The Princeton union., 1900-08-16

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PARIS, July 2s.-Lucerne, on the lake
of the same name, is one of the
most beautiful cities of Switzer-
land and its stores filled with real
shell, real chamois, real hand
work and real stones from the noun
tains are mecca for the tourist. No.
where else is there so much in the
variety of home productions to tempt
the pocket-book, and if this is
"slander'' one can still have the pleas
ure of looking and longing. The city,
too, in the newer portion has a more
American air about it than almost any
previously visited. Much that is an
cient, however, still remains as the
city wall, with it's nine towers and a
cathedral founded in the tenth century,
There is curious old covered bridge,
too, called the ''Mule bridge'' crossing
the river Reuss short distance below
it's exit from the lake and this is
adorned like so many of the structures
of the ''old country" with paintings,
mot always the work of a master
HANDY, representing scriptural scenes.
The Rigi and Pilatus are two of the
mountains in the vicinity of Lucerne.
whose SUBMITS are accessible by
means of the mountain railway and
the view from the former is by some
considered the finest in Europe. 1t
rained on the morning of the day we
were to make the ascent but by noon
had cleared away, leaving however, a
slight haze SO that some of the more
distant mountains, as the Jungfrau
which is visible on a perfectly clear
day, were obscured.
a charming sail of an hour on the
lake brought US to Vitznau, the start
ing point for the incline. 1t is a cog
wheel railway, the car seating about
60 people and the engine is at the back
on the upward journey and ahead
when descending. 1t runs slowly, oc-
cupying something over one and one
fourth hours in the trip either way so
that one has ample opportunity to en-
JOY the gradually unfolding panorama.
Unlike Mt. Lowe in southern Califor-
MIA or the incline on Lookout mountain
in Chattanooga. this is full of curves
so that one has more of a feeling of
security. The road winds through
shady groves, around rocky cliffs, over
deep ravines in whose depths flow purl-
ing streamlets and comes out ever and
anon upon bold promontories where
the lake shows farther and farther
away in the valley below. Several
stations are passed and at each stop
boys and girls from the mountain
homes appear with bouquets of fresh
flowers or clusters of the far-famed
edelweiss, pressed, for sale.
Rigi-Kulm is the last station and a
short climb from here brought US to
the very tip-top, 5000 it. above the
sea-level. Such a panorama as lay
spread before us! Villages innumer-
able dotting hillside and valley in every
direction, chains of lakes, rugged
peaks where cloudy, mist-like forms
drifted increasingly, now wrapping
themselves about the massive heads,
now floating down, down into the
shadowy depths. Far, far below our
feet lay Lake Zug, glowing like an
emerald as the sun burst upon it touch
ing with golden light the steamer
making it's way to the little town upon
its banks A toy boat, toy village
and hardly more than toy lake, they
seemed from our height.
The ride down the mountain un-
folded new beauties and as we looked
back at the lofty peak from our boat it
seemed a dream that we had been so
high.
Our last day at Lucerne we were the
uninvited guests at wedding break
fast. The entire company, numbering
Is or more occupied the dining-room
adjoining ours while we were at
lunch and we had fine view of the
whole proceedings, The bride, re-
splendent in white with long veil oc-
cupied the seat of honor at head of
room with immediate friends, priest,
ETC., with the guests at long tables on
either side. Among them were several
university students in red caps which
they removed only during speech by
the priest Between courses, these
students would rise from the table,
group themselves and entertain the
company by singing. This was fine as
music must almost of necessity be
when rendered by Germans.
On the way from Lucerne to Strass-
burg we stopped over night at Basel.
Here our hotel overlooked the city
market and it was most interesting to