Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-30


guest room, where travellers are now
sheltered, INTO huge hospital ward.
When first seen, the monastery, from
an architectural point of view, is dis
appointing 1t consists of plain block
of gray buildings, with massive walls,
built to resist the wind and weight of
snow. In midwinter the snow around
the buildings is to 10 feet deep and
sometimes forms drifts against the edi-
fee that reach right up to the roof. If
| the exterior is Disappointing. the same
cannot be said Of the interior. On the
side reserved for the better class of
travellers there is spacious dining
room containing handsome piano pre-
scented to the monks by King Edward,
while the bedrooms with their spotless
eurtained beds are the essence of COM
fort. Anyone crossing the pass is at
perfect liberty to enter the hospice and
accept its hospitality. No traveller is
ever turned away TWO good meals are
served every day. namely, at IL noon
and at p. Nj. At these meals repre-
sentatves of almost every nation on
earth may be seen Italians naturally
predominant. Next come Swiss, then
Russians Germans, French. Turks.
tbt'i'ioibSt SbSi4s anu tiiiehB' 49,
or three American travellers.
only few weeks ago a message was
received on the telephone that three
men, two women, and one child had
started up the path. The weather was
unsettled at the time. and two hours
later binding snoWstorm came up.
At once two of the brethren accompa-
MED by two dogs FASTENED down the
| H. 4
guide them to the hospce They knew
about where the travellers should be.
and We're surprised that the dogs failed
TO scent them. After nearly two hours
of fruitless search a dog arrived from
the monastery He carried Il message
to the effect that after they had left. a
telephone message had been received
saying that the travellers had returned
to the inn.
When speaking about the dogs, says
It recent magazine writer, NJ Bourgeois,
the present provost, and his principal
assistant Father Jules Darbelay, to
to whom l am indebted for the infor
nation contained in this article, assur-
ed me that the wonderful stories that
have been told about the sagacity of
the dogs are not exaggerated. Near
the hospice is monument to Barry.
This dog saved 40 lives in a period of
10 years, and then was accidentally
killed.
In the kennels at the hospice there
are at the present time Is trained dogs
and an equal number of bitches and
young puppies They were all born at
the monastery. Their training is very
simple. during the summer months,
when the monks are not so busy, they
take the young dogs out in the valleys
or hollows, where there is always snow
Ono man then lies down in the snow or
buries himself in it. dog is sent to
look for him. He is taught to bark
when he has found the man, and also
TO rouse him up from sleep by licking
his face When the man wakes up and
and stands ON his feet, the dog leads
him to the hospice, running on in front
to show him the way.
According to the traditions of the
monastery. the st Bernard is a cross
between Danish bull bitch and mas
tiff, native hill dog, though at what
time the cross was effected it is impos-
sihle to say. After the breed was once
established it was kept pure until 1872,
when owing to the severity of the win
ter the monks We're obliged, contrary to
their usual custom, to send out the
brood bitches as we'll as the dogs, with
the result that all the females sue
cumbed to the cold, and the monks
found themselves without the means
of continuing the pure breed In this
extremity cross with the Newfound-
land was tried, but at first failed, ow-
inc to the excessive coat of the New
foundland, which hampered the dogs
in the snow; however, by breeding back
To their own short coated dogs. the
monks obtained the desired shortness
of coat, though occasionally specimens
We're born with the rough coats, These
rough-coated animals We're sold or Civ
en- to the Inhabitants of the surround
ing valleys. who continued to breed
them so that ST Bernard dogs soon
became general in Switzerland The
full-grown specimens in the kennels at
the hospice are magnificent creatures
of their kind They stand 50 inches
high at the shoulder and weigh about
$50 pounds. They are exceedingly
strong. and can carry man for a CON
siderable distance. BY nature they are
gentle. except in the puppy season,
when the mothers are apt to resent at
tentions.
This band of faithful creatures begin
their work in earnest at the end of
September, and continue looking for
lost travellers on 10 the middle of June.
which period represents the winter sea-
son on the pass. In the depth of win
ter not vestige of a path is visible
Tie snowdrifts, too. present formidable
obstacles. Besides, there is danger of
aValanches. Fogs are frequent, and in
stormy weather the wind rises to
hurricane, blowing the snow into ones
eyes and making it impossible to see
any distance ahead.
Tie community at the present time
numbers some 10 priests and nearly a
score of assistants and laborers They
are all possessed of great physical
strength There are over 100 beds for
travellers, and they are never empty
during the winter months. often the
monks are called upon to find shelter
for aS MANY as 400 or 400 rersons at