The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-09

who stumbles among rocks and crevasses
to gather food for the cows and initiate
for cheese. Like a channels, he makes his
ascent from hill to crest, cuts the hay.
ties 1t In bundles, and then hurls 1t
down from the summit. He belongs to
the same class as the mountaineers who
risk their lives scaling jagged rocks and
traversing treachcrous glaciers with tour
lists to earn a livelihood.
Others work at fax, which Is no light
task. The fax Is left until the seeds are
grown. The pulling then begins; 1t is
laid to dry, and is collected in bundles
The seeds are removed by drawing the
fax through iron combs. The women
along with the men work at hacking the
nax- They not only weave their own
clothes. but increase the family store by
weaving the wool and warp In their own
homes and return 1t to the seller. The
greatest pride of a peasant girl is to have
wardrobe of linen she has made herself;
and peasant man is exceedingly proud
Of his wife's Accomplishment. The WON
en- In st. Gall teach very small girls to
do the handsome Swiss embroidery, so
much admired by tourists from all parts
OF Europe and America. Five or six is
none too young for these children to be-
gin. The Older ones work all winter sell
ing their fine work to the wholesalers
In summer time they go to the large
cities, and are hired to work before the
shops to attract strangers In the east
ern cantons many of the peasants work
In the silk factories part Of the year
They are either employed handling the
silk looms In milking the cows on their
small farms. Their leisure is given to
wood carving or watchmaking-the en-
Ia wit
work.
Their chief recreation IS found In the
Alpine clubs Late In the fall and early
spring. after the tourists ere gone or
before they come, large parties start out
to ascend the steepest mountains. Their /
daring often results in death. Several
families, or groups Of young people, go
OF together climbing, romping and send
Ing their folk airs up the mountain
heights.
The general outlook OF the country is
prosperous The weIl-to-do bring this
about by being successful hotel Keepers
and engineers. attracting thousands to
their beautiful land. The pes nts. though
simple livers, are usually happy, because
they are masters of their small farms
Swiss Railroads.
America has always been interested In |
and Is recognized among all |
nations as having the greatest lines OF |
and the ablest engineers. But |
our country has a close rival in the |
Swiss. who have made the finest rail-
ways. the great number OF mountain /
roads and essayed many Of the most diff
fcult feats in engineering. The Alps are
4 blessing to Switzerland, and for many
reasons. They have protected the Swiss
from invasion. made different peoples
heterogeneous and forced scientists aud
to conquer and chain the most
iefant mountains. As recognized au
thority on Swiss engineering says: 1.-THE
struggle with nature has de- |
seloped In the Swiss special instinct
Tor seif-preservation and Its outcome
Nowhere Is this so well
Illustrated or on magnificent q scale
Is In the roads they have built over the
passes. Some Of these were
made. or. at least. begun. by the Romans
more than ZOO years ago. The remains
II their work are seen across the st.
iotthard; they built this road so travel
RS could cross the mountain pass and so
rom cold Switzerland into sunny italy.
Having dared the summit of the Rfgi,
md found that this mountain was inhab-
ted by neither bad nor good gods. they
'et men to work making a road up the
side. When Napoleon became
emperor OF France he had many roads
'uilt to bring France and Switzerland
loser together, and to make access Of
he different cantons easier.
But many OF the finest engineering
Dads built across the mountains are
wiss enterprises. Long before the Al
uia Railroad was built the Engadine.
plendid post road. had been cut through
be mountain chains to take the fashion
BILE world by coach to St Moritz- AID