The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-01-27

M

having come to my ears,
HOW l Immediately took train
Tor innsbruck, where the hero, a man
named Fritz Weber, was said to reside.
lie first thing on the morning after
my arrival l asked the hotel proprietor
II he knew of person of that name,
and, II so, at what address l might be
able to find him. do | know Fritz
Weber" he exclaimed. Everybody
knows Fritz, and Drawer guide never
existed. But I'm afraid you've come
a little out of your way to find him,
Tor he left here for Appenzell over
three weeks ago, and there he is at
the present time, for all l know, recov-
ering from the effects of his terrible
accident, of which I, like yourself,
have heard mention"
1t was somewhat of a disappoint-
ment to find that had made a useless
Journey-useless, at any rate, so far
as seeing Weber was concerned; and
there was nothing to be done but
again to set off on my quest. So |
took the next train for Appenzell, af-
the man whom / was going to see.
The hotel proprietor and a communi-
cative garcon who had waited upon
me at table Informed me that Weber
was a native of Innsbruck, but that
his parents had died many years ago.
and that his only living relative, so
far as known, was a brother, named
Henri Weber, a wood-carver and some
times guide, who had likewise left the
town of his birth for Appenzell Fritz
Weber was a fine young fellow of
twenty-nine years of age, slightly
above the average height and strongly
built. He was passionately fond of
misunderstanding, on which he spent
most of the money earned during the
summer months as a guide. AS he
was unmarried and had no ties, this
seemed to him to be the most legiti-
mate way of spending part of his earn
1ngs. A more competent guide, was
Informed, never existed 'He is genial
and strong" said the innkeeper. "He
speaks German and French with COR
rectness, and, in short, is what we
call well-educated man. He is
botanist in a small way, and so fond
of roaming in the mountains that we
rarely see him here either in the win
ter or in the summer. AS a matter of
fact, Fritz is better known in the Can
ton than in the Tyrol, and that is
where you will be able to obtain fuller
"details about him."
The hotel proprietor was right. APP
pencil, with it's picturesque wooden
houses, had no sooner beer reached
than I heard the entire story of Fritz
Vebers adventure, though not, alas!
from his own lips, for found that he
had died from the effects of his ter
irible experiences over fortnight be-
fore my arrival. Fortunately / was
able to obtain the whole of the details
of his accident from the two men who
rescued him. w. Rietmann and A.
Pauson, and the following, as near as
possible in his own words, is the mar
rative of the former
A little over q month ago / received
a letter from Weber stating that he
had done very well last season as
guide, and, feeling in mood for sport,
intended coming to see me, though, in
his usual happygo-lucky style, he
could not say exactly when he should
arrive at Appenzell from Innsbruck.
About q week later he turned up at
my place, having crossed the Canton
Of Grisons on foot-his customary
method of travelling even when he was
In funds. l remember that the exact
date of his arrival was March rs.
Weber. Pauson, and l spent the next
week in visiting mutual friends in the
immediate neighborhood, for, all be-
ing guides by profession, we nave
MANY friends and interests in COM
mon. On one of our little excursions
remember him telling us how it came
about that he had decided to take
holiday. He had received present of
four hundred marks from Bavarian
'AIninist whose life he had saved in
the Grisons mountains, by jerking him
out of the way of an avalanche of
stones which had surprised them when
ascending a particularly dangerous
slope. Regarding this as an extra"
no Thought he would enjoy himself for
q few weeks by seeing his friends and
1nsulging in his favorite sport of
chsmois- hunting in the Appenzeii
mountains.
From several remarks which he made
during our weeks visiting could see