New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-18
TELL.
AN AMERICAN FLIES TO HIS RESCUE.

%Aocf
thing else about Switzerland, / should like to free my
mind Of william Tell. Thackeray called VANITY
Fair a novel without q hero. II we resolve William
Tell into a myth, then switzerland has the unique anu
rather dismal distinction Of being a land without us
greatest hcroi 1t may 10 contended that the trans
formation Of the man Tell into the myth Tell was ac-
compnshed long ago. But l am not so sure OF thaV
after being here and there in switzerland Tor q month.
True, the earliest Swiss historians make no menuoh OF
Tell. True, all tho guide books-puonsheo OUT "
Switzerland Inform their patrons that there never was
any such person. True, BaringGould, IN his " curious
Myths of the Middle Ages" argues that the famlhaf
story Of Tell and the apple is a slmon-pure hcuon, anu
In order TO strengthen his position points ou' .ha' "e
analogue Of Che story is part OF the iegehuafy eootu'
antedating their serious history, oil severai oouh.on
besides Switzerland. That is one side OF te leu
issue, but there is another. l was al Luricn 'o o~e.
day. and while sauntering through its arsenal was
shown the bow with which William Ten -" nreu ue s"o.
heard round the world.p And a formidaoe wcapoh
is. The bow proper is Of steel, the STOCK Is i "a
braced with iron. and the great trigger is vi "On.
You could fell an OK with 1.-THE one wthoh our ON
tr,end Irlvsses carried could scarcely have been harder
II bend. why does Zurich keep William Tells DO"
and guard it so csrefully7 Because OF a puonc sou,
timent protesting that the bow stands TOT a iso' ""N
not for a fraud. This same sentiment similarly n"n
ifests itself at AItdorf. 1 saw there q statue oil nerUo
sigo ~ William Tell. 1t was erected as late as 1901,
o. tho snot where he executed his immortal Feat OF
craftsmanship. 1t is certain that IL any SWISS suUuHu
ATTEMPT to down Il, he would be treated by MS isio"
countrymen as General Dix proposed TO treat the MIS-
creant who offered TO haul down the American nag,
In addition to the bow ard the statue. three memorial
channels attest that William Ten-the man. not INC
myth-is believed in and revered by the SWISS biusses'
II is not I'm sane human nature, is ii, 10 erect and per
petuate chapels in remembrance OF myths1 Two U
the three are on Lake Lucerne, and the o'her Is ~
uu,olen standing on the site Of the house In when
Tell was born. One of those on the lake was erecteo
in 1888. Now the Tell iconoclasts rely largelV III uo
circumstance that "no TRACE of such a person. d
laedeker puts IL. ais TO be found IN inc "orA u
John of Vinterthur (VitrduIanus, 1319' or tnat o
Conrad Justinger, of Bern N42O), the edr"osV 0"I'
historians" But the chapel in question depIlVes
argument of much of its Significance Inc TWO MS
torians were silent touching Tell, but here was u SCI.
mon in stone, nearly as ancient as one Oh 'ao"' Wv
more ancient than the other. t~estifying that there was
Gsuch a person. Obviously, 1t bears directly anu
1orcIhIv on the point to INQUIRE how the school children
of to-day. in switzerland, are taught to, regard Ici'
In Zurich / purchased recently a scho'i-booh Wv "er-
mani entitled "Historio Picture BOOK Tor the SWISS
Youth. Third edition. Zurich" one {" the historic
nictures presented in this elementary work for the III
struction of the swiss youth Is the familiar story OF
Teus dauntIess heroism. Yesterday l borrowed one
of tho books which the children down here In this
lyiIlage of weesen study. 1t has on its ttle page
this work also is in German-"T Inc topography anu
History of Switzerland, for Schools and the Home Luz
icerne. 1872 Like The Zurich textbook, IL treats
William Tell as a historic character, and gives whom II
NAV concern 10 understand that the account OF bis
achievements which have come down from former
generations is to be accepted. Its sketch OF his career
ends with q couplet which may be translated, "Ihe
story of Tell should be told as long as the mountains
stand ON their foundations" l have only TO add that
q is onite possible that the end Of this interesting con-
tentjon Is not vet. For although the Tellites appar-
entity are unyielding, and the anti!Tellites immoVable,
sonic such compromise may ultimately be agreed 10
ny both camps as the one which has united some Vi
the Homerftes and anti -Homerites of England. Ihese
students of Homer, according to one OF our WHY
british brethren. have unanimously resolved that the
poems commonly attributed to Homer were not written
by him, but by another man of the same name"
Switzerland will celebrate her 6O0th birthday TINS
week with appropriate pomp and circumstance a
stranger within her gates, with the assurances OF hs
distinguished consideration, ventures to contribute 10
the high festival this
OVERTURE TO WILLIAM TELL.
The legend Of the national hero Of Switzerland II
destitute Of historical foundation.
-(Baedeker's Guide to switzerland)
Much do / yearn to know,
O. William Tell, thou Of the champion bow,
whether the thrilling tale that's told Of thee,
That's wit in schOolbooks here and DER the sea,
;And strs all freedoms sons Nhere'er they be.
Is genuine, as are these Alpine heights,
Or simply one Of fancy's brilnan: flights
THAT'S called in that fair land in which we dwell
A SELL
Pray tell us, Tell,
Do tell,
DO, Tell
Vert thou O man, like Brown or Jones or Smith,
Or, like the bOw-boy Cupid, just a myth
A noble my:h,
OF point and pitk,
But still q myth
Has thy biography no greater worth
Than idlest yarn that Ger was spun on earth,
Which adds not to our knowledge, but our miith,
Yam spun by. folks who fashion men and scenes
For the marinesl
Didst thon with cruel Gessler boldly grapple.
Shooting from Of thine ~oGspring's head an apple,
Causing the arIOw-Ab, what skill to enter
The small fruits centre7
Or vert thou neer in freedoms fight enlisted,
For the good reason that thou meier eXistedf
Pray tell us, Tell
Ring %falsehoOd's knell-
Do tell,
DO, Tel.
BE good to history and solve the mystery,
Give 10 the world thine own. thy tn thful version
or that target excursion.
TITS held by Baedeker, that. guide so honest,
That thou vert never otherwise than non est;
He counsels tourists to be sure and label
The epic Of thy deeds a cunning fable.
one bound to last
While freedom lives and Alpine peaks stand fast.
a very abbs
Aye, q matchless fable.
But still a ablei
V.
And vet, and yet as all Cook parties know,
Fair Zurich Own-fee half a franc-doth show,
With patriotic ardor all aglow,
Among ats choicest treasures thy great bow!
A phantom bowf
D no, not so.
But that objective bow, that concrete one,
With which thou haved the fruit and missed thy son,
While Gessler CRASHED his teeth, with visaec glun,
Mutter!nQ, "Tell needs no tutor
As a shooter"
What docs that bow, q William Tell, imply
-.A. u..anEon- hnIh trmth dDfNl