Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-11
that man whose horses have given

SO that a man whose horses have given
out. or foot passenger who has encoun-
tered impassa BILE drifts or has met with an
accident. can call up the monastery and
ask for whatever relief he needs: and the
monks are promptly notified whenever a
traveller passes certain points on the road
either rom Italy or Switzerland.
The great ST. Bernard pass. AS YOU
Know is one of the most famous high
WAYS in the world. II crosses the Alps
Instance of forty-eight m les from Mar
tignE. Switzerland 10 AOsta. Italy. and at
ne summit. the highest point on the grea,
olNloe tWenty-e sht miles from Martigny
ana twenty from Aosta is monastery
"hlch has been maint aimed there for A
thousand years or more by the Ausustin-
ian Monks. with hoSp;ce or the accom-
nodation of the public. Napoleon crossed
the ST Bernard pass and spent the night
al me hospfce. Formerly the monks were
entirely dependent upon their dogs for
me rescue of snowbound travellers. and a
famous breed % animals the noblest of
al dogs. has been known by their name.
These dogs are bred the monastery and
are trained TO search for the lost and to
oring them in just as the Red Cross in
italy. Germany and Austria is training
dogs to find The wounded upon fields OF
battle.
When telephone call in rorms the
monks on duty during the lone;y vigils
mat they keep night and day throughout
the winter tina; help is needed anywhere
on the pass. The two monks whose turn il
s-they always go in coupes-whistle to
their dogs. and formerly started down
the tran on snowshOes. dragging a Sled
with blankets. bags of hot water. restora-
tlves and other appliances for the first aid
to the injured Now they go in auto
mobile. with the dogs following after For
a thousand years they have done this
work OF rescue in fulfilment o vows and
many brave and noble fr:ar has los, his
life i'm the storms from which he has been
trying to rescue strangers.
Welcomed by the Monks.
Everybody is welcome to the hospice
where beds and plain food can be Oh
tanned free of charge by all corners. and
no questions asked. although 1t is expect
ed that every person who enjoys its hos
p;tality will drop AS large a contribution
as his means will allow into big iron
box that stands on n table in the vesti-
bule a peasant may have only penny.
but rich adventurers who have been res
cued or who have been entert aimed at
the hcspice have given large sums 10 the
institution. so that it is now we'll en-
dowed. and the monks have been able 10
out up telephone line. and 10 purchase
TWO powerful motor cars which go plung-
ing through the snow and enable them o
rescue tie lost and weary much more
promptly than before
During the summer months the monks
act guides for tourists in that part
of the Alps and accept whatever fees are
rendered them. They have no fixed
charges The hospice. which will accom-
mediate three hundred people is filed al
most every night during the tourist sea-
son. the beds omfortable and the
rooms are spotlessly clean. Like the cells
OF ordinary monastery. Trey have only
chair and a washstand They are all
assembly rooms for the accommodation
OF guests. One is fitted up as reading
room and newspapers and mag gaines in
all the modern languages may be found
upon The ables. The other is a sort |
of drawing and music room. where |
there is piano. presented several years
ago by King Edward VII of England. !
Smoking is allowed in the reading room. !
which is usually given up to gentlemen. |
and in the drawing room the choir usual |
1y sings several selections in the evening
after dinner. Some Of the monks have !
hnp voices. and they can sing the Swiss |
native Nearly all OF them come from the /
Catholic population of Switzerland or |
from Germany and Italy. Immediately |
over the borders.
Especially Good Cooking.
The cooking is especially good and the
dinners although OF plain food. are much |
better than can be obtained at an or !
binary hotel. Breakfast is served at .. !
luncheon at l: and dinner AT e. without |.
formalitX. although one OF the monks ;
is always present as the guests are seat |
cd to say grace. The cooking. carving. |
serving and all the rhamberwork and |
every other household duty are performed
by the monks. there being from fifty TO
sixty constantly under the roof
They have a herd Of goats which furnish
milk for the hospice. and large kennel
n which they breed and train their dogs. I
Old travellers complain that they are
finding altogether too much electricity in
The Alps. The romance. the picturesque
ness and the intimacy with nature are
being interfered with by the Introduction
o. artificial lights and means of locomo- !
ton Trolley cars now penetrate INTO
nearly all the most beautiful and popular
gorges and climb many OF the mountain |
peaks. Passengers are sent across TIE
ravines and from one peak to another in
certain places in cars suspended from !
wire cables and moved by electricity. !
The waterfalls. the canyons and the
peaks are now Illuminated by electric !
lights and il is not always 10 the ad- !
vantage of the visitor. although many |
rough paths are made smoother and many |
places formerly difficult To reach are
made more accessible