Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-23

ment they receive by splendid speed on
level stretches of road and an almost
startling pace down the steepest OF
mountain ways. Their comprehension
of the ethics Of travel is, however, often
far more acute than that Of their foreign |
drivers. | have often seen them stop
and turn abuut, facing the earrinle pas
senger, as n bit Of plucky climbing was |
reached, with look which asked as
plainly as words: "Kind sir, you are
now in Norway. Will you not dis
mount and walkg"
They are grazed like sheep among the
cliffs and crags, and will bound about
among the rocks like the chamois When
wanted for posting relays they Will
scamper at call, like an obedient dog,
from the hillsides to the gaarde or sta
ton. They are positively companiona-
BILE in their natures, and seem to have
tho Teutonic qualities of strength and
endurance with the Celtic strain of YER
satility, vivacity and general enthusi-
asfn. You cannot travel in Norway
without coming to place the Norwegian
ponies, in the panorama OF your expert
ences and friendships, as among the
most agreeable of your acquaintance.
Whether the universal mad rush OF
tourists from place to place in Norway
has influenced certain governmental
regulations, or whether the latter have
brought about the half-crazy dispatch
INDUCED in by travellers, | am unable to
say. They both exist, and both are in
teresting as q spectacle and study.
There are few places in Norway where
strangers rest and social pleasures are
| enjoyed as at the American Newport
and Bar Harbor, at Torquay, Bideford,
Buxton and Malvern, in England, and
at Rothesay and Strathpeffer, in Scot
land Along the splendid tiords are
a few sunny. spots with villas
and charming inns; but outside
the. cities and the few delightful
hating places beside the fiords there
| are really no inns in Norway. Among
all her thousands of miles of noble
roads are not score of really comfort.
able hostelries. Instead of these are
what are known as stations" They
are found throughout Norway at dis
tances of 6 to 10 or IL miles apart; and
their charges for posting by carriole,
and for some portions of actual food
and lodging, are regulated by govern
mental authority.
These stations or "skydstations" as
they are called in Norway, are subsl-
died by the State and are under strict
est government control. There arc two
classes, "fast-stations," where d stated
number of carrioles, stoll-carts and
pones are required to be kept by the
master, and the "tilsigelse" or "slow
stations which are not compelled tc
furnish any more conyeyances or ponies
than can be conveniently kept or pro
cured from neighboring farms. The
slow stations are also known as "for
bud" stations; because the tourist |;
liable to detained for hours, and per
haps days, AT these, unless he sends
''forbud,m literally "foregoer" or mes
senger on in advance to bespeak his re
quirements. This "forbud" is the Nor
wegian courier, but is a far less impos
ing and costly one than he who provide
the chief bane and expense of traye
in Switzerland and the Latin countries
!. The "forbud" may be gentle old man
o lively lad orr robust barefooted lass
and in any case the insignificant fixet
fee and the trifiing gratuity you ma.
add, are received with such profusio
? of bowling, Misunderstanding and "Mang
y taxi" (inany thanks } that use OF tn
"forbud" invariably proves q conven
!, fence and pleasure.
e All of these posting stations have wha
= is called daybook (dagbog) AWAY
= living upon the common-room table. y
= its first page is the actual contract mad
y between the government and the static
. master. II shows how many beds th
= station shall be provided with, the tart
. for the same, the number and charactt
i, Of vehicles and the number of horses
y be in use, if fast station, as well as I'll
= exact charge for prescribed mode {
conveyance TO the next station, eac
=, way. As the average official rate fl
- posting does not exceed three cents p,
:" English mile, the tourist can himself a
~ certain the exact expenses from OF
~ station to another. You are also pr
40 tected against imposition in the tendent
!, of landlords to detain and retain the
u guests for profit. The handy dayboC
y stands sentinel against this. Eat
y traveller, or representative of part
- before leaving station must write b
i,o name in the daybook and state the exa
y number of conveyances engaged; so tn
Il any one following after may know
IL the absent vehicles fill the requir
If quota.
~ 1t is creditable to these sturdy Nc
a wegian folk that when party arriv
e at d "fast" station only to find tn
- there is not sufficient number of co
l. yeyances, though the legally requiI
80 number is in use, that good breedi
~ rather than bullying and brides W
70 universally secure some sort Of rel
T., from your dilemma. A Norwegi
' av stationmasteris very seldom truckli
M landlord. He is almost always bond
of that is, a proprietor Of large lands abe
~ the station, and a farmer on respe
oI able scale, who has been required by
a., government to provide posting a
Vt entertainment facilities. In several
10 stances coming under my observati
he is the schoolmaster; and know
mo- two who are clergymen. These men
,Is have a certain pride in their indivldl
40 possessions, their position or charact
r;St Recognize this, and you will lead
,,s charmed life upon the roads of Norw
~ Gracious behavior will bring score
vss ponies from the hills, and stoll-cs
no from the outlying farms, If you requ
RE them; but if you intend being eoor
vow a cad among these quiet, proud.spiri
r,,r people, you should bring along y,
III, own conveyance and supplies. II
: in will not wrangle with you. They '
por. simply let you 50 much alone that
The might better be cast upon a de;
ion island.
No. The station daybook has other
one portant and interesting uses. You
ow, privileged by law to set down in bl
lust and white, before the station mast
the eyes, any complaint you may feel
Phe your duty to record. These data
a. oiso rn,rnootiua If the Drecedinp