New-York tribune., 1908-08-30

Gco
rpsTN BY John Lonlas. Illustrated. Svo pp |
yii s4S The Macmillan Company
-,.yApA PRESENT AND BYGoNE. BY. Albert !
10 r Calvert. With twenty colored and elsht
ba1ftone Illustrations and numerous line draw
ngs IL the text SVo, PIP. xviii, 54S T. r.
I1utton x Co
LANDS OF SUMNER Sketches in s Italy sieiiy si5
Hougtlton MIf7in & Co.
Mr. Coolidge has carried out an adnirable /
,lar in his book on the Alps. doing much more
20 make the reader really familiar with ms sub
ic, than is done by nine-tenths Of the travellers
bo make records Of their climbs Though ne
f . climber himself. having tremendously made
his first ascent only three days after MhYnptF
o,d three Of his comrades lost their lives IN
,onCuerinc the Matterhorn. in 1863 he GOES nol
allow has mountaineering enthusiasm to gel 100
,pcb into the foreground. His aim is to tel
.at Ne are all supposed to know. but Whlch
CIV OF US actually know-what the Alps are
- the5r construction is. and other funda-
lc1ltal things. For example. II Is naturanE as-
1Iyl1ed thai the Alps" the high peaks OF the
.-,,,,r+airs fhat form barrier between Italy
nd switzerland. Strictly speaking when Al
ir,. folk are talking about them they mean the
highland summer pastures. that extend ilohS
the mountain slopes below the snow-lne, yet AT
. ar7sjderal, l,l. height above the village ITSELF
Of course the usage Of generations Is not 10 be
-rtsarded for the sake Of Guibhle on terTnl-
rolocv and Mr. Coolidge. in describing the Alps,
,escrihes what is popularity understood 10y me
t.-~n. But the point cited is Illustrative OF ms
method Of going 10 the root of the matter OF
somehow putting into his book just the SOLID
facts of Alpine territory.
He is very interesting the human side OF
his theme helping US better 10 understand the
he a. ID
servation OF the casual traveller. The pastures
,ust mentioned are of singular Importance.
'Th,r. are nearly five thousand of them in
Switzerland --of an estimated capital value of
rather over f3.ooo.oo0, and capable of sup
I,orr!nc some crosse cattle in summer" 1t may
seem absurd, in the face OF Alpine grandeur,
20 discourse of such humble things but Mr..
Coolidge is TO be thanked for adding to the
literature Of MS subject such matter-of-fact
items as these:
These summer pastures are only grazed for about
free months annually. the cattle going up thither
towards the middle end Of June. and coming
6vvr about tfe end Of September during this
time the beasts DO always remain on the same
Iorjio- cf the pasture. On every Alp there are
generally TWO three Tor even four sets OF nuts
sit.I:red respectively on the two, three or iour
lcrizontal strips OF pasture leach called a Stat
D.. ige The cattle start in june on the lowest strip
sr.rsd three weeks in July and August; halt
:o1 time on the way down Il the middle ser
all The milk given by each cow IS tnness II IS
specially fetched ty the owner Of that cow meas
llred daily. and the end OF the season the owner
each has the right 10 receive an amount OF
cheese corresponding the milk given 10y that
COW after deouctirg the allowance OF cheese mix,
.rc which The cheeseraker tthe Sem or fruit
l-r'A and ms are entitled 10 receive as pStri
Of their The cfteSeS are made daly- ana
are kept in small huts (called 'SpeicheT D. with
short stone legs which are easily 10 be dlstin-
.-..ished on each Alp from those wherein the
Of these Is chalet proper
lv so called from the stables used in case Of
Lad weather exceptional occasions
The reader who loves the Alps and has little
# any knowledge OF the people who live amongst
them viii gladly accept we believe notes like
over cloud-enwreathed peaks. He viii appre
cate too. this kind of odd information: Some
- the customs and laws TO glaciers are curl
ous Most quaint was the ffteenth-century
f-udal tenure 10y which the inhabitants of GER
tain villages Of the Ayas valley "a tributary of
the Val d d'Aosta) Were bound 10 cover with earth
the shining glacier of the Becca Torche c5,S92
feet,-so that the reflection from the glittering
SHOWS might not inture the compexions Of the
ladies Of the house of Challant, TO which the
glen belongs Mr. Coolidge, in short, has
fair for The readable motive At the time
b.. Is careful 10 do the fullest justice TO the
salient phases OF his subject, 10 overhaul with /
Alps. TO describe the great historical passes, TO
summarize the records Of exploration, and to
exhibit the various divisions Of the vast noun
;,-II range and their traits. II is. liz way, an .
eflcyclopaHoiC book. written in q most attractive