The Portland daily press., 1892-05-07
IN FOREIGN LANDS,
Italy in a Northeast Snow Storm-A Day in
a Swiss-Italian Express Train-Piacenza
and Its Attractions.
Especial Correspondence Of the pRrss.l

Especial Correspondence of the PREss.]
BAsLE, Switzerland, Apdil rs, 1892.
On the coast of Maine in the middle of
March we consider a northeast snow
storm no uncommon event. But the
traveller who goes abroad in February to
escape our late spring and hastens south
into the region of sunny Italy to catch
the simmer and glory of a southern sun
feels much surprised and greatly disap-
pointed when, after leaving the noun
tain regions of Switzerland and penetrat-
ing the Gotthard range by means of it's
famous tunnel, he finds representative
Maine snow storm in full blast on the
other side.
Such was the experience of travellers
who left Switzerland on the 18th of
March of the present year. The winter
in that little Republic had been of the
mildest type with scarcely day at a
time below the freezing point, and not
withstanding this fact it had been remar-
kably free from the worldwide epidem-
les, which had proved so fatal in every
climate. But just at this time the noun
tains were covered by considerable
depth of snow, and people had gone back
to fires and furs.
The early morning air of this particular
morning was crisp and winterish as New
England, and the scene was almost weird
The Jura mountains never looked more
e.
circled us around. People were mostly
in their houses, except. coming down
from the mountains through the valleys
between; an occasional late milk cart
could be seen, with troops of early chill
dren sometimes following in behind,
keeping time with their feet, which rev.
elled in the unaccustomed pastime of
tracing as many footprints as possible in
the yielding snow; for winter was appar-
emily opening as spring had seemed to
dawn.
"reminiscences of a Day in Swiss italian
Express Train.
But our compartment was filed with
merry people, whether English or French
it was hard to say, since they hailed from
London, but spoke Partisan French. AS
early as this they were making their
yearly exodus into the land of palm trees
and olives, and they were now on the
way to the borders of the lovely lake of
Como to open their italian villa there
for home until the next winters snow.
Even the beautiful house bird they had
in gilded case seemed to feel no appre-
hension but that the st. Gothard, over and
through which we were so soon to pass,
would be the harbinger of an italian sky.
1t was pet bird, quite large, with a
black cowl for cap and greyish epau-
lettes and black tail for its fiery red
breast. Proud of its beauty, he chirped
without fear and tried to sing, seeming
to think that this particular train was his
own express. But presently a surly
brakeman or assistant conductor, in i'll
temper, passing through the long pas
sage adjacent to the several compart-
ments of these express cars, espied the
pet and said, ''Have you a permit for
your bird? for otherwise it must 90 to
the yan." l believe l have seen almost
every domestic animal carried in these
cars, from big dog to parrot, chicken
and cat, some Of which are more noisy
han unsteady inclined, but never saw
one before threatened with expulsion
from them. The dogs must have tickets,
but the others go free.
The bird chirped on, but the lady, anx-
lous and sad, said, Il could not have my