St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-11-01
ROUND ABOUT GENEVA.
editorial SUPERINTENDENT

The first book l ever drew from the
Athenaum was "Rollo in Switzer-
land" and | can remember how |
wondered if / should ever see the
Rhone and feed the swans at Geneva.
l also remember that left the book
outdoors in storm and paid the
late Mr.. Thayer twenty cents for
new cover; but that is another story
and twenty-five years later I am at
Geneva, and Of all the cities in two
continents | have ever seen, with the
possible exception of Venice, it is the
place where | should like to stay
many seasons.
Mr.. Temple of Rutland in his de-
lightful book "Old World Memories"
says the long ride from Paris to &C.
neva is uninteresting. / have not
Travelled in Europe as much as he has,
but no car ride in the continent is
uninteresting to me. There are so
many strange sights to be seen from
the ca- window-the women and chill
dren working in the fields along with
the men, the women on the French
railroads that guard the crossings,
the strange brick or stone architect
ure of the little villages-all these
sights and many more are new to
the average American. The ride from
Paris to Geneva occupies eleven hours
and you are travelling through France
all the time. LA belle France" is a
paradise forpeasant farmers and very
different from gay Paris whose future
is so dependant upon military rule.
Little vineyards whose vines were
loaded with white grapes, winding
rivers with their banks lined with |
symmetrical trees, focks of sheep
tended only by dogs, and acres of
ripe vegetables, are some OF the sights
you see in the forenoon OF a days
ride. But as you near Switzerland
The mountain scenery begins and the
rain creeps slowly up the narrow
valleys, and were it not for the for
ign look about the villages and peo-
de you could easily imagine you were
limbing the Rockies in Colorado on
he Denver and Rio Grande.
Geneva is a wonderfully interesting
lace historically as we'll as from a
Genie standpoint. Here John Calvin
reached his doctrines which have
1ade him and his denomination
1orld-famous,' Jeane Jacques Rous-
eau was born here and Voltaire had
home not far from the city limits.
For years it has been a great edu-
ational centre as well as favorite
esort for tourists. The great hotels
urround the lake in a semi.circle
nd from any hotel you can get a
view of the water and
he Alps that come clear down to the
vater's edge.
Rich people have done great deal
or this French-Swiss city. One duke
eft the city over 100000 and
mother rich man bequeathed mu-
cum called the Ariana, which con-
aims among other curios some of the
hottest japanese tapestry and pot
cry outside the flowery kingdom.
The store windows remind one of
oaris, and beside watches and music
boxes, is great centre for the sale of
urs. Tramways extend all around
he city to beautiful suburbs consist
ng of handsome chalets, the summer
Or winter homes of many rich people.
The Mount Blanc range is the near
est of any of the A ps and from one
street you can get fine view of this
great mountain whose summit is
always buried in many feet of snow.
From this point the white outline of
the mountain bears close resem-
olance to the face of Napoleon Bona
parte, whom all Europe remembers
with sort of shudder. The tram
ways are propelled by horses, steam
and electricity, but recent London
paper says that an American engi.
neer by the name of Field has secured
the control of all the surface rail-
roads Of Geneva and will soon have
them all under one overhead trolley
system. Thus does American genius
belt the world and supplant the
natives in the metropolis of Switzer-
land. Twas ever thus.