The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1916-07-13

NNl ENThLC
their forefathers. Several of these
guilds still meet in their respective
clubhouse, others have their reunions
in various inns or hotels, but all are
anxious to participate in a dignitied
manner in the afternoon Sechselaeuten
parade.
The first stroke of six is the sigpal
for Booggs execution. lie is set on
fire and while he is expiating bis
wrOngdOings other bOnfres flare up on
the surrounding mountain heights end
fireworks are sent Off from the nurucr-
Gus boats now gayly circlmg around
on the lovely lake. Winter has passed
and the arrival of spring is celebrated
far into the stiffness Of the night.
In the mountain regions the start o.
the cattle TO the summer pastures. the
sO-called Alpaufzug, has been making
particular feature of this day which
! means so much TO the herdsmcn aad
their families and on which occasion
the cattle even seem TO realize the i'm
portant change which is about to glad
| den their lives.
The king of the Alpine procession, a
! handsome, powerful bull, marches In
| front. He is decorated with beautiful
garlands of flowers and with the airs
of monarch he carries the one-legged
milking stool, which is also wreathed
with spring blossoms. In long row
| the cows now follow their leader, all
we'll kept and scrupulously clean and
every one embellshed with flowers
and merry tinkling cOwbell. At their
sides walk their keepers in Sunday at
tire, now and then fondly eying their
| bovine prOteges,
Following the procession of cattle
comes a parade of carriages and We
hicles OF varied description, contains
ing the wOmanfolk and children Of
the herdsmen, also articles of furni-
ture and dairying utensils piled high.
This is the departure for the Alps, "A
most characteristic and picturesque
sight in the mountain regions.
Ancient Ways Of Wooing.
| A very antiquated custom of noe
| turnal woOing, which Is, however, grad
ually dying 01. is the Kiltgang. Ia
many districts of the canton of Berne
the younger set of the male inhabitants
forms a kind Of vigilance committee 10
prevent the well-to-do girls from be-
ing carried off by outsiders. The low
ers in the village who are of this set
are permitted to pay their visits and
climb TO the windows OF the fair ones
undisturbed, while strenuous oppose
ton is given to strangers who venture
to intrude.
Closely connected with the Kiltgang
is the so-called Maiensteckeu of the
canton of Lucerne. A lover, anxious
to please his dearest, plants in front
of her window small pine tree gayly
adorned with ribbons. This is sup
posed to be the expression of utmost
devotion and generally finds its reward
1t a generous entertainment at the
hands of both the parents and the girl.
Another method OF wooing-in the
flower language-still exists in remote
villages of the canton of Glarus. In
this case the young man places a flow
er pot containing a single rose and a
note on the window sill Of the girls
room when she is absent from home.
He then has to patiently wait for re-
ply.
If the maid takes the rose, the young
man boldly enters the house to ar
range matters with her parents, but IL
the rose is allowed to fade away the
proposal is rejected without a word
having been exchanged between the
couple.
There is not single part OF Switzer-
land that has not some peculiar usage
of its own. To the casual Onlooker
they may appear ridiculous at first, but
} on closer examination of such old
time traditions we frequently discover
, that their origin is actually connected
with historic events, and what may
have struck us as "iomewhat queer
} at first is explained by the fact that
, the majority of these ancient customs
was born in a period when the world
} did not radiate the enlightenment of
our modern days.