The morning call., 1894-04-15
A DESERTED VILLAGE.
1t Is Inhabited Only for Six Weeks
Every Year.

1t Is Inhabited Only for Six Weeks
Every Year.
Stuart Erskne in letter to the Pail Mall
Budget writes as follows about a well-knOwn
Alpine village:
St. MOri;z- Bad, which is situated about a
mil. from st. MoriiZ-DOrf, tie well-known
winter Alpine resort, is a town composed
almost exclusively of gigantic hotels mammoth
boarding-housrs, or, 10 give them their mor-
polite appellaiion. pensions-and gargau-
tuan villas. In the summer it is crammed with
people. holIdaymakers and invalids, who
come 10 drink its healing waters, drawn
together from all points OF the compass and
senIing divers natiOnalities; but in the
winter It Is shut up and deserted; no one
lives there save solitary caretaker or two.
and The town becomes as solitary and
tbree times more cold than the pro-
ye bial sepulcher. The reason OF this exodus
Is of course, due 10 The fact that ST. MOriIZ-
Bad occupies position which renders II far
too cold spot TO be capable OF sustaining a
human population during the winter time.
The town Is built or a level stretch OF ground
close 10 The lake of ST. MoritZ, and Is so closely
bemmed IN by surrounding mountains that the
sun scarcely touches IL for six months out OF
the twelve. Paradoxleal as 1t may seem. it is
nevertheless true that this unique little town OF
gigantic hotels, mammoth pensions and gar
gantuan villas is only, strictly speaking inhab-
lied for the people for whom IL was exclusively
burt-that Is to say, for holiday makers and
lnvalids-for about six or seven weeks out of
The nltY-tWo that constitute the solar year. The
rest of that time II Is shut up-deserted-and
nOlhing save business or curiosity could tempt
a man In set fOOt in 1t.
The effect uDou mind and Imagination, as
! you force your way through the huge MASSES
of snow that incumber the streets of ST. MOritZ-
! Bad In winter time must be somewhat similar
| 10 that which explorers narrate they expert
ence on first settling foot within the mysterious
circles of the Arctic regions. 1t is TO be OBJ
served, however, that In the latter case This
. EIsa trhf fnf. fall
were upon the a@ed specta or and strike him
dumb with fear and admiration are unaccOm-
panied by any of The signs and emblems OF
human habltatlon. and the etore, though weird
and terrible, are natural enough; In the former
those two feelings become Intensified, and
by consequence their effects upon he lmagina-
tion, by reason of I'll ir being experienced
amid all The signs of human lie and business,
and in The heart, as it were. OF a real though
latent, vitality. The huge hotels with their
closely shutte ed widows, smOkeless chmDeys
and general appearance OF chronic neglect. re-
semOe nothing so much as deserted p laces
Il ON which all signs Of life have been cut of.
all movement expressive OF vitality effeetually
banished by reason OF pestience, crime or
some other dreadful calamity. The snow lies
several feet deep upon the pathways that lead
10 them and upon tile roofs Of these gigantic
buildings.
The shops in the quaint little main street.
hard by. are securely closed Tor the winter,
and to all intents ana purposes are slgDless.
The carefakers-a sleepy idle tribe. whose sole
diversion seems 10 consist in being showed up,
aud occasionally dug out agan-spend their
time in dreaming one haf the day, and sic D.
ing soundly .he rest. The watchdog's bark IS
probably the only sound that ever penetrates to
their ears; bnt when night falls-and i falls
with a swiftness aud icy vengeance al 81. Nor
itZ- Bads of which only those who have expert
eueed il can POSSESS any adequate nOtion-and
all sound Is stllled, and all movement effeclu-
ally stuffed beneath the iron Il el of King Frost,
then Is The Illusion made complete, and the
stranger realizes at once that lie Is face TO face,
as il were, with genuine deserted village.