The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-08-18
European Letter.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, Aug.


days, mostly on the Rhein. Oh, the Rhein
IT'S the sweetest river in the world. We
were three days in going the $50 miles
usually travelled by tourists in or hours
and yet our Journey was all too swift.
Our first real Rhein experience was at
Konigswinter where we left the train and
went up the Drachenfels. We enthused all
we could i'm rain and then started down.
We walked and walked and at last found
the river and started up stream for Poland
seek where we wanted to spend the night
Five miles is not long walk even for a
tenderfoot, but when the five miles is through
the rain and you carry Is pounds in your
grip and hold an umbrella it is not as short
as might be, and then when you make
wrong turn or two and have to walk back
half mile or so 1t neither shortens the way
nor sweetens ones disposition. However, we
got there and tackled the German proprietor
in his own sloeet and fO,oing tongue. We
were successful and soon had room and a
good supper and had the satisfaction OF
knowing that at least one Rhein hotel
keeper had not feeced us.
The next day we made only about 25
miles, went by steamer to Andernach, an
old, quaint, interesting town that has been
asleep for four hundred years, is slumber-
ing still. We rambled over the town for
two hours and then went to Coblenz. Cob
LEM Is too modern to interest tourist
searching after the quaint and unusual, but
on the other side of the river is the famous
castle of Ehrenbreitstein now one Of the
strongest forts in the world. We had
German soldier guide who spoke 10 English
except to say more money" but when L
said to him in broken German, "This is the
'Wacht am Rhein,'" he said, "Ya ya," and
smiled all over. We did not care to stay in
Cobenz so we went to Capellen five miles
up the river for the night. In the morning
we hired mules for ride to castle belong
ing to the Emperor of Germany, an inhab-
without accident, but when it came to the
down journey the aft part of my mule
seemed reluctant to come and he continually
kicked out behind in way that is not par
and is much worse on steep incline. did
not find it funny but everybody else seemed
to enjoy it.
After divers and sundry happenings we
arrived at Mayence and here we distin-
guished ourselves by visiting the cellar in
which Guttenburg first printed with his
movable types, the first tourists who had
been there in many years and the first per-
of the "Beer Halle" told us and judging
from the experience we had in getting in
believed him; more of that anon. 1t is too
long story for this sitting.
Soldiers are everywhere in Germany.
Their bright uniforms are always in sight.
They are the best dressed men in the coun-
try and they are manly looking lot of fell
lows, straight, well poised and energetic, the
typical soldier. We had long visit with
three of them in concert hall. We didn't
say much and we understood less but we
all enjoyed il, including the neighbOrs. This
concert hall is larger than four of our Ar
mories. 1t was full of Germans, whole
families were there drinking beer and wine
and listening to the beautiful music, as Or
derby and well behaved an audience as one
will often see. And the music-well, I'll
say nothing about that. These Germans
| seem to be entirely able to take care of
themselves in this matter as we'll as most
others.
We have seen many women working in
the fields binding grain, hoeing and now
ing. More women in Germany than men,
think, though we did not notice as great a
ratio of women to men in Holland. We see
some horses in the fields drawing queer
two wheeled plOws but we see many more
| cows and oxen harnessed to the same work.
Horses here are worth money. The army
uses so many of them, hence the cows are
| harnessed for work in the fields. The cows
and the women seem to have hard time of
1t.
AS we were riding along the outskirts of
the Black Forest, just entering Switzerland,
a pretty peasant girl in Swiss costume came
into our cara car very much like ours,
not the usual apartment car-there seemed
to be no place for her to sit Perry was
busy with his Baedecker and off his guard.
This was my chance, so l quickly moved
my baggage and left vacant seat for her
and soon had the satisfaction of riding with
typical specimen Of Swiss peasantry. 1
started the ball by asking If the woods at
the left were the Black Forest. "Ya" she
replied, and then literally showed me under
with more German than could understand
in five years. l was somewhat ratified but
recovered and made second inquiry, IF
she lived there" Yes she did and was go
ing home, and very much more that looked
wise over and understood not word of. 1
really was very modest over my German at
the end of ten minutes. She wore little
fantastic head dress of black silk with large
rolls like cups at the side fastened on by
means of strings that were braided I'm with