The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-08-28
WHO owns THE JuNoFRAu9
Question brought Up by the Project
OF building "A Railroad I'D it.


Question brought Up by the Project
OF building "A Railroad Up It.
A curious question has arisen In
Switzerland. II is. who owns the jung
frau? Probably few of the thousands
of travellers who have gazed at the
snowy peak of the Virgin OF the Bern
ese Oberland from 1nterlaken have
ever thought about the matter. APP |
parently the people who have lived ior
generations at its base have considered
il still less. Ordinary questions OF pro-
prietorship cease at Hhe line OF per-
petual snow. Ever thrifty people ike
the Swiss do not see any particular
benefit In claiming what lies above. IL
may possibly be necessary enough TO
know to whom belong the fr trees
which nourish so many cows and goats
but when one gets above 1890 feet or
so one gets indifferent about the gla-
ciers and fields of snow which consti-
tute the wealth Of these high attitudes.
A railway is TO be built up the jung
frau, and n summer resort hotel erect
/ ed somewhere near its summit. The
projectors, before going ahead, have
been DESTROYS of applying TO somebody
for permission. so that there may be
no question Of damages in the future.
But SO far they have been unable TO
find the owners. II is uncertain even
In what canton the railway and the ho-
tel will be, for the boundary line be-
tween the cantons OF Berne and Nulais
cuts the Jungfrau in two. and the line
has never been surveyed and nobody
knows which Is which. This Is an inn
portant matter on account OF the taxes,
for Switzerland Is great taxing coun-
try. Although the property has been
there al along, no one has ever claimed
H.. and IL has never been assessed
Since 1911. when the ascent was first
made by Rod and Meyer to height
Of 1880 feet many climbers have
crnwled up the tanks OF the noun
tain, but until now no one has ever
thought Of asking whose property he
was trespassing upon.
The railway which has been pro-
iected for some time. will he ratchet
, wheel arrangement. like the ono on the
Rigi II will be carried up as far as il
is practicable 20 go, and will be sup
. plemented by an elevator in shaft
which will run 10 the summit There
: upon a huge platform leveled in the
- snow. il is the intention TO build no
j.. tel with all modern Improvements.
The Alpine clubs. which have bull
so many refuge huts in the mountain
tops. have never had any difficulty il
= getting concessions for the purpose
but that has been because the building
Z, came under the head OF works of hu
manity and were never taxed; bu
when Joseph Nalot butt his observa
tory on the summit OF Mount Blanc
!, there was unwound a lot of red tape
- The municipality of ChamoniX wa
afraid be was going TO set mp tayeI.
5000 feet or so in the air, and the mayo
- spoke in indignant terms OF the GU
- rage ii would be if travellers went ON
the summit without stopping for r.
freshments at the inn on the Gran
Mulets- already licensed. Everybod
who has been at ChamoniX knows tina
- they squeeze more out Of you there
- the name of the village law than
any other place I'm the world, am
therefore NJ. Nallot was not surprise
~ that. before he could go ahead with h
- observatory, he was obliged TO agr'
10 build in addition on the Bosses
refuge hut containing hunks, table
chairs. stove and kitchen utensil
:" which was TO become the property
the commune, and for the use OF whi'
~ for single night the commune was
III tax each traveller a dollar, and an ado
tional dollar as indemnity TO the In
he keeper Of the Grand Mulets. The
ls' conditions complied with, science W
inn allowed TO have a show, and the o
I'M servatory was built where il nc
20 -