Evening star., 1902-01-02
TRAVELS IN THE 7YROL
MOUNTAINS NOT so SMALL AS INDI-
GATED IN THE MAPS.
A Visit to Mittenvald, Where the Art
of Making ViOlins F1Ourishes-
Picturesque Scenes.
From the Chicago News.

From the Chicago News.
Europe looks so small when studied from
map that the mind willingly jumps to the
conclusion that the Tyrol is a range of
mountains that ought to be traverSable in
a day. 1t is only after arrival at Inns
bruck, the capital Of the province, and
laborious consideration Of "schnell zugs'
express trains), male postes," kreutzers
hellers and guldens and directions printed
in German. Hungarian and italian, that
one acquires proper respect for the situa-
tion that presents itself. The Englishman
at the table d'hote who challenged his
Austrian vis-a-vis to say Il thrust a thorn
through my thumb was Immediately call
ed upon to repeat Sire prSt skrZ krk,' and
conundrums of this character have a ten
dency to repeat themselves at alarming
intervals.
Innsbruck and the surrounding country
are decidedly Germanic. The language Of
the people is German, and there is no ap-
parent difference between the North Tyrol
population and that of Bavaria, unless 1t is
the more striking peasant costume of the
Bayarians The women of both lands are
hopelessly plain and contribute nothing to
the picturesqueness of the country, except
by wearing their red petticoats and stock
ingS and peculiar headgear. The Bavar-
ian men, as a rule, wear knee breecheS of
black buckskin, bare legs and short jacket,
and as they work in the fields are delight
full to See
The Town of MittenwaId.
: Chance took us over the line one Sunday
morning into the town of Mittenwald,
whose Industrious citizens are given to the
art of making violins. All was in readiness
for the harvest home festival and some
thousands of peasants were assembled In
the village church. The men wore their
most gorgeous jackets and the women
q mott n6 fI1r 10 a
the drum majors cap, though not so tall.
In the stalls, near the altar, sat the mayor
and the councilmen, very stiff and uncom-
Portable in tall collars and frock coats that
came to their very heels. When mass had
been said a procession was formed, the
priest in the center carrying the host and
stops were made at affairs erected in front
of private houses at frequent intervals. The
people chanted as they walked, the band
played and cannon was fired, the echoes
being tossed from mountain to mountain,
filling the whole valley with sound.
Some, day an enterprising capitalist will
come along and build an electric railroad to
connect Mittenwald with Innsbruck and
Partenkirchen, and then it will become
commonplace, and a town where store
clothes and newspapers may be bought.
Our journey extended to Partenkirchen and
Garmisch. the two fashionable Bavarian
mountain resorts, and perhaps attractive to
the numerous class who assemble in con-
ventional centers to look at each other
until thoroughly bored and then go home.
Memories of Napoleon.
We returned from Partenkirchen over the
same route as that by which Napoleon en-
tered Bavaria from Austria, past the re-
mains Of the fort he destroyed at Schar-
nitz. and spent comfortable night at the
Blue Grape inn. When the bill was pre-
sented next morning reprOached the land
lady for demanding an undue number Of
kreutzers, two and a half Of which make
one cent. and inquired earnestly whether
she had not meant to say he'ers, Of which
five are required to equal one cent. She be-
came reflective and guessed that hellers
would do, which incident goes to show that
the wayfarer is not among people wholly
without guile.
In the diligence which sped from schar-