Amador ledger., 1907-04-26
TOURISTS TRAVEL.

naturally poor country. But the
most striking fact is that no less than
two ffths of the total have been &C
quired by the hotel proprieto1s.
Their annual income is estimated at
upwards of 100000, ,OOO-a striking g
testimony not only to the cash value
OF Switzerland mountain scenery,
but to the efficiency and economy of
the Swiss hotelier. AS the Spectator
points out, the secret OF this succe; 8
is an open one: the hotelkeekper
makes his business the study and the
science of a lifetime. More than
that, the natural beauties of his land
have been exploited in a steady.
systematic, and conservative manner.
If there are thousands of travellers
who resent the Jungfrau railroad,
and fear that every snow mountain
will soon have its disfguring cog
wheel road, there are many more
thousands who welcome each new
opportunity to view the world from
on high. The railI Dad corporation OF
this kind. far from being Unpopular,
Is fairly acclaimed by the Swiss.
Elsewhere 1t is not so easy to draw
tourists, sa7e in Italy. There the
tide of travel rises steadily, recedine
out slightly even in the summer; and
the amount of money left in the
country by the sight-seers plays a
great part in Its growing prosperity.
In France and Germany the attrac
tions are not so obvious; hence In
both countries efforts are steadily
made to notify to the outer world the
special sights to be seen OF the un-
usual features which should draw the
foreigner with his well-filled purse
So systematic and far-reaching have
been the efforts in France to organize
le tourisme that an account of t e
principal agencies has recently been
deemed worthy of a place in the
Revue de Paris. They are the Alpine
Club, the touring club of France,
and the so called ''Syndicats d Initia-
tive," groups of professional and
business men whose localities are
certain to profit by the influx of tour
lists. The alpine Club, founded in
1894 and comprising of 5000 members,
has special organization tor every
department OF France. 10 it Is due
the growing fame of the French Alps.
It's mem bers rediscovered them and
conquered them with noble zeal,
by aid of the ice-axe, and then,
building paths and shelters. directed
to them by their own enthusiasm n
great crowd of followers. In the
Pyrenees, the Vosges, the Jura, and
the Cevennes the story has been the
same. They have made roads and
routes, brought about the establish
ment OF hotels where they were need
ed, obtained excursion fares, set up
sign posts. published accounts of
travels illustrated by photographs,
panoramic pictures, maps, etc. They
have organized excursions for which
they have freely served as guides, and
really undertaken a valuable educa-
tional work.
The Touring Club of France grew
out of the needs of the army of eye
lists of 1890. 1t has to-day 100, 900
mem bers, with an income of a quarter
OF a million dollars and expenses
within $4,000 of that sum. All
French cyclists have protted by the
work of this powerful organization,
which has reduced the tax on bicycles,
published MAPS, guide books, and
ANNALS galore, simplified the Gus
toms regulations; has instituted acci-
dent stations, improved the roads,
and erected sign-posts. Gradually it
has extended its efforts until it cares
for tourists on foot, on horseback, in
carriages, and those who would 60 by
boat on the rivers. Indeed, 1t feels
called upon to trim up" all France
that its prosperity may grow with its
visitors and its neatness and beauty
as we'll. "Syndicates of Initiative"
have been formed in all sections
which are particularly trequented by
tourists. Last year one hundred of
these bodies were represented at their
third convention. Ihey are, as 1t
we're, small tonrist chambers of COM
merce, bent on attracting the traveller
and then holding fast to him. 1heir
officers are bureaus of information
as to sights, hotels, pensions, rates,
cab fares, etc. The local managers
are employees paid to assure the
tourist that the syndicates are not
there to work him, but to work fol
him without cost. The makeup OF
these bodies is not limited to any one
class, but comprises, besides, few
merchants, doctors, bankers, lawyers.
engineers, sportsmen, etc. Keepers
of hotels and restaurants are not
encouraged to join, IN order that the
membership may not be ruled by
purely commercial considerations
AS for the automobilists, for these
exists the great Autom obile CLUB oi
France, as we'll as local clubs. They
have done much to mark dangerous
Places in the roads, encourage honest
repair shops, recommend the hotels
most attentive to motorists, in addI