The Alaska daily empire., 1914-11-23

1AsKA DAILY Q
 Raase kseENDs
 The Rhlne ls glyer oi lasenqs Along lts entira length almoet oYeEy castle. every rock eyory reol ano every eddy hos atory in ancient ames. these legends were imp!ic.ts believed. and even today in some oi tho interior parts Of Germmy lhere may be found peasantal who stili credit them.
 rhe legend of the Loreli la probably the best known of Rhino myths. it used to be said that beautiful siren lived In the Lorelei rock end iurea luclless sailors to thelr death by her entrancIng singing. < sunken ledge in thls part Of Inc river makes big whirlpool. which is very dangerous to small craft and probably gave rise to the story. Even now at night when sthe white foam beats against yho rocks. and the pale moonbeams rise ghosllike on the frowning cliiis. one may imagine that he sees tho golden hair and ivory shoulders of this cruel, fascinating siren But today tho LOT olei has lost her power 4 railroad tunnel pcnetrates the rock and the whistle of tho steamboat drowns the music of her voice
 X little above Lorelei Rick is the village Of St. Goar. which village got its name from an old saint who lived there 500 years ago, and in his way was remarkable man He was Q boatman and terrified people across the Rhine, and besides he was m ar- dent Christian and believed that it was his duty to convert the heathen. His methods were peculiar. One day as he was taking passenger across the Rhine he suddenly stopped rowing and asked the traveller ii ho wag 9 Christian The man replied that he was not At once st. Goar seized him and plunged him over the side bap- tising him in the rlycr However the saint wao afraid that such quick conversion might not be permanent SO he left him in Che Rhine to drown in order thet the converted soul might SO direct to Paradise. It is also re- lated that the same night the soul of the drowned man appeared to st. Goar and thanked him warmly for secur. ing to him the joys Of heaven. From that time on the lusty saint gained con. yerts daily When the bishop of Che town suggested that perhaps he was too violent ip his methods, st. Goar at once miraculousiy hung his hat on a sunbeam. This convinced the bishop that he was indeed saintly man. But st. Goar's compulsory systom of baptism is said to have lasted Q vefy short time. nevertheless. for his pas sengers, hearing of his habits, when in the middle of a stream, would al. ways make tho sign Of the cross and swear that they were Christians.
 Not far below the Loreiei Rock are two famous ruins called the Casteles of tho Brothers. The legend connect ed with them is that two brothers once lived there In perfect harmony until they fell in love with the same woman. Neither would yield his claim and finally one day they fought upoa narrow ledge between the castles. At the same moment each pierced the others breast with bis sword, and they fell dead with Q mighty look of hatred and triumph on his face
 Another story of the Rhine is the legend of the bandit Falkenstein, who lived in Q castle now called Fal- kenberg. At one time he stole sin. yer ben from the church. Tho bishop came to his castle to demand it's re- turn. F8lkenstein roared with laugh ter
 You wish to have your bell, do you? Well. you shall have 1t henceiorth, forever. The bell was tied around the bishops neck, and he was thrown into the dungeon wen Of the tower and covered with stones. Not long aiterward the bandit became ill, and at night time. from the depths of the earth. sounded the ringing Of tho sil-I yer bell This terrible sound contin- ued until midnight when, at the last hour of twelve, Falkenstein died. It. is said that on every anniversary of the robbers death, the bell can be heard ringing beneath the ruined cas- Gle.