The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-10-28

supreme. service being held d9ly. Of
course and al the village attending
The people OF this valley sing good
deal. but there is little Instrumental nu-
sic; O ciarionet and one fiddle furnish
what is required for the ZerTnatt dances.
/ The old-fashioned dulcimer, prototype Of
/ the piano is found in many Of the noun
tain chalets. and some OF the clumsy
/ handed Alpine women, who spade the
/ sol-piows are almost unknown in most
/ of the vaueys-are pretty uimole oi
/ pounding the dulcimers wires.
/ Courtship goes on the year around
/ among the Alpine lads and lasses. as in
/ the rest Of the world. but most OF the
marriages take place in October. after
the tourists have gone and the scauty
crops are gathered. Zermatters say all
the marriages in the valley are made Tor
love and that il is no disgrace here. as
ia some parts Of Europe. for n girl 70
grow zap an old maid.
once in seven years the children OF the
valley are confirmed. The Bishop OF Sion
attends TO this ceremony. making a spe-
cial tour mp the River Nisp Tor that pur-
pose. and receiving goo francs or $io.
from each Of the villagers as compensa-
tion. This happens In May. before the
season opens. ard the visitors never see
the ceremonies.
Sion. by the way. Is down the Rhonc
not many miles from the mouth % the
tabled 20 have fooled the devil a thousand
years or more ago into transporting a bell
given 20 his church by the Pope across
the Alps. 10 was the Bishop Of Sion
who for many years in medieval times
ruled the vale ~ Zermatt temporarily, as
they now rule 70 spiritually.
Besides Zermatt there are six COM
nuues in this Vauey-TeasCh Randa.
Herbriggen. St. Nicolas. KApetran and
Sulden- This last IS next to Nisp. nj
I the Ehone end ~ the valley and IS less
than half as high as Zermatt. it's exact
level above the sea being zoos feet.
Nature is kinder 20 the lower than 10
the upper communes. grapes being raised
as far up the valley as two miles beyond
Stalden and maize Qndlan Corn1 almost
as far. il is famous as the highest
corn in Europe The lower communes
are not so rich as Zermatt. however
since their tourist visitors are much fewer
II is due to the poverty of these com
munes that no wagon road. but only d
mule path. exists between Nisp and St
Nicolas
AT Staiden q fork Of tho valley known
as the Staas-Fee branches on. 1t CON
tains several communes which are much
more primitive even than those OF the
Zormatt. and which are accessible only
hv way of a muleback journey. OF the
aid of that famous team. Shankss mares.
Supplies as we'll as people are taken up
tae Staas-Fce on the backs OF mules.
and i'm consequence the ancient mule
train and attendant muleteers. long since
displaced by the locomotive I'm the Ter
matt Valley proper-often called the Val
lev 90 81 Nicolas-are regular and pic
turesQuo features Of the Fee
The people OF the Fee" communes not
only still adhere more closely 70 the old
communal form of government than tho
Zermatt folk. hut they have preserved
several old customs long since forgotten
i'm the Zermatt Valley communes. For
instance. when "a son is born "a cheese
and cask of wine are made for him II
he lives To mans estate the wine u.s.
drunk and the cheese is eaten on certain
occasions. his majority birthday being