The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1895-07-27
WHAT l SAW IN SWITZERLAND

july 4, 1865.
After leaving Dover and crossing the
channel we landed at Dele, had our
their trunks, We boarded the train and
were taken rapidly through CarIais,
Abbeville, Amies and Laon to Chalons
where a fine break fast awaited us. The
ride over this part of France seemed
like the ride over the state of New
York. Fields were larger than in Eng
land and the came flowers blossomed
along the roadside. The hay was cut
chimes at work either in England,
France or Switzerland. There was one
thing different from American agricul-
ture To be seen-that Was the presence
of women in the fields. Here women
were seen either raking the hay or
moving in the fields side by side with
tue men. Once We saw the baby
strapped upon the mothers back while
she worked in the field.
From Chalons we start refreshed for
Berne, switzerland, the playground of
Europe" Certainly no other country
has in So small an area. So much wonder
full beauty Of landscape, or such a
variety and marvcls of sunny lakes and
snowy mountains, noisy torrent and
silent glaciers, gloomy forests and fruit
full fields as this"
itrh \ ~
valleys and lakes have much to do
with the languages and manners and
customs as we'll as the laws Of the Swiss
people. A valley or group of valleys
of the people may be Catholic or per-
haps Protestant and they may speak
either German, French or Italian
There Is no real Swiss language, and
the money used is French money. Tn
like England Switzerland has no stand
ing army but instead drills every male
resident a given number of weeks each
year, when in case of war every citizen
is ready to defend his country for every
person here is devotedly loyal to their
confederation which ls quite wonderful
because the cantons differ so much
among themselves.
The standard of education in Switzer-
land is very high. Education is com
pulsory and public schools free. /
went to one Of the public schools one
day alone. As was unable to speak
German and the teacher Of the room
visited could speak no English, and all
the work done there was in German
you can guess had very funny time.
| could, however, see something of the
movements and work, and noticed
that all teachers there were men. |
intended returning in the afternoon
did not permit.
The Swiss people are very kind, in
dustrIOus and economical. The domes-
tic scenes of families at work in the
fields Is very nice in one sense for they
seem so contented and happy in each
others company, the man always smok-
his pipe, for com 'ort, suppose, while
his wife works close by his side keeping
her end up equal with his without any
comfort, unless it be the strong healthy
looking baby near by to look after in
addition to her work. Their chatelets
are models of neatness and simplicity.
Below is place for the goats, COWS or
horse or all, while the family live COM
fortably in the apartments above in
which there are many more rooms than
there seems to be from the outside.
Under the same roof somewhere there
is place for the wood and hay The
wood they seem to commonly use is
either the branches or roots of trees
which Americans set fire to as refuse.
In winter the men do the most Won
derful wood carving and the women
einbrOider or make lace to sell to the
tourists IN summer. As the tourist
drives from point to point of interest
the women and girls hold these articles
up to the windows of their carriages,
one on either side so if we turn from
the one it is only to look into the face
Of another, while they run along for
blocks holding articles up into our faces
saying, lone frame" or zone frame
fifty" etc, till we are forced to buy to
get rid of their company. Another way
the natives have devised to extract
francs from the tourists pockets is the
boys making brush from small
branches of trees when they follow us
for miles brushing flies from the horses.
They finally stop brushing flies and run
along beside the carriage holding their
hats for money.
Bcrne the capital of the Canton
Berne, Ia very interesting city OF
IL, l9l inhabitants but We have no time
to explore it and pass rapidly on our
way to the lake of Thun where We
leave the cars and gladly take the boat
for we are tired enough after travelling
all night III the inconyenient European
cars.
The lake of Thun is indesCribablv
beautiful, eleven miles long and a quar-
ter of mile wide, and its deep waters
of bottle green color. The sky is
| beautifully blue, while the foliage on
either side is OF varied shades and tint4
of green, except the tops of the peaks
! of the Blumis, Alps, Eiger, Monch,
Jungfrau and others which are snow
capped. As these peaks doomed up be-
fore lis in 50 many views for many days
We learned to love them as an old
friend. We often expressed a wonder
If we could ever again be content with
out seeing a snow-capped mountain
upon which the clouds 50 gently rested
and upon which the altergIow of the
setting sun shone so beautifully. These
sights, so grand, SO magnificent, gave
Us an idea Of the greatness of the Deity
which We had never before had. Near
, the shore are villas and every inch of
I fertile ground Is cultivated.
We now reach Interlaken pretty