The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-09
and the turtle showed back into the
kitchen.


| though the coins have different figures
upon them. the figure of Helvetia tax
ing the place of our Goddess of Liberty.
There were some spurious coins in cir
culatfon here. The good is told from
the bad by the figures standing on the
former and sitting on the latter The
formula for telling one from the other
is: Remember that lazy people are not
liked, either in business or finance.
The franc is twenty cents and it takes
one hundred confines to make it; thus
a centime is equal to two mills in our
money, the ten centime piece being a
copper about the size of our old fash
toned penny and equal to two cents in
the money of the United States.
Interlaken is charming summer re-
sort, although several thousand people
live here the year round. 1t is a town
of fine hotels and shops where pictures
and curios are sold. Our hotel was one
of two which commanded the best view
| of the Jungfrau, about a dozen miles
away. Railways run from the village
up into the actual snow and ice.
We spent one afternoon going by cog
railway up to the top of neighborins
mountain called the Schynige Platte,
over a mile in height above the sea-.
opposite the great peak and affording a
magnificent panorama of the Jungfrau,
Silver Horn and other mountain tops of
perpetual snow. The trip up the
Schynige Platte was most interesting in
every respect The railway train climbs
the hill as one would a ladder. The
ride is two hours going up and the
same coming down and two hours are
given for the view and rest at the top.
The sensation of being in a balloon can
scarcely be different from that in these
cars, making the almost perpendicular
ascent.
The town way down in the valley be-
tween the lakes looked like a birds-eye
| picture and the fields of different grasses
and grains seemed like distorted squares
| of a checker board far beneath US.
The next morning we passed through
Bern, on the way to Geneva. In Bern,
the capital of the Swiss Republic, there
now lives one of the heroes of our civil
war. The story, quite romantic. was
told me by J. 3. Greenhut, president Of
the Seigel- Cooper, New York store, VINO
had been visiting his old comrade, now
prominent in the affairs of Switzerland.
Mr.. Greenhut, whose picture was
printed in Wednesdays State Journal.
had been to Russia to investigate the
Kishinen affair and has just filed with
Secretary Hay his report on the jewish
l
with him. are friends of Mr.. and Mrs.
H. A. Auerbach. of Topeka.
Young Frey was born in the William
Tell country, with burning desire for
a military career, but of poor parents
and thus with little opportunity to be-
come anything more than a private in
the ranks. He went to America. took
part in the conflict there, was hero at
Gettysburg and later a prisoner in
Libby. He and Greenhut, in the same
company. had formed plan to go into
business together after the war was
over, but prison life so shattered the
formers constitution. that he returned
to his old home to recuperate- Here he
found a convention in deadlock over the
nomination for secretary of one of the
cantons. To break it Frey, was suddenly
named and on the strength of his mill
tary career in America. was nominated
and later elected. He wrote Greenhut
that he had not sought the office, but
felt that he would only be performing
his duty to serve out term. He filed
the office so we'll that he was promoted
again and again, a political life fixed
upon him. Later he became president
of the Swiss Republic. Recently he has
been chosen president of an interna-
tional body of telegraphers. representing
the governmental telegraph service of
ffty-two nations. Bern is headquarters.
He draws large salary and is an hon
ored counsellor of his country.
We left the railway at Lausanne. on
the north shore of Lake Geneva. and
completed the rest of the trip to the
metropolis of Switzerland by a boat
ride of thirty miles.
The afternoon was bright and sunny.
presenting the water of the lake in the
lightest and bluest blue peculiar to
that BODY. The noted Mont Blanc was
plainly seen from the deck many miles
to the south. Geneva, with it's charm
ing location and one hundred thousand
people was reached in the later after
noon. Our stopping place, the Hotel
de la Paix. was on the lake front facing
a beautiful boulevard.
After a short stay in the -Elgin of
Europe. the next day we rode from
morning till evening, diagonally, almost
entirely across the French republic to
interesting. The train seemed to go at
an enormous speed. The weather had
been cool and pleasant everywhere.
Now the ride was hot and dusty. The
accommodations for eating en- route
were DOOR, There was no dining car
nor any provision. SO far as we could
comprehend, the whole day, for any
refreshments, except a hasty lunch
picked up in installments at various
stations.
Wine and beer were freely offered,
but bread and butter and meat, coffee
and water hardly at all.
When the trains stopped we could see
no restaurants and could not tell wneth-
er the announcements said: Twenty
minutes for refreshments" or This
train leaves Immediately"
There was no drinking water IN the
cars. We were a thirsty crowd. Finally
at four in the afternoon, for the first
time in the day. there was a chance to
get the only liquid approaching what
Kansans are understood to drink. This
was not hydrant water, nor well water,
nor boiled water. but soda water. A
bottle of it cost twenty-six cents, ror /
had kept laying down money until the
dispenser had a franc and thirty cen
times before he would part with the
rare beverage.
If we ever take this trip again. 1
think we will go frst-class through
France, with royalty, by night and take
a sleeper from Geneva to Paris.
From Geneva we went under the Alps
to Rellegarde, where the customs Of
ficers took last look at our belongings
until we reached New York.
Although we changed cars twice once