The San Francisco call., 1908-03-10
THOUSAND Y[AR0LD
MOUNTAIN SHELTER
Famous Alpine Hospice of St.
Bernard and Its Kind and
Heroic Monks
For Ten Centuries All Travellers
Have Found There a
CHEEKY Welcome

At the highest point the great
st. Bernard pass, one of the highways
between Switzerland and Italy. stands
the world famous hospice of st. Ber-
nard. Here, for nearly 1000 years, In
magnificent and yet desolate solitude,
succeeding generations of Augustinian
monks have kept lonely vigil-a vigil
not infrequently broken by calls to
deeds of heroic valor. Here for nearly
1000 years has burned the beacon light
of religion as morning. noon and night
the monks in their chapel have said
and sung the sacred offices of their
church.
During the vast chain of years the
monks have never turned away sup
plant who came to them asking shelter
or hospitality. The poorest peasant and
the richest traveller alike ask and re-
ceive q nights shelter and night and
morning meals before the monks speed
them on their way. In the early
spring. in the autumn, in the winter,
when binding mists hide all landmarks
from view, and when the pass is COW
cred with vast drifts of snow. the
monks, with their famous dogs, act as
guides to those wayfarers who are
compelled by circumstance to make the
dangerous journey over the great ST.
them by their vows-they receive, as
they indeed desire, no other reward
than gratitude. Many monk has lost
his life in the performance of this duty
in the past.
TELEPHONES AT THE HOSPICE
Formerly the dogs were sent out
regularly to search for lost wayfarers.
Now happily, science has come to the
aid of the monks. and telephones on
the Italian and the Swiss side of the
pass link the hospice with the outside
world. No traveller goes beyond cer-
tain point on each side without the
fact being at once telephohed to the
monks.
The pass is long one, reaching
from Martigny, in Switzerland. to Aos-
ia, in Italy-a distance of so miles. 1t
is from Aosta that the monks draw
their supplies. Every day during the
brief summer weeks their motor wa
gon goes down tosAosta and returns
fully laden with supplies for the day
and stores for the autumn, winter and
spring. The motor wagon cannot be
used on the Swiss side. because one
order of the canton of Valais. in which
the pass is situated, forbids the use of
any motor vehicle unless a horse is at
tached to it. This precaution is not
altogether stupid, for the greater por-
tion of the pass skirts steep and
rugged precipices.
1t was early in the present month
that / crossed the pass and stayed for
a night at the hospice. The walk from
Martigny is about % miles. but the
distance seems nothing, as every mile
onward brings one into more bracing
and invigorating air. The road Is
good one, and is higher on the noun
tains than, but more or less parallel
with, the rocky way over which Ma
poleon led his legions in 1900. Napo-
leon passed one night at the hospice.
Half an hour from the hospice one
leaves the road and follows the origi-
nal rocky path if one is on foot AS
we started this last stage of the climb
night began to fall and a dense mist
blotted out everything that was more
than a yard ahead. 1t was therefore
not until we stood actually in the
courtyard of the hospice that we knew
the journey for that day was at an
end.
SHELTER BUT NO FODDER
Around were several conveyances,
and the drivers were busy removing
sacks of fodder for their animals The
monks give stabling to the horses and
mules, but owing to its bulk they are
unable to provide fodder.
The hospice is a vast simple build
ing, with accommodations for almost
800 travellers. We went up a flight of
stone steps, passed through long cor
ridors and pulled the rope attached to
loud, changing bell The sound went
echoing through the vaulted corridor.
and almost Immediately the almoner
appeared
We asked him for the favor of shell
ter for the night, and he assigned us
rooms. At the same time he told US
that, as we were too late for the first
dinner, another would be served for
us in half an hour.
Our rooms were simply furnished but
spotlessly clean. The washing uten-
sils were of metal, few pictures of
religious subject hung on the walls.
Two beds and one table completed the
furniture. On each bed were three
heavy blankets and the ordinary bed
linen. We did not find these cover
ings superfiuous at night when the
wind came bowling up the bleak pass
and drove the freezing mist. mingled
with fakes of snow, through the win
dows.
We waited for dinner in the salon,
where there is the plano presented to
the monks by King Edward. We were
a cosmopolitan company, about 80 in
number, chiefly British, French and
Germans.
The dinner was simple but excellent.
consomme of vermicelli was served
drst, followed by some braised beef.
with the most delicious potatoes that
have ever tasted. Then came some
stewed veal and kidneys with maca-
roni. A generous helping of rice and
stewed prunes followed this, with
Gruyere cheese and as much light red
wine as the diner wanted. Considering
the circumstances this was an ex-
tremely good dinner. especially as 1t
was admirably cooked and admirably
served.
MEALS FOR THE PEASANTS
The peasants who enjoy the hospital
ity of the hospice were given some
soup, beef, vegetables, cheese and wine.
AT 6 o'clock the next morning we
rose for mass, and at the usual