The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-10-07
FAIR BINGEN ON THE RHINE.
Henry Wolf Writes OF the Historic River
and Its Towns.
ALSO OF ITS VINE CLAD HILLS.
The Culture Of Grapes and the Manufacture OF
German--Rhne Wine Supports a
Large Population.

Rhlne, from MalDZ 10 hOln. lDlS
romantic spot, | have traversed
three times-twice by rail, and
once by steamer. The distance
is eighty miles, Mainz has pop
ulation of $4,000 and Koln, 28l,-
| 600. Between these two cities
are two other large towns, name
ly, Bonn with 10000 and Coblenz
with 33, 900; there are, also, twen-
tv more towns, of various sizes
scattered along those eighty
miles. Now, all of these towns,
are located on the left bank of the
river.
There are two railroads run
ming between Mainz and Koln, one
on each side of the river. | took
the route on the left side, namely
Bingen, Coblenz and Bonn. Most
of the distance between Mainz
aud Koln is mountainous, nothing
hut mountains. These mountains
are not only single or narrow
ridge, along the banks of the river
but extend for a hundred miles
away from either bank. These
mountains did not allow the river
sufficient room to make it's way
to the sea; 1t has to twist among
the rocky bluffs this way and that
way-makes a big bend here and
another there-until it gets fairly
inpatient and cuts up nasty at
lines of high water. But Hol-
land was more liberal towards it.
1t granted it all the room 1t want
ed, and, Oh! you ought to see how
old Rhine spreads himself out be-
fore the world? He forms no
less, then four or five, very re-
spectacle looking streams, before
he reaches the sea.
You will naturally ask the ques-
ton; "How does this large popu-
lation make living, in such
country as this ?" The answer is
by worshiplng "Bacchus"-
raising wine.
Malnz and, also, Bonn are very
old cities, or castles 1--WE might
call them forts), which were built
in the years from twelve to nine
before Christ, by Drusus, STEP
son of Agustus Caesar, Emperor
of Rome, in his endeavors to SUBJ
iugate the Germans,-which he
never accomplished.
AS we leave Malnz, and enter
the valley, what a sight. The
river piled by steamers and 9TH
er vessels; trains of cars running
on both sides of the river, leaving
long clouds of black smoke be-
hind them; highways as smooth
as a Chestnut Street pavement,
cut out of the solid rocks of the
hills-room for houses and even
whole little towns, chisled, as it
We're, out of the solid rock; for
nature has not given room enough
Tor all the improvements of the
hand of man;-the whole bank of
the river from low water mark to
the very railroad ties paved with
solid stone To prevent the tor
rents from tearing away the cost
" improvements, and above the
railroad and highway solid walls
OF misonry, sometimes twenty
i've feet high, to prevent land
slides from above. These very
steep hillsides are covered with
Vineyards which can only be
reached by high stone steps. Up
these steps they must even carry
the manure that is required year
~ for the vines. On the submits
OIL these hills are fantastic look.
ing castles, built in the Middle
Ages. Automobiles of strange
shapes, and stranger looking for
elgners, speeding like lightning
along the highway; blcyclists
would pass you quick as a shad
ow, yet tip their caps to you.
What are those many men and
women doing away up yonder In
Tue Vineyards? Are they gather
ing grapes? Oh no, the grapes
are not near ripe yet, but they
need a great deal more sunshine
and these hands are removing al
'uperfiuous foliage to make Il
more easy for the rays of the sur