Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-26
HERO OF SWITZERLAND.
A .tatue of Heroic Size Erected In
Honor of william Tell.

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Honor of William Tell.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND.
September 3, 1895.
The fact that certain historians have
discredited the story of William Tell in
no manner dampens the ardor With which
the Swiss regard their hero. On the con-
trary, they have reaff1rmed its truthfulness
by erecting, at an expense of some fifty
thousand dollars, a colossal statue Of the
finest marble, executed by the well-known
Swiss sculptor, kissing. upon the very
spot in Altdorf where 1t is asserted Tell
shot the apple frem his sons head. and
where previous and ever since have taken
place all public meetings of the citizens
Of Uriincluding their famous annual
Observation-Disclosures even to this day
they elect their cantonal officers viva voca.
and in like manner enact laws.
The statue represents the stalwart form
Of Tell, with his sturdy little son by his
side, the crossbow upon his shoulder, step
ping down the mountain side into the val
ley. No ideal conception of the subject
could have been presented more effectively
or more perfectly in harmony with Its su-
dent and vice president Of the Swiss con-
federation attended the ceremonies in per-
son, arriving by boat from Lucerne at
Flueln. the port of Altdorf, together with
evening previous.
In honor of the occasion one of the
grandeSt of mountain and lake illumina-
tions was presented. Great bonfires arose
from every summit, and colored lights
fitted around in every quarter, whilst
thousands Of pretty lanterns seemed to
skim around upon the waters of the ada
cent lake as far as the eye could reach.
Tells chapel on its border, was all aglow
with radiant electricity.
On the morning Of August Is the process
sion. composed of twenty-five divisions.
was in motion toward the general place of
meeting, preceded by a squadron Of cav
airy. The ceremonies in front Of the statue
were opened by the vast assembly, the
bands accompanying, singing the national
anthem, succeeded by orations delivered by
the governor of Uri and President Temp Of
the confederation. The latter, after abiding
to the record evidence which Uri possessed
Of its public acts as far back as l2Sl, stated
that at the period they were there to COM
memorate individual deeds of valor were not
officially recorded, and there were no pri-
vate chroniclers in the land Of such events.
Whatever Tell may have done at the time
he did of his own impelling. He was no
public oficialsimply one of the many stern
men Of the people who would brook no per-
sonal insult TOR bow to any master but his
God! Tell was the ideal type Of a freeman:
whatever he did was done from an Unborn
impulse, which pervaded the lberty-loving
people of that and all succeeding ages.
He, President Temp continued, did not
he came here as every freeman should.
self-convinced that Tell in his personally
typiied the heroism pervading every true
freeman's breast. AS such they had as
sembled here to do honor to this the i'm
pulse which for all time should be a dis
tinctive feature Of independence and manly
honor.
Many had been the changes since the
days of Tell but the principle which the
Tell idea embodied was rooted as firmly in
the human mind now as it was then; as
firmly 1t doomed I'D a light unto coming
ages as stood around him the snow-capped
Alpine heights. These types of freedom,
like the laws of order, justice and religion,
will never pale so long as man looks on
ward and upward! After this stirring adj
dress, which elected vociferous applause,
followed a cantata, entitled Legend and
History" composed expressly for the &C.
casion by Gustav OFT, rendered by some
500 singers, with Robert Kaufman. the
great basso, in the title role.
The unwilling of the statue occurred In
the course of the performance, and was
attended by deafening hurrahs and peals
of artillery. which it would seem were
ceaselessly re-echoed in the vast noun
tain amphitheater of Altdorf.
An elaborate banquet at noon, with its
accompanying toasts, closed the festivities
Of the occasion.