Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-05

against disiguring the Alps with the
numerous railways, with which Ameri-
can-ltke enterprise is making these
hitherto difficult ascents 50 accessible.
But this is the day of easy and rapid
transit. The crowds wish to get to
| th: top quickly and thus this WONDER
full scenery assumes a commercial
| value. The grandeur of the snowy
peaks, with the sun glistenng on their
lofty SUBMITS and sides, and the ex-
hiler1tion of the ride up and down the
trestled sleeps, is a sight and expert
e1cc which it is Joy to recall.
Lucerne is a delightful little water
ing place, mostly hotels and souvenir
| shops, with a beautiful lake around
which is grouped picturesque noun
tains. There is It cool park, where,
amid reeds and rushes, the noted Lion
rests in his pathetic sleep of death. his
huge paw still protecting the fieur-de-
| lis OF France.
The sweet girl graduates used to say
across the Alps lies Italy," but now,
Through the Alps" would appear to be
more correct. There are scventy-nine
tunnels, and one, the great st. Goth
| ard, is nine and quarter miles long.
or sixteen hot, sitting minutes, with
electric lights all the way. Some of
these tunnels cOrkscrew themselves
through in the most surprising manner,
| and in going from one to another YOU
p?ss the same church several times, on
| different sides of the track It really
gets quiet bewildering and It was not
! surprising TO hear that the chief engi-
| neer died of apOpleXy when going
through one day. But it brings US to
| Italy, sunny, indeed. We were kept
for several minutes in a kind of
stockade, like immigrants, while our
baggage was examined, and perspiring
officials, in heavy uniforms, went
through the cars to see if anything
| dutiable was being secreted. The
kindergarten member Of our party
Wept when they gathered in her pack
| age of Swiss chocolate
| When one has been listening to for
eign lingo for several weeks, to hear a.
familiar voice, with good New England
| accent, over the telephone, to some of
uS, ut least, is a far more pleasant ex-
pcricnce than to travel several miles to
| see masterpiece, fading rapidly from
view. The Understanding title, Consul
! at Milan, is now borne by q gentleman
VINO has many friends in Maine, Mr..
James Dunning. The heat and dust Of
an Italian city in midsummer was not
sufficient to change his genial person.
atty, and his welcome was Just as
breezy as his newspaper stories used
| to be iii the days when his writings
were so much enjoyed by readers of
the State press, and later, of the
magazines. Over an almost English
cup of tea. for we came from a pro-
hibition State) the delights-and 9TH
| e''wise-of foreign. official life were
| discussed with Mr.. and Mrs. Dun
ming, who, like all sensible people, say
! they are coming back to Maine to live
some time. Mr.. Dunning finds many
features of Italian life to interest him
ir this Lombard city of Milano.
We had been doing the famous
piGZzL Of st. Marks in Venice and
We're standing out of the glare of the
sun, near the place where the bronze
men strike the hour with their ham,
mers. Two Americans came up be
hind us. They We're facing the Pal
ace Of the Doges, whose walls, could
they speak, would relate wonderful
tales of bygone Scheming and cruelty
which would make cur most unscrupu-
lous modern politician seem like a
Sunday-school scholar. Nearby the
wonderful church of st. Marks, with
its much Travelled horses. the only
horses. save one (and that, also. for
ornamenD in the city of gondolas. On
either side of the square. the arcades,
where, at the usual small tables, were
seated, eating, drinking. smoking. writ
ing letters or talking, men from all
parts of the wOrlda kind of open-air,
cosmopolitan club. behind the brown
curtains which shut out the heat. The
most fascinating place on the CONT
nent to study faces and nationalities.
The little shops, with their beads,
trinkcts and bright pictures are here.
also. As we stood. day dreaming on
past and present scenes enacted i'll this
place, the voice of one Of our country
mon reached our ears: what did the
guide Teller tells us that was9" he said.
in bewilderment, pointing to the Doges'
Palace. which seemed TO stiFfen at the
question. The other well-fed brother.
in equal uncertainty. removing his
back his panama hat. shook his head,
and answered obviously: search mel
And they Strolled over toward the
Grand Canal, where the gondoliers
lazily wait for n fare, ana beg for a
"birra" tip.
To many of US. Venice was the city
made known by Hopkinson Smith.
Everywhere his delightfully."- artistic
descriptions Of "the watcr-lC gged
town" were brought to mind and one
day, seeing a gentleman who reserh-
bled him in a gondola, and knowing he
was somewhere in Europe, it rather
pleased my fancy to think / had seen
him in the environment which he loves.
This city, built on numerous islands
one hundred and seventeen, to be ex-
act-and intersected by over hum
dred and fifty canals. has become in
our minds water color in gilt
frame And so it is-dreamy, unique,
flooded with color, in the tints of the
palaces, golden brown of the awnings
and dropping sails which are every
where on the larger canals, in the