The Republican journal., 1913-10-02

e~'ue anu otteHupteO pass on one OF
the slopes of Rosa, were blinded by
sudden storm of snow, and with the
guide turning back. suddenly found
themselves on the edge of an appalling
crevass. The natives were clad in coarse
heavy clothing. with heavy home-knit
socks up to the knees. Occasionally an
old rheumatic appeared among them,
leaning on two canes. IL the main they
were round favored and hardy.
Cne can but like this brave Swiss peo-
pie, whether in their bright city life,
where nimble hands vie with nimble
brains in making existence so gladstone,
where proud, free spirit bars them
from dogging a strangers steps with
hotel solicitation or sheer beggary, noted
so much south of the Alps; or in the
country, deep in the gorges, high on the
mountains, they meet and greet you from
the perspective of a crude existence.
There is always hearty, good wish for
the stranger, welcome and service of
the best they have, and at moderate
cost. Papal DEGREES and Calvinistic
dogmas have not in the centuries barred
Catholics and Protestants, so nearly
equal in members in this little Republic,
fortified by God and garrisoned by His
eternally white sentinels, from living in
the full spirit Of freedom and good will.
The east side is Germanic The west
side is French. 1t is common for fami-
lies on the two sides to exchange their
children for board and schooling, that
they may be we'll taught IN both the
French and the German languages.
From Viege, on the steam train to
Milan, we passed but a single station,
Brieg, before entering the Smplon tun-
mel, II 1-2 miles long, the longest in the
world, garrisoned by the Swiss at their
end, and by the Italians at theirs, and
in twenty minutes we had passed it, and
were again in sunny Italy, and in that
part known as the rich and beautiful
plain of Lombardy, the ancient home Of
the Langobardi Qong Boards the land
that both Caesar and Napoleon knew
we'll to find and forage in the susie
nance of victorious armies. Passing
thence we came to Milan, through rich
grain fields and lovely vineyards. the
horses large and handsome, the cattle
large and snow white, all bespeaking
abundance and thrift
En- route from Simplon to Milan we
Tor some miles traversed the southwest
shore of Maggiore, one of the popular
Italian Alpine lakes. 1t was fairly daz-
zhng with fashionable hotels and lovely
villas, all built of light coiored stone or
cement, with slightly sloping hip roofs,
tiled in warm colors.
Milan. the largest city of Lombardy.
and third in all Italy, is located in a
plain between the AIDA and the Ticino.
1t is surrounded by canals, and. with
eleven gates was once fanked by mas
slve bastions. These with one eXcep-
ton have been graded down to chestnut
shaded streets, on the finest of which
are ranges of beautiful mansions. There
are manufactures of silks, velvets, rib .
bons, laces, cottons, carpets, jewelry, |
glass, paper and porcelain. A royal to-
bacco factory is there Better, an acad-
envy of arts and sciences, schools and |
benevolent institutions. The Piazza
d Arme is an immense space obtained by
the demolition of an old citidel, where
troops are now drilled, and where they
have an amphitheatre to seat 80, 600. .
Milan boasts of having in the Piazza del
Duomo a cathedral of the most impos-
ing external architecture in the Chris (
tan world 1t is built of white marble,
commenced in 1887, but not yet complet-
ed | saw stagings up and new con-
struction going on. 1t is 490X29S feet,
and 1855 feet from floor to top of the
dome. 1t has 107 spires and 1900
inches (outsiie) for statues. Not all
of them are yet occupied, but the whole
range of old and New Testament history
as of Christendom in the middle ages. is
there represented in marble. The ston-
ing of the Hebrew prophets, the execu-
ton of the apostles, John excepted, even
Peter, as he requested, appearing cruel
fed with head downward, the burning Of
martyrs at the accursed stake; all these
historic reminders j saw % the outer
walls of this stupendous Christian monu-
ment, in the mellow sunset at the close
of lovely August day in Italy. The
interior is of course. imposing. The
city was founded 400 years before Christ.
1t was inhabited and embelished by
several of the Roman Emperors. 1t is
the birthplace of five popes. 1t was the
capital of a republic in 1856. The end
of the 14th century hailed the Duchy of
Milan. Spain, Austria and France claim
ed it in succession, the latter from 1896
to 1900. Napoleon crowned himself In
the Cathedral just described. In 1905 it
was made the capital of Italy. Austria
had her ins and outs again in 1874. Since
1859 it has been constant jewel in the
crown of Italy. F. F. PHILLIPS.
BLANKET LANE, tProspectD
Mrs. Ida Bowden and family are visiting her