The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-08
HAVING ON ALPS
On Alpine Heights Where Goats
and Sheep Fear to Tread.
Brawny Swiss Aaids-Com7eI,ed TO Now
Grass In Masculine Attire-Teird.
Eocky Region aad Plucsy Folk,
Who Inspired Schiller.

The hay makers on our western
prairies, and for that matter on the
I billy and mountainous meadows of
, America, can form no conception OF
the hardships that the Alpine whichever
Of Switzerland have to brave in order
to gather the winters provender for
their cattle.
Whichever, says the Chicago Inter
Ocean, is the name given to small
! peasants - men and women - who
climb the rocky peaks of the alps
during the months of August and
! September and gather the wild hay
that grows on almost perpendicular,
| isolated grass plots, over yawning
precipices and near threatening
, glaciers. The reader is reminded of
Schiller's graphic description OF this
fraternity in William Tell. 1t occurs
In the third scene of the fourth act.
! Gessler, the governor of Swift and
Cri, approaches down the sloping
Kuessnacht pass with rocks on either
side. Before him is projecting cliff
overgrown with brushwood. Armgard,
the poor wife of whichever, falls with
her children in front of the governors
horse and begs for the release of her
husband, who Is perishing behind
prison bars, and when Rudolph der
HaTras, the adjutant, asks her: "Who
ere you. woman, and who is your nus
band?" he receives the following words
Ia reply:
A poor wild-hay man OF the Rigibery.
Kind sir, who on the brow OF the abyss
blows down the grass from steep and rocky
shelves
70 which the very cattle dare not climb.
Harras, the horseman, is conscience
stricken, and thus intercedes for the
petitioner:
BY Heaven A sad and miserable iiisl
l prlthee. give the wretched man his freedom;
How great soever his oTense may be
bis horrid trade is punishment enough
To the woman:
You shall have justice: 70 the castle bring
Your suit; this is no place TO deal with #.
And, indeed, no more dangerous oc
cupation can be imagined. The work
is laboriOus and the harvest poor. The
mowers and rakers ascend with ropes
and Alpine shoes the dizzy steepnesses,
where goats and sheep do not venture
to Craze, much less the larger cattle
The mOuntaineers here are, of course,
never assailed by, vertigo and kindred
trou bles. which must be accounted for
by heredity and constant climbing of
perilous heights. But for this work
only such men and women can be hired
who can find no other means where
with to keep the wOls from the door.
These are the folks who work during
the balance of the year at ridiculously
low wages by day in villages and inns,
or as wood-choppers and weavers dur
ing the winter. hundreds of house
holders in this vicinity rely for their
whole years supply of milk, butter and
cheese on single cow, and must make
hay on the mountains while the sun
shines-during August and September.
Every canton In Switzerland has its
hay laws which set apart two months
during the year for hay gathering and
which appoint the very day on which
the work NAV be commenced, besides
imposing many other oppressive ordi-
nances and regulations. AS soon as
the hay day has come these cOmplacent,
easily contented. semi-Ronan Teutons
gather in cOnvivial companies and be-
gin their climbing marches amid the
yodling of popular ditties and the sing
ing of religious hymns. All carry al
penstocks, scythcs, raBes and ropes and
q small knapsaclz of food and drink,
sufficient for several days
Often places are encountered where
the grass Is especially rich and lux
uriant, but which can only be reached
by dangling q mower down over the
rocks and thus enabling him to gather
a few sacllfuls of hay at time, when
another man is let down to finish the
plot. 1t IS generally found most ex-
pedient to select some accessible spot
near the mountain road and then TO
throw the hav bundles from the va
rious little meadows along the paths
And it is marvellous with what dex-
terity the rakers have learned TO throw
their bundles.
Sometimes, however, no such con-
~enient place can be found; then the
poor people are compelled TO carry
their heavy, compact bundles on their
shoulders down the steep, dangerous
mountain path or TO let them down
with ropes from one TO another some
whatlike the water carriers of ancient
Egypt.
In the Canton Swift many young
women are employed for this work.
They are usually robust, brawny
young maids. fail of courage, every
movement betrsying power and agility.
Necessity cOmpeis them TO wear mas
culine attire during these iabors. AS
IN the case of the Tyroleau shep-
herdesses, skirts would prove great
impeachment IN their work
A yv.s ns.c.1Tad MAJ