The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-18
The aoithita Badly Eagle suudau gaorninG guue g. 1898

/ long tunnel, lined with stalls. where shoes
and other wearing apparel Of the peasants
ars offered for sale. Under the arcades,
! which run its length on the outside. are
shops OF every description. The art gall
| lery occupies the second story.
Here one sees in truth that IL Is IN her
art that the present strength Of Poland
| lies. Surely her ambassadors are already
at every court, Paderewiskl, the De
Reszkes. oJeef Hoffman, Nodjesks, stand
for Poland. while Matches works rest
side by side with those of the worlds
greatest masters in the Vatican. and have
crossed to US. Ersjerick HICKS accounts
for the fact that Chopin was the most
national 0, composers by explaining that
N Is, mot because. n:s: of IA. he was
Pole" The fui; force of this state
men can be felt only By those who have
known the Poles and known them In Po-
land.
1t is by coupling the git. Of musical ex-
preston with Just such rare sensltiveness
and impressonabllity as lie IN every Pc
lish nature, that we can have such
artists as Poland has produced. Born
near Warsaw, Chopin lived and died a
Pole, In spite of the fact that mis- father
was a Frenchman and that he himself
passed most OF his life in Paris. At h,is
own request. his heart was sent TO
church in Warsaw, where 1t s stin pre-
served, and as his coffin was lowered into
the ground at Pere-le-Chai5e. Paris. Pol
ish earth was sprinkled over Il; ne had
said: eff cannot lie in Polish soil, / will
at least lie under lit
Il looks now as IL PaderewskI would
be equally loyal to Poland. He is az
present exerting himself to encourage
Polish art in its various branches, and
has just given three prizes for dramas
by POLISH playwrights. Two of the three
We have sseen since coming to Krakow.
They promise we'll. They promise well.
AT the head OF the musical circles OF
Krakow Is Wlodzimierz Zelenski, who. for
ten years, has been the head of the Kra-
kow Conservatory of Music, which has
had among its pupils Padeewski, his
wife. his pupil szumowska. ana Josef
Hoffmann. At the present time Zelenski
ranks first in Poland as a composer OF
operas, his most successful works in this
field being Conrad Wallenrad" Cext by
MickiewicZ). and ''Kopland." As a song
WRITER he has no rival in his land.
The University of Krakow presents two
distinct characters. Approached from one
side, the visitor is charmed by the ex-
quisite Gothic building of the fourteenth
century. An arched passageway leads into
a square courtyard, around three sides OF
which runs the Jagiello Library, a rich
storehouse Of early Polish literature and
relics. Among the books written before
the days OF printing is an encyclopaedia,
the work OF Fwardowski Ohe Polish
FauS), in the fourteenth century. To
prove that he was in league with the
author, the devil left the impression of
his hand on one page. and this mark Is
still pointed out. Here Is a book bound
by Anna, wife OF Stephen Batory, fhich,
in spite of four centuries, Is still beauti-
full. the red silk having softened in tone
with age, and the real pearls in the en-
brotdery become a rich yellow. while the
golden feet and beak of the eagle which
ornaments It are as bright as ever. We
fingered long over these treasures. The
library now contains 10000 books in all;
5000 Of which are Polish works. and of
these 400 belong to the sixteenth CEN
fury, when, by the way, the University
Of Krakow ranked as one of the first in
Europe At that time 1t counted among
its professors the great Copernicus. who
was a native OF Krakow. and as a youth
studied at the university.
As we stood later. in the stone balcony
which runs around the court, and ad-
mired the soft pink shade the buildings.
once stained red, have now assumed. We
felt grateful indeed 10 the noble Queen
Hedwig. who in 400 sold her jewels that
these very buildings might be raised. II
one Is so unfortunate as to receive an i'm
preston from the modern wing OF the
vensity. an ugly brick building. before |
visiting the old part. much is lost.
1t Is at twilight that the plantation, |
that winding park which marks the course |
OF Krakow's moat, IS at its best. The |
Florian Gate, alone OF seven, remains. |
with portions OF the wall to right and |
left; beyond, the Bastel. once connected |
b. a drawbridge with the lowered gate. |
Here Is fresh, pure air, in striking con-
trast with that within the ancient park |
Of Krakow, where unsavory doors rise at |
every turn. AS one sits here the bells Of
converts, ana monasteries
winch rise Rithin U1e W3lls seem 10 rlnB |
sounding forth sweet-toned |
by the age OF the metal
AS Americans. we have been greatly IN
terested IN everything pertaining TO Po- |
lands great General Kosciusko. remem-
boring how bravey he fought for our 1
freedom under Washington. With sincere
reverance We climbed the Kosciusko
noun, that veritable mountain OF earth,
erected by the Polish peasants as a
monument to their hero. Men, women
and children carried the earth in their
hands. hats and aprohs-a labor Of love
md capped the mount with a b ck Of
rough hewn granite, which bears tae
name OF Kosciusko and nothing more.
The mound wac erected upon hill over
ookng Krakow and the country around
i. and there Il stands. one might almost
say an everlasting sign that Poland would
be free. It Is not tragedy that today
his monument 70 the advocate OF free
ION = utilized by the Austrisns as part
II a fort?
"And freedom shreked whe- KoscuIsko
'en!" EMILY VI. BURBANK.