Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-05-08
ON THE PEA IS THE ALPS
Rogers Recoun Wonders of Nature
and Ham. ork of Man

1HS rue from heSno BACK TO GenOa,
was as interesting as the going Abrupt
mountains coming down boldly to the
shore, in every crook of the mountains
village, and by the roaring brook we
saw women washing on stones, rubbing
and drying on the rocks. Along the
shore, for more than two Thousand years,
races, generations and armies have
lived and marched over a highway cut
from the rock. Now a vestibuled train
goes IN and out of the tunnels Autos,
a never ending line of them, whirl past
with the speed of an engine. In Nice
it vas a continuous auto traffic, while
in the air, air ships sailed high, circled
then swept down with the guls, then
circled above like the birds of prey.
1t was in and out of tunnels to anoa,
in cars lighted with a storage be terry.
We passed through Genoa, up roar
ing stream to the Apprentices, ami when
the engine could no longer up grade we
ran into the great Appenine ,ange and
came out in the valley of tho Pc. The
beautiful plains OF Lombardy, where
races, nations. tribes, provinces, COM
mraities have fought and killed and
wounded and assassinated and murdered
for centuries in one of the loveliest
OF countries. On the right the Appen-
ines recede, we see the hill towns cling
ing to the rocks, on the peaks, while
on the left, and far away the Alps, the
back bone of Europe; and boldly rierc-
ing the blue sky, we note Mt. Blanc,
the Matterhorn and other peaks reared
by the acts of God. as resting place
for the storms that Tor ages have played
and cold storage to supply the streams
that make rivers to irrigate and supply
the races to come. Lombardy is beau
tiful. grape, mulberry trees to supply
the silk worms with a delicious food to
spin cocoons, and when no mulberry,
will accept lettuce and spice on.
We rested in Milan a few days and
again walked in the great cathedral,
commenced in twelfth century and
finished by Napoleon, who placed his
own statue conspiciously on pinnacle,
with the most honored Saints and be-
meath the Virgin and stands there
now. Wonders of architecture, won
derful in every way, grand In concep
ton, marvellous in size, and stained
glass windows of wonderful artistic exc
cution. Leaving Milan the train was
started for the Simplon pass, by the
beautiful lake MAORI, up a roaring
brook, along a great creek in the
mountains, by the old route Of Hannibal,
along the Roman highway cut in the
rock, looking over st. Bernard, down
the Rhine and on the Rhine. Can no
longer ascend, and plunge into the Alps,
and for l6 miles in tunnel, electric
lighted, when we run into the source of
the Rhone, and again alongside the old
Roman road over which the Legions
marched to conquer the world, and
failed, in time TO perish. We note the
roaring mountains have electric plants,
and send hy wire light to illuminate the
cities, 20 give power to plants, TO drive
street cars and turn wheels of the new
induatriss. I thought what 4 mighty
age, what a wonderful period of activi-
ties, how marvellous the improvements
since our first visit, sixteen years ago.
Down the Rhone to lake Lemon, made
by the glaciers in the ages of forming
for the human race, located in the Alps
that surround it in all the grandeur Of
their awfUlness, in the ruggedness that
once was insurmountable. Now the
electric cars, clinging 70 the mountain
side, winds ah1 serpentines, III and out
and, far up on rock stops at hotel,
the;l onward, still on to the glaciers,
another hotel, then the young and
strong of limbs, with guide and staff,
still onward the everlasting SHOWS, into
the great blizzards.
All around the lake are villages of
hotels, hotels of great capacity, and full
of people resting and walking, riding
and climbing for recreation and fun and
health
Will remain here till April, then on
ward - Christian pilgrim, onward
l.. NJ. ROGERS.
Montreux, Switzerland, March 6