Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-17
THE CITY OF LUCERNE.
Thousands of Tourists in the
Worlds Playground.
PERSONALLY CONDUCTED"
Parties That Take Up Much Room
and Are Aggressive.
LONDON "TECK" EXCURSIONS
Students and Families Assisted to,
Spend Vacations in Switzerland
-Swarms of Americans.
BY WILLIAM +. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
LUCERNE, Switzerland, August o. 1906.
Switzerland is the playground of the
world Lake Lucerne has as many hotels
as Atlantic City, and every one Is filled
with guests. Every nation is represented.
One of the landlords told me yesterday
that there are not less than $4,000 tourists
on it's shores, coming from every nation,
from Portugal to Cathay. You see several
japanese gentlemen every time you go out
to take your morning walk. Lord LII, the
Chinese minister to Austria, and his mother,
the widow of Lii Hung Chang, are at one of
the hotels on the other side. In Lucerne
alone there are about 10000 visitors. and
they coming and going by every train.
Buses filled with arriving and departing
Buses filled with arriving and departing
the street before our hotel. and, Judging
from the appearance of the trunks on deck.
most of them are Americans: You can
tell an American trunk as far as you can
see it-qute easily as you can
distinguish its owner. Trunks have racial
and national peculiarities just as well as
men and women. 1 don't suppose they
have any religion, although some trunks
yond suspicion.
An experienced traveller can usually
identify the different nationalities by their
garments and their manners. You can tell
a Frenchman by his gestures and his en-
thusiasm; you can tell German by the
field glass which hangs from a strap
around his neck. 1t is a national badge.
You can tell Englishman by his pipe
and his travelling cap, and an Austrian by
the pack on his back and the alpen-s stock
he carries in his hand. At the hotels in the
so that they can burn the name into the
handles of the alpen-stock and people carry
them home for souvenirs. The Germans
and Austrians, and the Swiss also, are
great on walking tours, and when you go
out to drive you meet them tramping up
and down the mountain roads, or measuring
their progress at the wayside inns-one mile
one beer, two miles two beers; three miles
three beers, and so on.
Swiss Fond Of Botany.
The Swiss are addicted to botanizng.
They have paved over the flowers and
plants on the Alpine slopes every season
for centuries. yet they still go out with tin
boxes slung over their shoulders every
morning and return with them at night
filled with specimens. You see troops of
children. on the boats or railway trains,
taking specimen boxes filled with luncheon
and bringing them back In the evening
filled with leaves and roots and flowers,
school hymns and songs. These little ex-
cursion parties are always accompanied by.
a teacher. Switzerland has the best schools
in the world. and the teachers are on duty
365 days jim the year. They have to man
age the Sunday schools On the first day Of
the week. and the secular schools on the
other six. During vacation times about
twice a week. they lead the children into
the woods or up the mountain sides and
talk to them about the wonders of nature.
And there is where genuine democracy
comes in. Every child is supposed to pay
his way. If his parents are wealthy or we'll
to do, he brings few extra francs or CEN
times to help out the poorer ones. But no.
body in the party knows how much any,
even the teacher. When the box is passed
around every child drops his little offering
through the slot. and then the teacher
opens the lid, takes out the money and
buys as many tickets as there are children
as far as the fund will go.
Tourist parties, personally conducted"
by the different agencies, are always in
evidence, and they interfere great deal
cling alone. because they take up SO much
room and are so aggressive Cook & Sons
originated the business and used to have
very nearly monopoly, but nowadays they
have imitators In every country, especially
in Germany Switzerland is full of their
excursionists. You can scarcely board
boat or enter railway train these vaca-.
ton days without finding personally con-
Quoted party packed into second-clasS cars
as closely as they can be slowed away 1t
used to be said that none but fools and
Americans Travelled first-class, and while
there Is very little difference in the ac-
con modations, and the second-class tickets
are at least 80 per cent cheaper, it has be-
come necessary for people who are fond of
comfort and don't like to be tramped upon
to take the frSt-clasS cars.
London "Teck" Excursions.
One of the most interesting excursion
parties 1 have seen this summer came from
the London Polytechnic Institute. semi
benevolent institution, similar to the Athe-
naeum in Chicago where, for a nominal
fee anybody can obtain instruction in any
thing. There isn't an art science or a
trade. nor a language nor trick. that is
not taught at the London 'Teck-" and
more than 10000 students go through the
institution every year, most of them clerks,
mechanics and other wage-earners who are
employed during the day. and attend the
night classes. I Will write description
of the institution when I see 1t on my
way home l have intended to every time
l have visited London for many years but
have never done so. Mr.. Moody first called
my attention to 1t and suggested that 1
write it up. He was greatly interested in
its work. He considered it one of the wis
est and noblest benevolent institutions in
the world, and undoubtedly 1t is.
But right here 1t is appropriate to speak
Of the excursion feature of the institution.
| 1t has a tourist department and assists Its
greatest amount of pleasure and profit for
the smallest amount of money during their
vacations. Lucerne Is its center of opera
lions, and if you will take one of the
little steamers that runs around among
| the villages and villas and hotels that line
the banks of this beautiful body of water,
you will see big sign reading POLYTECHNIC
Chaiets:''' Behind it is group of cottages
hot will 6ofo Obj