The Portland daily press., 1895-08-19
THE SIMPLON ROUTE.

From Baveno to Domo 'Ossola there is
now a railroad on the Grayellona route
by which Genoa is reached directly in a
few hours from the italian Lakes. This
new route shortens the carriage drive
over the Simplon nearly one half and
makes it easy for one days trip But
since we had preferred an afternoon in
the Lake, to late ride in the cars to
vate land are over the whole great Simp-
Ion route.
Until Napoleon built the first carriage
road over Simplon Pass there was
nothing but the Brenner Pass except
bride paths which penetrated these great
Alpine bulwarks which shut out Italy
form the rest Of Europe. But in spite of
these almost impenetrable passes, both
Caesar and Napoleon were interchangeable
in waging war Caesar rode on horse
back over these narrow doflles, during
the century before Christ, the St Ber-
nard being the particular scene of much
of his hard labor in crossing back and
forth. With book in hand and downcast
ewes he went always studying and max
ing some research in behalf of literature,
war or history.
Eighteen hundred years after, Napo-
Icons mind took the same lofty flights
higher than snow crowned mountain
peaks. he wrought for posterity, his
motto was Excelsior. Neither of these
great men looked up at the eternal splen-
dor, which then, as now illumined the
road. Both were silent about the pic
turesqueness of these valleys. concerning
the terrible beauty of these ravines and
gorges, with regard to the lofty sub
Unity of these natural domes and Spires
the roaring cataracts, or the grandeur of
the cliffs, the resplendent magnificence
of the glaciers and the general beauty OF
the whole. 1t is the last half of this CEN
tury that has developed the modern sight
seer, and in this last half century this in
dustry has increased with accelerated
speed, until the whole world is the sight
seer's S amphitheatre and battle-ground.
And so we drove on through the hours
of that midsummer day, up steep noun
tains and down through .glades, never
stopping except to pick mountain
flowers from hooks where Napoleon had
trod and his armies bivouacked. Once we
halted at poor little inn near the Swiss
frontier, which afforded poor coffee,
goats milk and hard heavy bread; for
although this great summer thoroughfare
Is full of pleasure seekers and mountain
climbers, there seems no place where the
pangs of hunger can be satisfied.
The road is broad carriage road hav-
ing been rebuilt fifteen years ago, over
looking precipices and dreadful gorges
and ravines. At Iselle the italian Gus
tom house is passed which for people with
small luggage has no terrors, but travel
lefs with trunks are obliged, here as else
where. to undergo the uncomfortable
surveillance Of the law.
CONDO.
Soon after this the first Swiss village
appears the little hamlet of Condo, but
through the whole route Italian charac-
teristics prevail among the people. Lit
tie italian beggar girls follow the car
riage, asking for small italian coin.
They run after you grimacing and using
every method to attract the traveller a
notice, but they are only interesting
when their sweet brier roses fill your car
riage with the scent of June. Near this
hamlet of Condo a fine view is revealed
A great cataract rushes into depths far
below, glistening glacier shines above,
while Just In front a huge boulder seems
to shut you in. There is apparently no
egress into the splendors beyond. But
above long gallery blown out of this
solid rock one reads this inscription
"Asre 1taio 1905 Nap. Imp into the
cool shade of this gallery We penetrate
and after five minutes emerge into a road
which hangs oyer long precipioe called
the "Ravine of the Gendo - Here Nauo-
leon when he built the road diyerged