The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-10-12


until 1t pierces the wet and misty
clouds and reaches a region OF eternal
ioe and snow. Here, in a climate al
most as cold as Greenland, we shall
ind band OF men who do a great
and good work, assisted by dogs, as
Bernard de Mention did long years
ago.
We start from the lovely village OF
Ohamonix at the very foot of mighty
Mont Blanc and drive to Martigny.
This diligence" is the road-coach of
the Alps drawn by five big horses all
decked with bells and fy-flickers. The
air Is like wine for it's bracing sweet
ness, and all around us are roarins
cataracts, glistening glaciers, or NOV
ing ice-seas; gloomy ravines and tow
ering peaks. below whose topmost
crags thin wisps of cloud float like
wreaths of gauze.
Round and round, up and up. 1t
grows colder as we ascend, and the
smiling landscape fades away The
pretty flowers disappear too-the ane-
none and gentian; dark-leaved saxi-
frage and sweet alpenrose. We shiv-
wraps and furs.
We have passed from summer to
winter in a few hours. Now we enter
the Valley of Death, so called from it's
many fatal memories. Here at the
most dangerous part of the st. Bern
ard Pass little sherter-house has
been built; and parties climbing still
higher to the famous hospice or mon
astery can now telephone their COM
ing This has saved hundreds of lives.
For nowadays, after such a message,
the good monks at the top look out
for the travellers, and if they fail to
appear after a certain time search par
ties of dogs are sent out to look for
them. Here is deep snow even in
August. II is so bitterly cold that
we get of and walk to warm our
numbed limbs; and soon the bare.
bleak walls OF the worlds loftiest house
OF charity loom through the damp
mist. Winter fingers here for ten
long months; and the few weeks OF
summer" do not suffice to melt the
wilderness of ice and snow. We are
here nearly nine thousand feet above
the level OF the sea, and the slightest
exertion distresses our breathing ap-
paratus, 30 rareied is the air. No
sooner are we at the door than a doz-
en- monstrous dogs come baylng forth
to greet us. No questions are asked.
1t Is understood we require dinner,
warm and comfortable bed, break
fast next morning. and full directions
and protection for our onward jour
ney.
In the reception room is a big piaao
which King Edward, then Prince OF
Wales, gave the monastery nearly fifty
years ago. The Emperor Frederick OF
Germany and his consort also passed
the night here, as also have a host OF
world-famous celebrities. For nearly
ten centuries, from generation to gen.
GRAFTON, some fourteen monks and
eight or nine attendants have occupied
the monastery and helped travellers
crossing over the summit of the Great
st. Bernard.
II is sad to think that even these
helpers have to descend periodically
in search of health, so terribly trying
is the climate. The dogs themselves.
even, suffer severely from rheuma
tism.
At present the monastery costs about
$4,000 a year to keep up, and this
money is partly collected in Switzer-
land and partly derived from the rev.
enue Of the monastic order. But I'm the
middle ages the monastery was strip
ped Of all its wealth, though 1t still
continued and continues to this day
TO carry out the work of st. Bernard
Over thirty thousand travellers pass
this way every year, and hundreds o.
these, at least, would lose their lives,
we're it not for the guardians of the
mountain.
The poor emigrant laborers from
Switzerland are often found by these
faithful dogs, in the snow. utterly OK
hausted from hunger and fatigue, and
often with badly frozen limbs These
are tenderly nursed in the spotlessly
clean inflrmary of the hospice. Wis
tied this lofty house of charity I'm the
clouds. OF course the great attrac-
ton IS the kennels of the famous St
Bernard dogs. One is grieved to learn
that even these, hardy and intelligent
as they are. often perish in terrible
storms. They are big, powerful, short
haired animals. most of them-white,
but with a few brown patches Last
winter five magnificent creatures were
lost In furious blizzard. I saw one
or two aged veterans over twenty years
old; these are now privileged 10 lie be-
fore the kitchen fire. and each of them
has saved over twenty lives in the
snowy wastes The monks are not
now so dependent on the dogs for news
of travellers in distress, because OF the
telephone / have already mentioned.
The scent Of these dogs is so wonder
fully keen they can track a man'g
footsteps in the snow two or three days
after he has passed II IS grand
sight to see the monks and their
attendants 90 forth I'm their big fur
coats, high rubber boots. helmets
and swan's-down gloves Behind them
come assistants with long ash poles.
ice-axes, alpenstocks. spades, wine and
provisions
When the first snow comes in Sep
temper the paths are marked with
posts twenty feet high But these soon
disappear and other posts are fixed on
top Of them. and so on. Soon the