The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-09-29

moning him to arms. Even now the
melody has haunting sound that
seems to speak of martial deeds. No
wonder the sound of the alpenhorn
was forbidden during the days when
the Swiss served as mercenaries to
France and Italy and other countries"
says writer. Its sound would
cause hundreds of otherwise faithful
soldiers to desert for their Alps. And
the songs with which Alpine herders
call their companions from hill to hill
and from crag to crag are of the same
nature"
There is a very practical relation.
ship between good singing and good
dairying, and this was proved at a
farmers congress at Interlaken. where
in a milking contest three days long,
the same cows. MIXED in songless
silence, yielded 200 quarts of milk;
MIXED by maids with fair voices. they
yielded 220 quarts; MIXED by maids
with the finest voices they yielded 240
quarts. This proof of fact that had
long been suspected at once set pre-.
MUM on the milkmaids who could
sing we'll They that could not sing
we'll began Immediately to study vo.
callzation, and hence Switzerland has
many good singing milkmaids. Milk.
ing time In the mountain is easily
known by the tourist on account OF
the enormous volume of song that
then scars up. silent milking 10 o
crime, and the dairymaid who milks
In silence is certain to lose her po-
sition. Swiss maids who apply for
places in diaries are examined as
strictly in singing as in milking and
butter-making. But dairying is only
one of the Swiss peasants occupa.
tons
All over the sides of the mountains
are seen the pretty chalets. with their
patches of cultivated ground. and
every peasant seems to own some
land, even though 1t may be not more
than few square feet. but 1t is divid
ed off into little plats for the different
vegetables like pieces in crazy quilt
In the valleys are the orchards and
pasture land. The mountain farms are
steep and rocky and cannot be plowed
but are dug up with spades and hoet
by women and girls. The women also
occasionally cut the grass on the al
most perpendicular mountain slopes
bind It into bundles and carry 1t t.
the barns on their backs.
There is scarcely anything so pic
turesque as Swiss haymaker will
curiousIy pointed hat, his loose blouse
of dark hue and his knee breeches, al
he moves about with his rake over hi
shoulder. That self-same swan
swinging his broad bladed straight
handled scythe, while with a swish
swash he mows the grass laid befor
him, makes another graceful figure
The round, rosy cheeks and the simpl
costume of basque, full short Skin
and bright head-dress of the buxon
maidens who rake after him rende
the picture complete.
The costumes of these still idylli
peasants are as picturesque as nature
The Bernese peasant girls costume
beautiful, with its snow-white shir
sleeves rolled up to the shoulder, el
posing to view a plump, sunburnt arm
The life of the people, active and II
tensely human, is filled up with man
festive occasions, full of ceremonia
traditions. In these they exhibit thei
national customs and costumes. an
, the most interesting of them concer
, affairs nearest the heart. 'Betrotha
marriage, christening, as well as tn
many folk affairs. furnish occasion
in which the festive dance is gleefull
INDUCED in Many hard days wor
, is ended by such festive gathering
, and then 1t is that the soul of tn
peasant is wrought forth in his timel
p acts.