The Raymer enterprise., 1914-02-19

hf154 kL-x5 dOrt Is uaS bluGha 40 INV stthia
| VI FEl pass by the fallacy in II begins to
| I1 make itself felt. but each individual
FsTyl has to find ii out for himself in the
I--SyyY/ school OF experience; nor must he
- hope by any argument 10 convince
those who have not yet learnt the lesson,
Thousands are accustomed to take an an
nual holiday in the Alps, but most of these hay-
ing only few short weeks at their disposal, stay
at hotel There are. however, maryland their
number is increasing-who go out with
their families and spend the whole season in the
mountains yet who grow weary Of continual hotel
life aud seek after something that shall be not
only more independent bat less expensive, for to
many the question OF expense looms larger every
year. Such can hardly do better than take fur
nished chalet in the hills There are many such
to be found and although rents tend to increase,
they cannot yet be said to be excessive. The
Swiss have realized the fact that there is a grow
ing demand for wellar pTinted chalets in good sit
uations. that many have recently been built and
others are being adapted
Those thinking of taking such chalet for the
winter months would be we'll advised To see that
il stands at an altitude OF not less than $500 feet
above sea level, Should it be lower there will be
some risk Of fogs from the plains and lakes rls-
ing above H. and of wet mud taking the place OF
firm, dry snow 1t may be remarked In passing
choose a place within easy reach of some town
such as Montreux or lnterlaken. though much
shopping is best done by post II the house is
large IL will sometimes happen that the owner will
retain a few rooms for his own personal use In
this case he will almost always be glad to give
help whenever II is asked for. The average Swiss
village lei it be said does not usually provide the
luxuries OF Capua but the visitor will quickly
discover where to obtain everything that he needs.
He viii soon find that his chalet can be managed
with remarkably little servant power Central
heating may be called necessity, and, in Il
private house where the ventilation can be proper
ly attended to- IL does not produce the stuiliness
that is such an undesirable feature in so many
hotels.
AT Rome as at Rome" is useful motto for
those who live away from their country, The
Swiss peasant has his own opinions and his own
way of looking al life. Therefore visitor should
not be angry with him when he finds that he has
a fixed notion that all foreigners semimil
Iionaires Is Il surprising that the villagers be-
ing intelligent il somewhat narrow and unedu
Gated, should look upon the gems de seIonr who
come from afar and live In nice houses, and so
far as they see, do no work whatever. as
almost inexhaustlble gold mines? They would
hardly be human If they did not use their oppor
tunities Of making hay while the sun shines; only
it rests with each visitor to see that he does not
personally contribute an uureasonably large share
OF the hay.
The dweller In hotels sees but one side Of Swiss
characterize outside: for though the Swiss may
be business-like, he is cmphatcally not obsequ-
ious by nature. On the contrary, he is vigorously
independent The father OF large family will
be grateful to receive any crumbs from the rich
mans table, in the shape Of discarded clothes for
the use of his boys provided that they are offered
as from an equal 10 an equal for he is very sen
sitfve But in a short time enc of the boys will
probably bring a basket Of eggs to thank mon.
seur and madame" The writer was once asked
TO photograph some girls, and few days later
message came from the childrens mother: Might
she do some OF the household washing free OF
charge In return7" That is not such bad kind
OF independence! At least 1t compares fayorably
with variety that is to be met with. which
thinks to show its independence in rough man
ners but Is not above taking everything II can get
without making any adequate return. Take him
all round the Swiss peasant is an interesting and
a good man to deal with, Suspicious at first, and
sensitive always, he responds warmly when he is
treated with tact and sympathy.
One of the very first questions that occur to a
possible chalet dweller is: VIII there be plenty
of congenial society. shall We be dull?' To
which the reply must be made that the amount of
society depends largely on the place selected, and
its nature on ones self II is always possible to
ascertain beforehand the number and size OF the
hotels in the village, and these may be looked
upon a fairly reliable index of the visiting pop
ulation Moreover, 1t has been the writer's ex-
perience that hotel keepers, far from looking
askance at chalet dwellers, welcome them and
willingly allow them the use OF their skating
rinks and toboggan very moderate terms.
Many ehalets are now built with an open fire
In, he Jra,. nh anl,,n rf,,I
fires may be lighted And. let It be remembered.
that In most places, wood is plentiful that
within few minutes walk of the chalet sackfuls
OF fir cones and armfuls of sticks and logs may be
collected; is 1t possible to exhaust the supply.
Yet in the daytime artificial heating can often be
dispensed with Day after day the sun shines In
cloudless beauty. and 1t is possible to sit out on
the balcony reading hour after hour So dry Is
the air that snow eyaporates with the heat more
RAPIDLY than 1t mets, so that unless the thaw be
very pronounced there Is a total absence OF
',slush" Last winter. week Of snow at the be-
ginning Of December was followed by six weeks of