Water Valley progress., 1902-08-09
ARP ON THE SWISS.
Reminded Of Them by the Story Of
William Tell.
Hits All the Iconoclasts-Says They
Are Trying to Tear Down All the
Idols the People Have
W0rshiped.

AuoAb the FeOQAc nave
Worshiped.
copyrighted by the Atlanta Constitution.
and reprinted by permission.)
How the old people cling to the
stories and traditions that charmed
their childhood. Good old Mother Akin
came to see me and to comfort me in
my sickness. She has had her trouble,
but she is always bright and cheerful
and brings sushine with her. Some
how the story of William Tell came up,
and when l remarked that it was now
generally set down among the critics
as a myth or pretty fable she said
"she would not read any such heartless
scandals nor did she believe them"
The world is full of these iconoclasts
who would break up every idol that we
have worshiped. The story of William
Tells one that is fit to be believed and
handed down from generation to gen.
Grafton. Voltaire started that fable
theory because he did not like the
Swiss. Many books have been written
on both sides, but the old family tradi-
tions that have come down to us for
600 years are still as much the faith Of
the Swiss people as is in their religion.
William Tell is as much to-day their
national hero and the founder of their
republic as Washington is Of ours and
the little chapel on the lake where he
was drowned is still preserved to COM
memorate him."
Well, whether this is fact or fable
1t is one of the prettiest stories ever
told and ought to be repeated to the
children Of every household. 1t was
inthe fourteenth century when Austria
had overridden and conquered Switzer-
land and had stationed her tyrant
bailiffs in every canton to subdue and
humble the people that one Gessler
placed the ducal cap upon pole in the
public place and ordered everyone who
passed to uncover his head and bow to
1T. Tell refused and was seized and
condemned to death, but as he was
known to be the best bowman in
Switzerland he was offered the alter
native of shooting an apple from his
sons head. The boy was his idol and
he begged for some other alterna-
tive, but Gessler refused. Sixty yards
was measured off, the boy stationed
and the apple placed. Gessler and his
cohorts looked on while Tell bowed
his knees in prayer. Rising he looked
to Heaven and then let fly the arrow
and pierced the apple in its center.
The boy ran to his father and leaped
into his arms, and another arrow
that had been concealed fell upon the
ground. What was that arrow for p
said Gessler. ITO shoot you, you
brute, had l slain my son." For that
he was condemned to prison and
Gessler took him in, boat on the
lake, but violent storm came up
and Tell was unclaimed to steer the
boat. He made for the shore, leaped
to rock, and with pole showed the
boat back into the stormy waters.
Hurrying along the lake he procured
bow and arrows from country
man and shotx> >Gessler as the boat
passed. Tells Leap" and Tells
Rock" are still known to every child
In Switzerland. Later on he lost his
AAAO WAAlS saving Adu 1TOm uTOWa-
ing. What is unreasonable about this
story? We had Gessler in Rome at
the close of the civil war. His name
was de la Mesa, Spaniard who came
over to fight for pay. He did not
hoist the ducal cap, but he stretched
the flag over the sidewalk and our
female Tells (some of whom are liv-
ing yeti would not walk under it,
but crossed over to the other side.
Then he stretched another across the
whole street and they walked around
the block. 1t was not so much of
disrespect to the flag as it was CON
tempt for the foreigner who unfurled
it. He refused to let our wives and
daughters receive or mail letters un-
less they came before him and took
an ironclad oath Of allegiance. He
had ten Of our young men and sew
eral young ladies arrested for acting