The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-09-17

flowers and hundreds Of unfamiliar ones
of all colors, (including the lovely Alpins
rose, which grows IN similar way ia
our sheep laureD blooming in great pro
fusion. We saw the edelweiss only in
bouquets which were for sale, as it grows
in very inaccessible places.
We were fortunate, in having at the
Eden hotel the largest and most COM
Portable room, with the finest view, Of
any that we had secured during our
travels, and considering that it was to
be our home for eleven days, (so far as
we knew for much longer) it was appre:
.ciated. Two of our windows opened on
a veranda towards the western Alps,
and the other two on magnificent view
of the snow covered Jungfrau. On a
few evenings we saw the beautiful al
pine glow at sunset.
All during our stay at Interlaken SOL
diers were much in evidence, and must
voice my admiration of the Swiss SOL
der. He is earnest and straightforward,
and while not enthusiastic like the Ger
man, one can guess from his quiet, de-
termined manner that he means business
when he says ''hands off" to the warning
nations surrounding his own. It is easy
to understand the reputation the Swiss
guards have for fidelity after watching
these men day after day and hearing
never loud word, and witnessing the
devotion of the Swiss people generally
to the business at hand. Even the chill
dren are different. While our little ones
are playing with toy carts and dust
heaps, Swiss children are pulling donkey
carts about the streets and gathering Up
fertilizer for the farms, or are filling
baskets strapped to their backs with
twigs, or if girls, are knitting or crochet
ing as they walk about the streets, or
have pillows on which they make wonder
full bobbin laces.
An American committee was formed
in each place of any size and meetings
were held where names were registered
and news dispensed Our committee kept
in touch with the Ambassador at Berne
who said it would be suicide to think of
going through France. The English Am
bassador told his people they must not
expect to get out under two weeks, so
our best hope seemed Italy, though as
our trunks were in Liverpool and we
had packages in London and our tickets
were for that route we would have liked
to 90 that way. Hearing of an emerg-
ency line of ships at Naples through a
courier for Marsters, who had reserva
tons, we decided to 60, and then the
money question arose. The Swiss gov
eminent had turned out some bank
notes which eased the situation some
what, and instead of having to buy seven
dollars worth to get ten dollar check
cashed, as on our first day at 1nterlaken,
we need spend only four out of each ten.
The banks would not accept our checks
(the International Mercantile Marine)
and our conductor told US it was up to
u.s. to get the money for our fares to
Naples-$14.O0 each, so we started out
in pairs to shop. Store after store re-
fused to take the checks and we could
get none of the beautiful Swiss carved
work which we wanted. There seemed
to be not more than four stores of any
kind that would do business with US, but
finally between us we got enough money
for the party. The first days journey
was easy and not unpleasant in spite of
heat, and about ffty-eight tunnels via
the Simplon tunnel route, and our best
impression of Italy was received as we
rode along by the great lake Maggiore.
That night we spent in Milan and visited
the great Milan cathedral with 1000 stat
ues on the exterior and goodness knows
how many inside. We expected to stop
in Florence, Rome and Naples, for our
ship was to sail the 10Th, but after we
had retired for the night our conductor
Cdtic dlOQIu anu tOiA 10 VIC AAAoS w
ready to start early in the morning and
go right through to Naples, for the
Italian troops were to begin mobilizing
the next night at midnight, and if we
didn't get through we ran the risk of not
getting there at all. 1t was a very hard
and dirty journey from Z a. m. till a.
m. the following day. think there were
forty tunnels between Florence and
Rome, and one member of our party (the
one who had lost his own suit case and
was travelling with only three ladies suit
cases, SO had no handkerchiefs to spare)
could easily have been mistaken for
mulatto. One of the party facetiously
asked him where he was showing tonight.
The courier had telegraphed ahead for
luncheon and dinner, which were served
to us in our compartments in individual
bags, each containing roll, slices OF
chicken, beef and bologna, cheese. plums,
bottle of mineral water, fruit knife,
paper tumbler and a toothpick. We saw
soldiers at many of the stations all ready
~, a.. q r.