The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
The Wild Spa1en and the Laughing La11enkonig

- A the traveller approaches switzer-
"a land from the west he enters the
\ land of the Alps by it's western
gate which is the city of Basle. In size
1t is the third civic centre of the little
republic and its name is variously spelled
Basle, Bale and Basel, though as the
town in the fourth century was known
to the Romans Basilea, it would seem
that the last named photography is the
correct. or at least most appropriate, one.
1t is a gloomy city. but being the west
ern gate, the gate of the setting sun, a
phenomenon associated with shadow. this
gloominess is as it should be. To most
persons of any poetic temperament there
is often to be found as much beauty and
imrpessiveness in gloom as is afforded
by sunlight. 1t is the play of the shadow
that goes to make up the lovelinsss of
nature; chioscuro is the chief charm of
a painting and the uncertain shade of the
recpuscule lends an enchantment to the
da ythat is dying. 1t is the presence of
the shadow that argues the existence OF
the sun, which in turn leads to dreams of
the beyond and the beyond is always fas-
cinating. Thus there is distinctive sub
tie. indescribable charm that Basic
weaves over the stranger within her
gates
The city Is situated upon both bands of
the Rhine, which here receives the In
f1ux of the Birs the Birsig and the Wiese,
Gross-Basel occupying the left and Klein
Basel the right bank of the stream
The river in its course through the citv
&c
holder with it's semi-consciousness that in
Its journey TO the sea it is soon to enter
land of enchantment, land of many
castled heights, legend-crowned rocks and
astounding beauty. 1t is spanned by three
handsome bridges, but to accommodate
some of the citizens wfho still cling TO
old-fashioned manners and notions an an
tomato ferry is still operated across the
water. This ferry consist of steel cable
stretching from bank to bank to whicI,
boat is attached at an angle This
angle and the current of the stream cause
IN eooat to cross the river with no other
motor power and with no steersman. Tho
first time that I was ever upon the Rhine
was when l crossed In this primitive
craft.
stone
one, the most picturesque. is a wooden
structure. 1t was built seven centuries
ago and in it's middle is an ornate chape;
over 800 years old, containing a shrine
ana barometer-eolumn. The presence
OF chapels and shrines upon bridges is
common in Switzerland. and it has a sig
nlheance. In olden times rivers were the
common boundaries between countries and
districts To cross from one side of the
river to the other was In those davs
equivalent to going into a foreign land.
ana the traveller was prone to invoke i hs
protection of the virgin while he was wan
deflng, or about to wander among
strangers. Such shrines afforded most
opportunle place for such invocation and
this was their raison d'etre. As | have
Travelled through Germany and noted the
many crucifixes that guarded the fields,
and as ] wandered through the Swiss
country and observed these numerous
bridge shrines | reflected that gentle
peace loving and devout must he the sil,.-
pie people who made these holy symbols
thelr constant companions at their work
and IN their comings and gongs
Most OF the municipal and religious edl-
nees OF Basle are of red sandstone. The
Munster is the city's crownng architec-
tufal glory and is constructed of this ma
terial. But 1t is gloom personified. |
nave always deemed the court yard of the
royal palace at Copenhagen the gloorniest
spot upon earth; so gloomy that the
guards thereof are permitted to patrol in
pairs. and surely next to the Copenhagen
palace may be rated the Munster of BasJe
IN TINS respect The building is 900 wears
ola- Its architecture is a combination or