Arizona republican., 1910-10-29
MORNING OCTOBER 2 1910

II quite as pleasing as some old mas
 ter's work. Trained around it ant
 over the top like a canopy was 6 H Virginia creeper vine that made .
 most picturesque frame. It seemed
 curious to see apple and pear trees
 l trained to climb on the houses like
 vines and hanging full of fruit. The | oxen drawing carts, the carriages pro- | pelled in an awkward manner by l hitching the horse on the left hand | side of the pole, cows driven through | the streets by the women, also loads 1 of hay being brought in from the l fields late in the evening by the same women who had taken part in l the play, were some of the curious sights. I must not forget the women | in gayly lowered dresses and shawls, l selling punches of mountain roses and eidelweis. The dress of the
 mountaineers was peculiar They wore no stockings, their feet being ! thrust uncovered into heavy shoes;
 but over the calf of the leg was
 drawn a thick woolen sock, leaving the knee and ankle bare The trous- CTS, usually green, do not reach the
 knee. The vest and jacket are adorn- ed with silver buttons. while their
 green Tyrolese hats were decorated
 with feathers or bright flowers; but
 they were stalwart and handsome
 young men. Multitudes of peasants
 from the north, south, east and west
 keep pouring into the town all day
 long in groups of three or four, many carrying shoes in their hands and
 umbrellas strapped on their backs,
 and in rainy weather their gay bed
 quilts, like Joseph's coat of many
 colors. for covering. They come
 tramping with Alpine stocks in hand,
 from over the mountains fifty or six
 ty miles away. The journey to them
 is sacred pilgrimage; seeing the
 Passion Play is the great event of
 their lives All the men and boys,
 with long hair to their shoulders and
 half way down their backs, were
 easily recognized as those taking part in the play. They say that after the play is over the hair in the. village
 barber's shop covers the floor to al depth of two feet
 It sounded strange to hear the vis- itors saying each to the other: T am staying at the home of Pontius Pi- late" another saying T am with Ju- das," still another T am staying at the house of St, John"
 The little shops were full of the beautiful carvings for >which the peas ants are famous. We visited the church, which was elaborately decor ated, even to a bejeweled skeleton inI a glass case. In the course of the afternoon there suddenly appeared a train of landaus. wagons. omnibusses, with a great cracking of whips and echoing of horns and we had the pleasure of seeing the King of Sax ony- appear and heard the German greeting. We also had the pleasure of shaking hands with Mrs Lang l and Anton Lang. who took the part of 1 the Christus. He is tall and 1.-the ! with wonderfully expressive face; | his resemblance to the pictures of i Christ by the old masters is striking 1 He and his wife speak English flu | ently. He is thirty-four years of age, has three children, and this is the | second time he has played the part
 From what we had been told, we | expected to sleep on the floor with | thirty or forty other tourists or lodge | in some barn or woodshed, and we only found few whose apartments | were separated from those of the COW | by more than a thin partition, and | whose slumbers were disturbed by | these harmless creatures. We. were well fed and received every kindness, | even supplied with eiderdown pillows | and large, fluffy feather beds. the latter being such an unaccustomed | luxury that I didn't just know how to i it and found it on the floor ! every morning.
 Early in the evening the villagers met at one end of the town and marched through the principal streets. led by a large band. At o'clock the church bells rang to call home all hose who were to take part in the play the following day. We all re- tired early, as we were warned that the people would be out and the church bells ringing at o'clock for carly devotions.
 The Passion Play dates back to l6S3. In that year the surrounding country was devastated by a plague and only in the village of Oberam- nergau was there no sign of the dis -dSC Ile pussy NllidSeIS NtUI every to their fields or their wood The authorities gave strict orders that no stranger should be al- owed to enter. But the quarantine was broken by. a. peasant, Caspar Schuyler. who had been at work in ! neighboring town; eluding the wig lance of the authorities he gained entrance. In, twos days he died, with sad consequences for the little village, Or in a short time eighty. others had allen. It was at this time that the rue character of these humble ~peas-H ants and their hundreds of years of prayer and intercession they offered l VOW to God that if he would save hem from this terrible scourge they |. would perform a Passion Play every .ens years as an act of thanksgiving md gratitude. The plague diminished md finally ceased altogether and the true to their word, pro- iuced the first play in the year 1884, md during period of almost three hundred years the descendants of hese people have faithfully performed heir VOW. Rehearsals begin in De- :ember and take place every day un- il the beginning of the play in May Seven hundred persons take part in it. Every man, woman and child must be porn in Oberammergau; no peasants