The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-19
THE FARMER AND MECHANIC

and on these are the implements of
these DaStimeS.
Termatt is a little village of rather
dirty houses in the midst Of which
are a number of large hotels. a herd
of goat may be driven along the
street lined with people, fashionably
dressed from all parts of Europe.
The village itself is not more attrac-
lively situate than many another in
switzerland but it gives easy access
10 the very heart of the Alpine world.
A railway leads TO the
Gomergrat, and here, more than in
any place reached by 2 railway, one
is in the midst of the snow-clad
mountains. Large glaciers are at
ones feet. Above and very near are
the observation-disclosures, the highest
peaks of Switzerland and Monte Rosa,
the highest in Italy. The base of the
mountain, whose ascent has cost so
many lives, seems almost within a
stones throw. The Gomergrat rail
way leadS the traveller right into the
midst of the glacier world and of the
highest Alps.
h praises of Chamonia and the
Mer de Glaze have been sung by
travellers for many years. The glory
OF is its wonderful view of
Mont Blanc. The Mer de Glace, the
lower end of a glacier which has its
origin on the slopes OF Mont Blanc,
seems rather insignificant after one
mas looked on the glacier world seen
from the Gomergrat. We met an
American woman who had recently
made the ascent of Mount Blanc. a
matter of many hours steady climb
ing with careful guides whose services
with other fees mount up to $50 or
more. We cOntented ourselves with
looking at the climbers through a
telescope on the square Of Chamonia
n IA st - -; =. ~ --a
ton giving vivid details of the as
cent.
+ few days at Veney on the shores
of Lake Geneva, a visit to the castle
of ChillOn, more interesting without
Byron than with him. a day or two
at Lausanne, an interesting old town
and set Of a noted Swiss uri1 arsity,
a Sunday at DIXON, the old capital of
Burgundy, a few days at Paris and
then home again.
| must not close my letter without
a reference to the parcel post which
l ound useful in sending part of my
luggage from one place to another.
TO twenty cents one may send %
pounds, and for thirty cents, thirty
three pounds from any part Of SW1tZer-
land to another. The country is
smaller than our own but l am sure
that our government could better ac-
commOdate our people than at pres
ent. The express companies are able
to send packages all over the country
and at an enormous profit. Why
hOu not the poStotfice department
facilitate intercourse betWeen our PEG
pie by a parcel post as do all the
countries Of Europe?
Just a word concerning the good
roads which are uch a ommOn lea
ture of France and Switzerland. They
are we'll made and we'll worked. The
ordinary road is only twelve feet wide,
just wide enough for ordinary vehicles
to pass each other if necessary. /
cannot see the necessity of our Ameri-
can custom Of maintaining, or trying
to maintain, a road twenty feet wide
which costs nearly double as much as
a t~welVe-fOOt road.
In Switzerland there is a subscrip-
ton ticket on the railways. By pay
ing s14 for a first class ticket, about
81 for a third class, one may obtain
the privilege of travelling on any Swiss
railway, except the special mountain
roads, for a period of two weeks
There is a similar system also in Bel
GUM.
A. 3. HUNTER.