The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-13
TODAY IN HISTORY
The Popular Hero Of Switzerland.
THURSDAY. OCTOBER 10. 1910.

The Popular Hero Of Switzerland,
William Tell Is the popular hero OF
Switzerland The story OF the patriot
has been told over and over again. With
each repetition new features hove been
added TO IL, until today many OF the IN
cidcnts related Of Tell arc no doubt fic-
tion. But, In spite of this. the Swiss
nation believe In their hero; the children
OF each generation are taught TO revere
the memory of the man who struck
powerful blow for Swiss independenee.
and arc taught to call him the founder
OF the Swiss confederation.
The date OF the birth OF Wlllism Tell
Is not known. but is given at the close
OF the thirteenth century, and tho place
Buerglen. in the Canton of Ur. Tell
glen, on October Is. 1850. While trying
To save child from drowning,
The story l told OF Tell is. that on No
patriots; and few followers. he pre-.
sided at a meeting in the meadows of
Rutli. and resolved TO lead an insurrec~
ton TO free their country. from Austrian
rule. They decided on New Years day
In 1908 as the period for the general up
rising TO drive ont their oppressors. The
acteristic Of this noble people. They
swore to be faithful TO each other, to do
no wrong to the court OF Hapsburg. their
ruler, and not to ill-treat the governors
and representatives.
Rutli Is national place Of pilgrim
age. and schools and societies OF every
sort come here to do honor TO those
pioneers in the cause OF freedom. They
also stop for a moment to look at the
pyramidal rock that Is eighty-five feet
high. and called the Mythenstcln. This
rock Slid from mountain into the lake,
and upon 1t. in letters OF gold, is a trib-
ute to the German poet Schiller. who so
powerfully told the story Of William Tell
and his deeds.
Near FIuclen. at the end OF tho lake Is
the village OF Altdorf, 1t was here that
Gcssler, the baillff for the canton Of Uri,
demanded that the people should do honor
TO his cap. which was hung upon the
branch of a lime tree in tho town.
When William Tell refused to thus
humiliate himself, Gessler bound TO the
upon the child's head an apple, ordered
the father to shoot this from the young
head. Tho skill of the crosshowman was
PGriees Sure re- OF M, MS "a aim m. the father
a fury OF anger at this cruel injustice
of The hated bailiff
On the site of this historic spot there
Is spirited monument OF Tell and the
boy, the gift TO Altdorf from Swiss So
clety Of archers. There Is also at Ait
dorf building that seats 100 persons
cry where William Tell plays are per-
formed during the summer. These arc
Witnessed By not only the Swiss them
selves. but hy hundreds OF strangers. at
tracted by the historic charm OF the Tell
story.
In the town hall Of Altdorf are pre-
served many trophies OF the Swiss bat
tie through which the country Won its
independence.
After the episode OF the shooting OF
the apple at Altdorf, Tell was so active
In his efforts to awaken in the people
spirit OF revolt that Gessler arrested
him. bound him with fctters and putting
him In boat started for Lucerne and the
prison.
a violent storm came up. one Of those
terrific mountain tempests that are char
acteristc OF this section. II seemed as
If the boat would be swamped. and Tell
was the only man in 1t who could safely
bring IL to shore
So Gessler set him free and ordered
him 10 land them al the nearest pos
sible point. Tell steered for a bit OF
beach al the foot of the AXcnberg, and
just as the boat was to run upon this,
orous push out into the lake.
Then he crossed the mountains that
lay between him and Kussnacht, where
Gessler's castle stood, and lay in walt
Tell shot him, forgetting all but the
sense OF his individual wrongs.
This act OF Tells. in violation Of his
oath at Rutli. nearly wrecked the de-
signs already formed for concerted ac-
tion against Austria. But the result was
a Fastening OF plans. and the Swiss were
victorious.
Where Tell jumped on shore a chapel
was bull. and called ,TellsPlatte. The
years after the hero's death. and ia
persons who had known him were pres
ent. II Is an open arcade decorated
with faded pictures that relate TO this
chapel has a small altar Each year, on
the first Friday after Ascension day. Il
mass is said here and sermon is
preached.