The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-11-18
DOWN THE RHINE.
Interesting Description of What One Sees
on the Trip.
SOME QUAINT OLD GERMAN STORIES
jermans Believe Americans TO be Very Super
stiious. Mr. Wolf Meets a
Catholic Priest.

Here we are at fair Bingen. 1t
was here that the Roman Emper-
or Vespasian in the year II A. d.
overcame the German tribe Ire.
virer, and established Roman
rule for the time beng. From
here 1t is only one hours ride oy
rail, via, Kreuzbach to Obermos.
cheI, the old home of Philip Sui-
der of Tod township. About ten
miles farther down the river, we
come to the town of Oberwesel,
near which is big rock where
the river narrows between the
steep hllls. Around this rock the
water bolls and foams and rushes
against it and past it, that it is,
with the greatest eXertion and
care only, that boats can be steer.
ed past it and not be dashed to
pieces. This rock is called the
Lorelel rock. This is the only
story about it: Once it was the
home of a most beautiful, but
very wicked maiden, who sat up
on it com bing her golden HAIR,
which was so long that 1t reached
to her feet. She sang so enchant-
ingly that the sailors in the pass
ing boats lost all CONSCIOUSNESS of
their perilous situation and suf-
fered their boats to oe dashed to
pieces against the big rock, and
so perished with all aboard. AL
most every big rock or castle is
the subject of some queer and
romantic story. There Is another
big rock called the Drachenfels.
1t is said that big dragon lived
there and devoured a great many
persons, especially children. He
was at last conquered and killed
by a brave youth named Tiegfried
who became thereoy great ma
tional hero in Germany. Where
the blood of the dragon soaked
the ground there are now 6ne
grape growing, the wine of which
is called Dragonblood. Maybe
you have your doubts as to the
truth of these German stories,
and think that the Germans are
very superstitlous? Well, one
of my old schoolmates in Ger
many, while telling me a similar
queer story abruptly asked me
this question: Henry do you be-
lieve IN ghosts ? l answered him,
no, l do not. Neither do he re-
piled, but the Americans believe
10 ghosts, for they say that the
souls of the departed, come back
TO this earth and communicate
with the living. Such stuff dc
not believe. | told him that / did
not believe 1t neither. You can
easily see by this that my friend
had reference to spiritualism,
which originated in America
You will notice in what light this
German viewed the psychology
Of the Americans.
Now we are at Coblenz, also AT
old Roman town. That river flow
ing into the Rhine here is The
Moselle. That Fortress on yon
der high rock Is Ehrenbreitsteln
sometimes called the Gibraltal
of the Rhine. tits 400 feet abov,
the water of the river, and is tn,
finest and strongest also the larg
est fort in all this region. 1t cal
accommodate garrison of 100,
900 men, but in tine of peace ha
only 5000. 1t was used as mi
itary post, even before the day
of Napoleon Bonaparte, for in'th
year OF 1899 that naughty geuei
al, in time of peace besieged II
and through starvation, capture
it's German garrison. For thi
willy act aud many others simila
TO it, the Germans became hi
deadly enemies, and aided th
English to defeat him, and cause
his utter downfall, fifteen year
after wards, at the worlds i,
nowned battle of Waterloo. A
we still go down the valley Il
F. wards Bonn, we fiud no percept
BILE change of scenery. tits sti
vine clad hills, castles aud town
unokk~-~1 Ill .l-xo< 4I<, lle.~