The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-10-10

ola famlllar pictures Will Jake OH
new meanings and what we have
only know by hearsay becomes now
reality
But ! intended not so much to
speak of what the people thought
of our journey as to tell you of the
interesting people and country we
have seen.
On Sunday morning at 1880 we
boarded the train and found that
the tables were already laid for
lunch which was served about IL
o'clock. We soon left the grim
buildings of Vienna behind and sped
out among the beautiful green hills
which form the foot hills of the
Alps. In every direction could be
seen people on the hills enjoying
the fresh country air and sunshine.
We passed beautiful summer homes
whose gardens were respondent
with flowers of the brightest hues
while the hills on each side grew
sleeper and sleeper and the valleys
narrower until at 1880 we reached
an old town on the banks OF the
Danube. This old town was founded
by Charlemagne and was a pretty
place clustering as it did along the
hills which gradually sloped to the
river. Towering high above all the
other buildings was an interesting
looking old monastry but untortun-
ately we had no time to visit 1t as
we were to make the return trip to
Vienna in big pleasure steamer on
1.-The beautiful blue Danube That's
all a joke, however, about the
beautiful blue Danube" as it's waters
are as muddy and grey as those OF
our own Missouri river.
The scenery from this little town
via the river is said to fully equal
that of the Rhine and indeed we
found it's ever varying landscape
very interesting. The river flows in
many places between gigantic
masses of rock surmounted here and
there by castles or old ruins around
which many legends have been WOW
en- now past green hills while occas-
90 uvo se5elIEA Sq!Qsg HeWs HLLeuo!
seen so close to the waters edge as
to make us wonder what the people
did in case of high water. Many
of the hills looked quite fertile and
were terraced to keep the soil from
washing into the river. After about
an hours ride we came to small
village where the citizens had assem-
hled to give us reception.
About twenty young ladies dress
ed in their native costume consisting
of tonnets with gold trimmings and
full crowns, tight blouses, full
skirts and silk aprons threw fruit
and flowers at the passengers on
board while the leading men OF the
party were listening to and re-
spending to speeches made by the
citizens. We resumed our journey
after about forty-tive minutes carry
ing with us a number of the pretty
girls who had been at the wharf.
AS we approached Vienna the land
on each side of the river became
more level. Bath houses and bath
ing beaches were frequently seen
and as the day was quite warm you
may be sure they were we'll crowded.
We reached Vienna at six o'clock in
the evening all feeling that the first
day of the Inaugural Run of the Can
adam Pacific Railways observation
car service had been great success.
Promptly at $3.50 the following
morning our train left Vienna. AS
we passed the foot hills of the Alps
near Vienna we expect to find our
selves in a mountainous region but
what was our great surprise when
we came to a beautiful level valley
which was by far the richest farm
ing land we had seen in Austria.
remember that as we passed into
this village some of the passengers
turned from the windows with the
expression that this was not an inter-
esting part of the journey. But to
us who hail from one of the richest
agricultural states in the Union. it
was very interesting as we had often
how the people in Austria
farmed and now was our opportunity
to learn.
1t certainly did not remind us
much of the farming in America.
Their fields are all small here I be-
lieve six acres is as much as we saw
in any field and most of them are
not more than half SO large. They
have no fences to enclose their fields
and the land is as free from trash or
weeds as our we'll kept lawns in
America. How they know the
boundary of their own land I do not
know for to the casual observer
there is nothing to indicate it.
All over the valley fields of grain
and vegetables covered the land. We
occasionally saw a patch of corn
but here (within a few hours ride OF
Vienna) the corn only grew to the
height of about two feet and looked
sickly but they seemed to have good
crops of hay, wheat and oats. The
red clover here is very pure and a
field in bloom is pretty sight as
the blossoms are darker than at
home and very abundant.
We we're amused to see how they
cared for their clover after 1t was
cut but at the same time We could
see, or thought we could, that 1t
was a good idea. They drive poles,
about 8 feet long, into the ground
in the field and then nail cross pieces
onto the poles at intervals of every
two feet. The clover is then piled
or hung upon these poles which al
lows the air to circulate through it
better than if it were piled together
as is usually done in Amerca. But
the clover so arranged brought back