The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-11-25


LONDON, Nov. Ii, IS93.-Travel
in Norway has some usual and many
exceedingly interesting phazes. 1t
was surprising thing to learn that
more than one hundred thousand
tourists now visit this northern land
every summer. The country pos
sesses Comparatively few miles of
railway. Consequently all routes of
travel are practically by highways
and waterways. More than a quar-
ter of a century since it was seen
that tourists, and particularly
European tourists, in search of
scenic marvels, were firing of Swift
erland; were turning their faces to-
wards the midnight sun; and were
even penetrating to the most remote
fields and glacier-felds. Norway
Immediately set about making tray
ell within her rugged boundaries not
only possible to all by extensive road
building, but systematic and reliable
as between all carries and landlords
and the tourist public.
This road building, involving enor-
nous expense and many splendid
feats of engineering, has had much
the same effect upon the people of
Norway as in Austrian Galicia. Not
so many years ago Austria built
nearly 1000 miles of stone highway
up and down and from end to end of
Galicia, or Austrian Poland. Pre-
vious to that time, materially, no
more wretched, God forsaken land
existed on the face of the earth. In
less than ten years time these roads
did more for the 100000 people of
Australian Poland in material and
social advancement than all the
churches, all the books, all the news
papers, all the battles, all the rail
ways and all the governments had
ever accomplished for them from the
days of Mieczyslaw and Bolesas to
tie day these roads were done.
The isolation of the Norwegian
peasantry was never so universal as
that of the Austrio- Polish peasantry.
They have never had their many and
mighty fiords; while semi seafaring
life always provided diversified re-
sources and the beneficial friction of
change. And yet until this road
building on mighty scale was be-
gun, it often happened that the peas
ant folk of one hamlet, or of a valley
district, were as remote from those
of another dial not ten miles distant,
where totally different resources were
relied upon and wholly different
traditions and customs were in
vogue, as though the Tatras or At
las mountains stood between.
This later almost universal means
of intercommunication over these
grand stone roads, and the roads
combined with the fiords, has made
Norwegian folk more homogeneous;
developed the scanty resources of
this stern north land; ard more than
all else intensified the traditional
longing of these fine and sturdy folk,
for complete national liberty and in
dependence. Combined with the sur.
passing scenery and interesting
peasant life, it also brings millions
of dollars to Norway each year, dis
tributed in city, hamlet, "station,"
and even in lonely mountain saeter
by vast horde of tourists, whose
methods of travel over mountain,
through valley and over ford are
alone most interesting subject of
study
The grand Norwegian roads, while
they are more numerous and expen-
sively built in proportion to popula-
ton, than those of any other Euro
pean country, have not that peculiar
sentimental interest attaching to the
highways of many other European
regions, and to be found in all the
Latin countries. They possess no
roadside shrines; nor are lowly pill
grim bands ever seen upon them.
The pilgrimages here are all to ma
lures mighty shrines Three exam
Piles will indicate their stupendous
character and added impressivenes
from winding along, or within some
of the most beautiful and majestic
scenery all Europe affords.
The Drammens Vel Tor DRAINS
Way, because built from the reven-
ues from liquor licenses of Bergen,
is one of the finest roadways in the
world. 1t is cut out of the sides of
the mighty FleiGeld rising above
the city. Five tremendous bends
are required to reach the summit.
For its entire distance, where not
blasted from the sold rock, the bed
consists first of heavy boulders, then
huge slabs of granite, and finally
thick covering of cement and gravel.
The escarped sides are of solid ma
sorry, often twenty, thirty and
fifty feet high along their facades,
to secure sufficient roadbed above;
and the outer edges of nearly the en-
tire Vel are protected by huge point
ed rocks set upright at regular in
tervals. The outlook from any of
its bends, comprising the red-roofed
city, the frozen heights to the north,
the bay, the seward countless
islands and the thunderous ocean
beyond, is not surpassed in Europe
! Near Bjerkager, in the Trondhjem
district is another wonderful road
way. For its entire length of sever
al miles it has been blasted from
solid rock. The necessary dislodge-
ments were often SO great as to give
the appearance of some mighty CON
vnlsion OF nature. The steep noun
tain slope rises thousands of feet
above you to the one side, while be-
low you, at the other, is a tremen-
dous gorge, nearly thousand feet
in depth, with wild torrent raving
and bowling on it's way to the dis
tant ford. At the outer bends Of
the road overlooking the gorge aud
torrent, the scenery is indescribably