The Van Buren press., 1899-07-29
RAMBLfs IN EUROPE.
Interesting Extracts From a Per.
sonal Letter Received From
Senator Jones.

0tl. ID. w oIccu icStAti3 'SSs4'NN
an interesting private letter from Sen
ator Jas. X. Jones. dated Geneva.
Switzerland, July1. The distinguished
tourist had been away from London for
eighteen days taking trip on the con-
tinent, and expected to remain there q
week and then go TO Paris, and later to
Scotland. He says he has about aban
doned medicine and is becoming en-
tirely we'll. He has improved constant
ly since the day he sailed from New
York. and has rambled about quietly
from place to place, viewing places of
interest in Europe. England is like a
great park or garden, every foot OF
ground being utilized. The discomfort
of Ireland's peassntry, however, has
done much to make that island CALLED
spot on Great Britain. resulting in an
agricultural laxity that is most Distress
ing.
Notwithstanding injunction of priva-
cy, the following extracts from Senator
Jones letter are considered too good to
/ be lost and it is not deemed a violation
of confidence to give the public the
benefit of them:
Il never felt how small speck the
| term of single life WAS as | have felt
it over here. In this town, right where
am, the Romans were fifty years be-
fore Christ, and from then until now it
| has been a town, and one of some i'm
portance Houses centuries old. used
every day now and through all that
time, are not uncommon, and almost
daily | stand by the grave of some man
who has been sleeping 500 years. To
go into these old churches built in 100
and 1900, and see them used daily for
worship, and to know that this has been
going on all these years, almost without
interruption in these very walls, makes
man feel that three scores and ten are
nothing in duration. and that the life of
man is the merest speck.
THE great mountains and beautiful
lakes here are charming. This country
almost lives on the English and Amer
ican travel. You hear English every
where, and sometimes nothing else. At
the hotel table here last night every
person in the room spoke English
Americans. English, South Americans,
Australians all English speakers.
| think | II go to Chamounix to have a
close view of Mont Blanc. | went up
on the shoulder of the Jungfrau-some
five or six thousand feet above the tim
Der and in the snow. Going on Pilatus,
though, was the most trying thing on
my nerves The railroad takes you up
over 5 900 feet in about 5 900 yards or
in going three miles you rise in the
world over one mile. At more than one
place in the road you go up forty eight
feet in hundred That don t look so
formidable on paper, but | tell you
when you sit in the car and look up and
down 1t makes your flesh crawl. Other
people had gone up and down. and
went, but it was an experience They
are building a railway to the top of
Jungfrau many years supposed to
be impossible of ascent. 13, 700 feet high,
or about that. The grade is not to be
over thirty to the 100 believe. 1t will
be worth trip here to go up on it,
think.
Il went to Waterloo. The fight was,
as you know, ON Sunday. We went on
Sunday on the eighty fourth anniver
sary of the battle. The English gov
ernment has built great mound in the
center of the field. five acres in extent
and 100 feet high. An old English sol
dier went up with US and pointed out
every position on the field. l asked
him lot of questions. He was well in
formed and tried to be fair, but John
Bull would forge to the front. | said
why didn't the French spike the Eng
lish guns when they had themt He
turned on me and said: Spike guns in
front of a British squsres said. Yes.
1t has been done in front of as good
soldiers And who were theyS said
he. American troops. who have al
ways held their own in battle with the
British. Why I did not mention New
Orleans and the defeat of Wellington s
picked men, do not know and kicked
myself a few minutes later that did
not but we quit on that and became
quite chummy. He had medals for
several battles. and one especially for
storming the Malakoff, and was will
ing to let him swagger little after l
fosnd that out.