The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1910-10-28
Rev. L. A. Parr Tells of His Trip
to The Famed East.
En- Route to Oberammergau.

wards to Mayence is very DeauClIuI ana
interesting. The journey up the river
is much more desirable than the down
ward one. AS we rode along and passed
the steamers going down to Cologne
and other places, they seemed to be
rushing past US at great speed owing
to the strong current. And thus one
does not have the opportunity of TAX
ing in the different points of interest,
comfortably and leisurely. | had been
warned before taking the trip not to
expect too much of the Rhine or | would
be disappointed. But l feel that it
fully came up to my expectations, and
the hours spent ON its famous waters
were hours of pleasure and profit.
Several hours ride from Coblenz we
suddenly notice a great mass of rock
at a bend in the river. This rock is
430 feet high and seems to thrust itself
out pugnaciously into the rushing wat
ers. 1t is the famous Lorelei rock,
upon which, according to the legend, a
fairy had her dwelling and enticed sail
ors and fishermen to destruction in the
rapids at the foot of the precipice. But
the needs and enterprise OF our modern
times have shown their supreme con-
tempt for such fantastic stories by bor-
ing a railway tunnel right through the
rock for distance of 400 yards. Near
here also when the river is low can be
seen seven rocks rising above its sur
face. They are the Seven Maidens of
Schonburg who becoming tickle and de-
ceiving their wooers, at the curse of
the Lorelei were turned to stone. At
this point the river is narrowest, about
220 yards, and deepest, rs feet. 1t is
easy to imagine with what rush and
sweep the water runs through these
narrows. For many miles now the
scenery is most picturesque. The river
winds in and out and great hills tower
on either side.
With the end of the river trip in
sight, we touch at Bingen, the well
known Bingen-on -the-Rhine. This is a
town with a rich history stretching
back as far as the Roman period.
Across the river from Bingen and to
our left is the Niederwald, a wooded
hill clothed with vineyards on it's south
ern slopes and having many points of
attraction for eXcursionists. On the
edge of the wooded slopes is the fam
GUS National Monument towering ma
iestically above the river. This was
erected ''to commemorate the victori-
GUS and unanimous rising of the Ger
man people and the restoration of the
German Empire in 1070-1871." 1t rises
to height of nearly 120 feet and took
nine years to build. On the substitute
ture, which is over 80 feet high, there
figure representing Emperor VIM.
|, and around it are over 200 figures of
his contemporaries, of whom some $50
can easily be recognized. The figure
of Germania measures about 80 feet in
height; the hip measurement and the
length of the sword are each about %
feet. The laborer who screwed the
parts together crept out through the
Joint of the hand. The cost of the
monument amounted to about /, 100, 900
marks. The boat now stops at Bieb-
rich just below Mayence, our destina-
ton. Here we left the boat and the
party, and took the interurban car to
Wiesbaden about two and half miles
distant.
Wiesbaden with its population of over
100000, has within recent years devel-
-oped at an amazing rate. 1t is the mill
lionaire city, being burdened or blessed
with about 200 of these unenviable NOR
tails. AS everyone knows, this is a
great health resort. Its fine Sanitoria,
the hot springs of which there are 80,
and the mildness of it's climate render
it favorite resort ESQ for invalids and
travellers, 10000 visiting there an
nually. The city shows every sign of
prosperity and enterprise. The broad
streets with their gardens and foun-
tains, the fine shops and buildings,
found, not rest and quiet, but the
Af a. WI
luxury and ostentation. The place
that the tourist should not miss visit
ing is the Kurhaus, where concerts of
very high class are given twice daily.
We pay the so pfennings admission, not
that is truly worth while, but to see
the people at close range, as they
promenade about the concert ground or
the gardens, or sit at the tables sip
ping their tea, and occasionally other
beverages! 1t is here that one gets an
impression of the life of the city, and
of the wealth that is brought in year
after year by travellers and sick or re-
tired people who choose this delightful
city to spend their days in.
From Wiesbaden we take the trolley
to Mayence, or as it is called. Golden
MainZ, one of the most notable of the
Rhenish towns. The population is over
80, 600 including $500 soldiers. For
merly the town was limited by the for
tifications which surrounded it, but
since 1871 it has outgrown these and is
now nearly twice as large as was the
old town before the war. Our space
permits mention of only one thing in
connection with the city, but surely it
is one of the most important things.
That is, that here at Mayence the dis
covery of the art of printing was dis
seminated. For, one of her sons.
Johann Gutenberg, succeeded in put
ting the types together and sent forth
the first printed book. And when we
think of what supreme benefaction
that has been to the race, we are in
clined to say that above everything
else in the city, it's cathedral and relics
of rich past, the chiefest thing is that
monument in the Gutenberg Platz to
the inventor of the art of printing, by
Thorwaldsen, in 1887.
Leaving Mayence we board the train,
and after few hours ride reach what
: IL