Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1903 — This One from Switzerland [ARTICLE]

This One from Switzerland

Oar European Travelers Have Seen The Mighty Alps. Strasburg, Aug, 2, 1903. We reaohed Strasburg last night and now we all feel that the rest of the trip is just a long way of going home. Switzerland more than fulfilled my anticipations. The soenery is beautiful beyond description and ? we were very .'fortunate in having fine weather in which to enjoy it. Some times the mountains ate shrouded in olouds and mist, and the tourist is greatly disappointed. On last Friday, July 31st we p were in Grindelwald whioh is 3,800 feet above sea-level. From there and neighboring points the Alpine olimbers begin their asoent of the Wetterhorn and the Jungfrau, both of which are very dangerous and difficult to climb. We contented ourselves with walking to the lower glacier, which is one of the two near Grindelwald. The trip there and back took two hours of steady and rather rapid walking, and to us it was no easy task. The path was narrow and rocky and in some places' very steep, and being inexperienced we went faster and rested less often

than we should. Near the glacier stood a little Swiss chalet where ( we had a oup of tea, and paid our fifty centimes (ten cents) for a guide into the glacier. We were wrapped in big blankets and led into a grotto of ice as bine -as a tufrquoise. It was really quite safe but it seemed dangerous, for we lOould hear the roar of the water under us and see the little streams of melting ice everywhere. * The cold was intense and very penetrating, so we stayed only a few minutes. t The Swiss cultivate every foot of available land and have grain growing 09 slopes that are apparently inaooeseible. Their fields and gardens are well-cared-for and their homes look neat and cheerful. Every chalet has its window > garden and the flowers are larger and brighter colored than those at home. At the Hotel Victoria at Interlaken there were geraniums thirteen feet high and in full bloom, and the fuohias were double the size of ours. It >lt may be of interest to add that Madame Patti left this Hotel Victoria for Lucerne just a day or two before our arrival. The railroads in Switzerland are owned by the government—all except the St. Gothard whioh is in ~the hands of a oompany. The railroads with their numerous tunnels and bridges are marvels of engineering skill and cost millions of dollars.

Berne is the oapital of Switzer- - land, and while there we saw the government building, a large and imposing stone structure. The rooms look much like those in our Capitol at Washington. We were interested in the beautiful woody carvings in the panels of the sidewalls. No two designs were alike. The two governing bodies in Switzerland correspond in many respects to our Senate and House. As the people are about equally L divided into Frenoh and German speaking oautons, motions are made in one language and then repeated in the other, Before voting ,on a subject. The president receives about, two thousand dollars a year for his services.

HELRNA WASHBURN.

Mr. and Mrs. P. 0. Wasson left Sunday for Randolph county their future home, going by way of Indianapolis. They will live in Winchester until Maroh, and then get possession and move upon the fine 840 acre farm he purchased near that town, some months ago.