AS a prison. 1t j.
too gloomy to invite investigation but
mere the street becomes the Market
gasse. Two blocks down this road Is
the most interesting object in Bern. A
grim Old tower, black with age. stands
square in the street and the
lower story Is pierced by a
large arch. Passing through the
arcn brings one into. Kramgass asse.
All the streets are sses. This tower
has stood here just 7oo years and was a
toierably old structure when Rudolph
of Hapsburg, q gentleman of doubtful
morals but great political influence,
was made the first emperor of Austria,
and founded the house of Hapsbure
which has held the throne since l27s.
The Tower. Great Clock.
This structure was originally a part
of the city wall and crossbow men
used to stand in the upper windows and
| fill the advancing enemy with old
bolts and twenty penny nails. 1t now
contains wonderful clock. High up
on little pinnacle stands big bronze
looking fowl. and apparently a eros;
between . shanghai and . buff cochin
The spectator q usually very much
surprised to see this scdate creaturt
| flap his wirgs AMI crow loud and Ions
winch he invar ably does once an hour
| lust three minutes before the clock
strikes. While waiting for tha rest of the
| performance one can consult the dfais
VIII ch show correctly the hour and mln.
ute, the day of the week and mouth
the phases of the moon and the posi-.
ton of the sun among the signs oi the
| zod &C. Below the rooster sits . large
but foolish looking king and beIo ,
the king sits wise looking fool and Z
wniskeFed od gentleman holding al
hour glass. The fool holds a swee
tened bell IN one hand and hammer
in the other. Just before the bel
| strike procession of bears walk out ol
an arehwsy beside the king and msrct
| around him on their hind legs. The
| monarch acknowledges their courtesy
| with q profound bow. The rooster
evidently fearing that attention viii be
detrscted from hnn crows again Iher
the gentleman IN the cap ard bell
strikes the hour slowly upon the De
| IN his hand and At each stroke the ktnf
opens his mouth ike an expiring catnsi
and raises and lowers his scepter. IN
Old nsn with the whisSers - not aSe !
BY a1y means, for at the lsst stroSs y
reverses the hour glass with rsmsrSaes'
dexterty.
n Has worried fer eestnriss
Awsy up At the top of the toser nsag
4 hags iron bell and beside the eei
stands giant figure "a fusi snit Q
arnaor. Hs holds an iror msce "a D.
hand. ane when the puPpet sne~ oe
n@Ath aas ended hs gees ~ ias oci
ike nan cherpn9 weed ~
strikes tke nour sgsin. The roossr
/ i ,vreeresssbie now-vsr, for vsen "a
| he..s,, .,f sas lsss strese has did svs