Evening star., 1906-09-19

called go everywhere and are as common
as elevators in hotels. Since the first one,
built to the top of Mount Rigi in 1863. be.
came so profitable to it's owners. as well
as so convenient to its patrons, they nave
been built up to the summit OF every peak,
and you can now ride to the snow hne on
Mont Blanc. They are talking OF building
a funicular to the top of Jungfrau, ana
l suppose that one of these days the en-
terprising Switzers will be stretching cabies
from peak to peak, and sending tourists
across in baskets like the change in de-
partment store. These funiculars, now
ever. are fearful things, and make her-
vous people shudder. burt there mas never a
been an accident. The cars are tilted SO
that the seats will always be horizontaf
and adjust themselves automatically as tne
grade becomes steep or gentle Inc ehss
turns cog wheel with curved teeth "hiGn
clutch the sockets in a third rail In 0e
center of the track. and hod on TO them
until several more have secure grip.
These roads are safe as anything can can
be. It is impossible for a car to siip
back There is an automatic brake Whicn
will stop the cog whee! and hoIu l. aot
all eternity If anything breaks. me mus
of us feel no tremors about shootins up
a narrow shaft to the top of a twenty
four story building in a slender eleTato.
suspended by wire ropes. but we hesltate
at inclines which are much sater.
Mountain Climbers Killed.
More people are killed by slipping on the
ice while climbing the mountains In month
than have lost their lives on the funicuiars
since they were invented. The list of fatah-
ties in the Alps is growing larger and larger
every year Thus far this season more than
forty foolish people have died. victims OF
their own recklessness. trying to reach the
top of mountain peaks or scaling slippery
glaciers Notwithstanding the precautions
and regulations and other efforts to compel
people to be prudent, the onicials sa1a ana tte ne
members of the Alpine Club have failed to
reduce the death rate. There Is no cure for
fools, and If young man has no more
sense than to risk his life in trying to as
cend a place that Is forbidden or in hurry
ing down perilous path he simply pays the
penalty Of his rashness and becomes his
own executioner.
1t is a singular fact that -fourths of
the accidents occur while the victims are re-
tracing their steps-whfle they are climbing
down instead of climbing up craggy,
snowy, icy mountain side. While they are
making the ascent the effort is much more
trying. and much more care and skill are
required. The danger of slipping however.
is much greater during the descent. People
grow careless and try to make speed.
Many of the accidents also are due to the
independence and vanity of the climbers
and their neglect to obey the instructions
of the guides. Then. again. the regulations
of the various canton governments. which
forbid strangers to climb the cliffs without
a guide. are violated daily. for reasons Of
economy or recklessness, and death is often
the penalty.
uoSt VI lie names On the ueatn nSt this
year are Germans and AustrianS. The Eng
gltsh come next, and there are few Amer
leans. although as q rule our countrymen
are not much given to mountain climbing
They prefer carriages and automobiles
Swiss Costumes Obsolete
Swiss costumes are almost obsolute Oc-
casionally some old-fashioned woman comes
down from the mountains on Sunday after
noon wearing the costume and perhaps the
Identical garments that her mother or her
grandmother wore. Occasionally you see
an old man with shabby jacket and pair
of breeches that belonged to ancient days
But such people are very rare. The only
native costumes the tourist ever sees are
worn by nurse girls. bar maids in beer
halls and cafes. mattresses in restaurants
and clerks In curio shops. You usually see
groups of SwitzeresSeS in the native dress
in front of the linen stores also, embroider-
ing napkins. table cloths, handkerchiefs and
lingerie, and 1t is interesting to watch their
deft fingers handle the needles, with their
eyes so close to their work that you are
tempted to warn them that they will wear
them out.
The real Swiss men folks never wear the
native costume In town where strangers
will see them. They are quite sensitive
about 1t. When you see a man in short
breeches and short stockings with the
calves of his legs bare, wearing a green
waistcoat, short Jacket of velvet or cor
duroy and a lot of silver chains, you may
be sure that he is hired servant, an ad-
Vertisement. an imposter, or. perhaps. some
conceited city man out for q holiday
The same is true of yodlers also. The
Swiss do not yodle any more You never
hear yodling except in the streets In front
of the hotels. and the best yodlers come
from Naples and other parts of Italy.