The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-26
GENEVA, PRIDE OF THE SWISS.
The host Beautiful Spot in Romantic,
PICTURESQUE Switzerland.
IMPRESSIONS ON A VISIT qHITHER.
The Scene One of Those Rich, kare
Pictures That Once Seen IL Never For
gotten-The Men, Strange to say At
tend Only to Their Own Bush.
ness aud Get Rich.

| more delightful and picturesque SouhHJ
than Switzerland, It surely mas not peeh
my good fortune TO see IT, ana IN all TINS
land OF mountain ana of food OF snow.
glaciers and running waters whose Al
| pine SUBMITS tower above the clouds ana
whose gentle, silvery. transparent lakes
nestle in It's valleys, there Is no place
so charming, so lovely. as DEAR elegant
| Geneva. 1t Is enchantingly situated on
| the shores OF that beWitching Lake that
Is so deeply blue. so purely clear. Geneva
| and It's lake make one OF those rlcn, rare
J pictures, that once seen Is never forgot
| ten, the work Of the Master Artlst whose
tints age cannot fade, but only soften
whose every beauty times ruthless mn
gers marc not, but carefully preserves
"a gem of purest ray" within splendid
setting, one full worthy of it's precious
charge. II was a warm summer evening
| that We found ourselves at Culoz, the
nearest railroad station in France 10 swift
zerland. We were wearied ana con-
siderably fatigued. No had been uaVei-
| ling on train OF cars, whose speed dld
not equal our expresses. since III O'CLOCK
OF the preceding evening. having lett the
| fine city OF Turin, one Of the past capi-
tails Of Italy, at that hour. After the ue-
| lay OF a few minutes at Culoz we were
| again en- route Tor the pride Of Switzer-
4all, lldl CITY OF Which NAD s'f'ND 49,
so justly proud. Our ride Of two hours
took US through a country with beautltui
scenery Of almost every variety, consist
| ing OF mountains. valleys, and occasional
tracts OF level pasture land, now ana
then catching gllmpses OF the quiet
bosOms Of blue lakes, and then OF cold,
| clear streams that came rushing ana
foaming down from tall SUBMITS that
were capped with eternal SHOWS and ever
| draped with neecy clouds. In the last
hours OF the day, while the warm rays
Of that July sun were rejecting many
hues from the ice and snow OF lofty
peaks near and distant. we reached our
destination amid a scene OF beauty seldom
equalied and never surpassed.
OF THE COUNTRY.
Geneva is a remarkably handsome city.
II is well laid out. with broad, clean
streets, and quite compactly built up with
fine substantial dwellings and stores, and
there are number OF grand hotels, some
OF them equal 10 any In the large Euro
pean capitals. The population is about
fifty thousand. representing various coun-
tries besides the Swiss. principally
French. German and English. There are
many wealthy English families that live
in and near the city. There are also
number OF American families that have
made this inviting locality their perma-
nent home. Our party was fortunate in
securing most excellent quarters IN the
Grand Hotel De Russie " hotel much
frequented by English and American
travellers and one OF the most beautiful
situations in Geneva. II was formerly
the palace Facy. Quai du Mount Blanc.
The window of my room overlooked the
lake and gave me a view Of the magni-
dcent scenery beyond, that had for a
background old Mount Blanc. whose ven
cradle shoulders are always covered with
that mantle OF white. This city Of the
Swiss has an ancient and honorable his
tory that would doubtless interest you 10
a great extent but you may possibly be
as much If not more conversant with IT
than myself; so that my pains TO en-
tighten and interest yoa In this respect
might be entirely superGuous-conse-
quenuy l Will only present for your con-
sideration and amusement a few super
fetal observations and plain facts that
came under my eyes and received some
share OF my time ana attention while
1 fingered in this place that L thought
was one of tire fairest in which it had
been my lot TO sojourn.
1t may be my duty first 70 tell you
something about the position. extent,
and natural features Of the little repub-
lie wherein / found my favorite city. The
Helvetia-lies north Of Italy and east OF
France. Its average length is l65 miles
and its average breadth 100 miles, area,
u, go square miles. So II you know the
size OF your own State you will sec by a
comparison that this Republic IS only
little more than one-thlrd as large as
the State OF Virginia.
ABOUT GENEVA.
1t has population OF 2,6j5,o0O, only ex-
ceeding by barely 100000 the number OF
souls in our own grand and glorious
"Old Dominion" I suppose that you are
aware that Switzerland is the most noun
famous country in Europe. While travel
ling through IL. i often fancied that IL
was not entirely unlike the valley section
OF this noble and heroic old Common
wealth in many OF its natural features.
There are ranges OF mountains extending
in every direction. II IS traversed and
surrounded by the Jura mountains and
by various ranges Of the Alps Of which
the Rhatian and Pennlne are the princi-
pal.
There are many lofty peaks, among
which are Mount Blanc. Monte Rosa,
Matterhorn and st. GOthard, which are
from 1900 10 5000 feet high. Geneva IL
quietly nestled amid all this wild, grand
and rugged beauty IN a comparatively
level country upon the banks of her own
famous lake. And from this point you
may look across the country 10 all those
mountain businesses and difficult passes,
some OF which are well known IN history,
OF which the mot notable are the Sim
plon. ST. Gothard. Splugen and Great st.
Bernard. The latter is In the Southwest,
and Is famous for the passage OF the
army OF Napoleon l. TO the battlefield
OF Marengo in 1900. / might tell you much
I'm regard 10 this beautiful little country,
this small world OF itself, that would
interest you and II might also be instruc-
tive 10 YOU. Yet ! must not go beyond
my bounds-I should not forget my text
at the head OF this article. l only wrote
the word Geneva" which you know IS
the name of only one city in this country
that interested me so much. l know l
am generally unduly promo to prolixity.
So. now whatever else / may say about
Switzerland IN this contribution viii
only be in a general way, so far as IT
illustrates and bears upon my subject.
Geneva is a much finer and larger city
than Berne. which Is the capital OF the
Republic. We found II 10 be place or
much enterprise and business thrift. IL
is noted for the manufacture OF watches
and for its educational institutions. IL
abounds with the most elegant tewelry
stores. the sight II which makes female
hearts tremble with delight, and the
confectioneries cannot be surpassed:
glance at them tempts the palate and
draws out tho purse, and makes us sigh
10 think that life is so brief and that
one OF these days we VIII shake on our
mortality and leave so much that Is good
and sweet behind us. There are also ex-