The Princeton union., 1900-08-16
. EUROPEAN SIGHTS.
A Letter from the Old World

UNIONS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.


watch the peasants coming in with
their products in curious vehicles, and
arranging them under awnings. UNI
brellas, etc., keeping up running
stream of converse all the while
At Strassberg we visited the cathe-
dral at thigh noon" that we might
hear the great clock strike the hour of
twelve. There are crowds present al
ways at this hour and it is impressive
to note the hush that falls in the min
ute or two before the strokes begin.
The breath is almost suspended and
every eye is fixed upon the clock when
the little bronze angel at one side of
face gives the warning stroke. The
angel opposite reverses his sand-glass.
figures representing boyhood, youth,
manhood and old age move about a
skeleton who solemnly beats the hour,
the twelve apostles pass before the
figure of the Saviour each making
~ ~ WV oAio 1N tuc lOD OudQ-
ticleer flaps his wings and crows
thrice. 1t is really a great curiosity
one worth travelling miles to see. The
cathedral itself is fine gothic struc-
ture, very interesting. At the park
IN Strassburg we saw the Kiosk built
by Louis, the Mad King Of Bavaria,
one OF the many gorgeous structures
for which he is so famous.
Mayence was our starting point for
the sail down the Rhine. We boarded
the Borussia here at $50 A. NJ and
steamed down the storied river to
Cologne which we reached late in the
afternoon. Everyone knows the ''cas-
tied Rhine" through picture and story,
but it means much to really float upon
it's waters, see its wonderful terraced
vineyards, it's watch towers, its ruins;
to gaze upon flair Bingen;' with it's
famous Mouse Tower" and Ehrenfels,
Rheinfels. Ehrenbreitstein and many
another castle loved by poet and artist.
1t was the realization Of the wish Of a
lifetime. +
Hotel Ernst, our abiding place at
Cologne, faces upon the square con-
tanning the cathedral and our windows
afforded fine view of the beautiful
structure, more exquisite in its lace
like exterior than that OF Milan. even.
This is numbered among the worlds
highest structures and fine view is
obtained from the tower but the day
was hot and we were tired. so resolved
to forego this pleasure which necessi-
tated climb of more than 800 steps,
Early on the morning of the day we
left Cologne we noticed extensive pre-
parations in progress at Hotel Grosser
kurfurst just across the square. Ban
ners, some bearing the royal Insignia
were flown from the windows. rich
awning and draperies arranged at the
entrance and potted plants every
where. Liveried pOrters were grouped
about and mounted policemen guarded
the front. Some distinguished visitor,
we knew was expected and we found
upon inquiry that it was the Shah of
Persia. Crowds lined the streets and
gathered about the entrance to the
cathedral where he was to first pay
his respect. We were at breakfast
when he arrived so failed to see him
there but he is now in Paris and we
shall probably have an opportunity
here.
The ride from Cologne to Paris was
long one, lasting from 9 o'clock in
the morning to 6:47 P. NJ. and not par
ticularly enjoyable as it was hot and
dusty and the train was crowded.
The grain fields through this section
are much larger than any we have
seen previously in Europe and the
landscape, generally more like that of
our own northwest. We saw women
at work everywhere, washing on fiat
stones by the riverside, carrying
heaped-up baskets of clothes upon
their heads, cutting, binding or load
ing grain in the fields and even work
ing in the coal-sheds, shoveling side
by side with the men.
And now we are in Paris, the scene
of so much that is beautiful and so
much that is tragical, and though we
are but moments walk from the ter
rible Place de la Concorde where so
many of Frances most famous men and
women met their death by guillotine,
we are still so quiet in our ''Cite du
Retiro'' that it is hard to realize the
near vicinity of the great city's traffic
and tragedy. And we are greatly sur
prised to find the exposition occupying
so small a place in the minds of the
Parisians themselves. The papers
contain scarcely mention of it and
the crowds from elsewhere are much