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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 1906)
THOUSANDS of tourlata are thronging steamers homeward bound, after a long summer holiday apent abroad. Thy ar coming from many parta of Europe and the British Isles with pleasant recollec tions of Scottish heath, Herman ruins on the Rhine and the cosmopolitan gayety of the Parlalan capital, but they are one In the opinion that Switzerland ta the playground of the world. The Brat picture evoked by the name Switzerland is one of mountains, white and shining In their eternity of anow. and of lakes as clear aa lapla lazuli aet In frames of dassllng emerald. - But thla Is aoon followed by a varied kaleidoscope) of roUtsNi from every part of the known world, who come to apend their holiday In thla small though beautiful republic. Behind the Krench auto enthuaiivt. tha English sportsman and the American pltaaure-eeeker atand the Swiss folk welcoming stiungers to their land, with the beauty of their country, oomforts and amusements. The Swlaa eater to foreigners and have learned through neceaalty the art of being excellent hosta. Their great riches are their scenery. But men can not live on towering peaks, on snow clad mountains, ranges snd fertile val feys. The very grandeur of thla seen ry haa impoverished the country, as far aa the eaentlala of Ufa are con cerned. Switzerland la poor; Its natural resources are few compared with those of adjacent countries. Much of the land 1a too aterlle and high to be need for farming, and In many parta where the land la fertile the climatic conditions are such as to permit of farming only a few months of the year. Just ss those sturdy, courageous folk atruggled to get and maintain their freedom they have likewise tolled, labored and tolled to change their cold, haughtily sublime mountains Into gar dens of smiling beauty. They have pierced the bowels of the earth to link their country with Italy and Franca. They have olaeted the hardest rocks, making roadways along the seaa and op the steepest aldea of their moun tains. Through observation they learned that only genuine sportsmen enjoy as cending high mountains with pick .and ataff: .therefore, scientists and engi neers have worked energetically to per fect the cogwheel and mountain rail road, so that tourists might be carried up Pllatus. Stauserhorn and Rlgl and heavenward toward the summit of the anow-clad Yungfrau. They have adorned their cltlea with aplendld promenadea, rich In flower-beda and fountains. They have erected handsome pieces of amusement and hotela that compare favorably with any found In the largeat European capitals The Swiss ere excellent hotelkeepers, whether they run a costly establish ment or a small Inn. The lodgings they offer are always Immaculately clean and the board Is good. They are much more anxious to please a guest than to quibble over a franc of room tariff, reckoning If they please their gueats they will come back another aeaaon. Before the season ope us these hotel keepers come together and discuss ' points of common Interest, such ss Im proving the promenadea, the tariff ot room and board, the amusements they ball offer their gueats, snd If the roada re In good condition for driving and automoblttng. A keeper of a amall pen sion makea hta place attractive with window-boxes and an old-fashioned gar den, while the large hotelkeepers have French chefs and aervanta who speak many languages: an orchestra and a program three or four nights a week with talent supplied from the best the atres and concert halls of Europe. Al most every largo city haa a kuraaal. where a band playa during the after noon. Here the promenadera retreat from the heat of the day, chat with their frlenda. flaunt their handsome frocks and furbelows, sipping wine, eat ing ice and listening to music. In the evening, during the height of the aea aon, the proprletora of these kursaala engage the best talent of Europe, and It la not unusual to bear artists from the Academle Francalse In Lucerne, Inter taken and St. Morlts. All these places have roulette tables, where gamblers from all parta of Europe and America gather to galp and lose large fortunes. . Automoblllng Is another favorite amusement for strangers In Switzer land: many American and French peo ple ahlp their own machines and visit the different parts of the country In a touring ear. Others locate In Lucerne Pavements of the Future THE existing methods of paring asphalt, wood blocks, tar, con crete and the like all fall far short of perfection. The great fault In each case Is that the material Is not sufficiently hsrd to withstand the wear aad tear to which It la submitted for a lengthy period without requiring renewal. Then, too, our Ideal pavements should be smooth, nolseleaa, Impervious to wster and yet possess a aurface upon which horses will not slip or wheels kid. Many people are of the opinion that the pavement of the future will be some kind of glaaa. As the matter stands -arlass Is far too brittle to be used for thla purpose, but men of science recog nise the possibility of malleable glass glass so tough and bard, that Is to say, that It would be no more easily shat tered than wrought Iron, and ret re 2f the distinctive characteristics which at present govern Its manufacture and use. From the past stories have come down to us of malleable glaaa, and It la related, for Instance, that a man once brought to the Emperor Tiberius a glass fnblet which, being dashed to the ground, wss only bent, aad was easily straight ened again with a hammer. Whether ex-h tales are founded upon facts It ts Impossible to say. At the earns time their ta ao room for doubt that mal leable glass la not only a scientific pos sibility, but that one of these days It ill become an accomplished fact. When that day arrives U will revolutionise the MaufactMrlng world. THE or St. Morlts. and. making one of these places their center, ride many miles dally along the aea, across rich valleys and over high mountain ranges. The beauty of the Swlaa scenery and the comforts and pleasures provided by the people "have resulted In making Switzer land f perfect Mecca in summertime. The English come early and stay late. They wait Impatiently for the anow to atop falling from the mountains so they can climb the Rlgl and Pilatua: they cross the glaciers at Chanonlx and Mont Blanc, and even-dare such heights the Flnsterhorn. Shreckhorn and the Yungfrau. They stay late, often the entire winter, amusing themselves with skating, tobogganing and ice coasting. The French are no less busy scouring the country In their touring cars, blind to all dangers of mountain paaaee and ravines, more Interested In the records they can make than In the sublimity of the panorama. The Italians come up from Crano and Lake Lugano, glad to exchange the summers heat for cool mountain breezes. Close on their heels are the unspoiled Germans, who usual ly locate in one place arid make many excursions on the lake and up the moun tains. Last, but not least, are Ameri can touriats. to be divided Into two claascs those who are out to see Eu rope In s season and those who eome for an easy, comfortable holiday at the more fashionable places In Lucerne, In terlaken and St. Morltc. The tourists find their pleasure In visiting the museums and churches In the historic towns of Zurich, Berne and Geneva. But! Zurich boiats of Its sur rounding beauty as much as It does of Its historic Interest. It la the capital of the canton and lies at the north end of the lake on the green rapid summit. The time to approach the city Is In tha evening. As the train sweeps through the valley the rtelbcrg and the neigh boring mountains reflect thouaands of lights on tho shimmering waters. An other vantage point Is the Thonhatle, a concert hall and restaurant, perfumed by beds of roses from all aides. Zur ich at night resembles a single pearl ket with many brilliants. Though less beautiful by day. It affords a variety" of Interests. A ride up the I'tU-berg af fords a splendid view of th town be low, with a diadem on Its breast. In the far distance gleam the Rossberg, the friendly Rlgl and defiant Pilatua. The town la rich In historic Interest. It has a handsome and well-equipped museum and two Interesting churches. The spires of the Frau-Munater-klrche la a staid piece of German architec ture that belongs to the twelfth nnd thirteenth centuries. Its gray stone has been mads dingy by time, but the dlnglness Is relieved by the red roof of Its tower. The church holds many treasures, including a letter of Zwlngll to hla wife, three autograph letters two of Lady Jane Gray and another of Frederick the Great Far more attractive Is the Roman esque Grossmunster, It Is an exceed ingly picturesque ehurch, with Ita tall Gothic towers crowned with helmet shaped tope and glided flowers. The art museum of this old historic town is among the finest known in But much as we want malleable glass, we want still more an artificial sub stitute for rubber. Never was rubber more in demand than It la at the pres ent day. By neglecting to replant the rubber forests In the past mankind has brought Itself to the verge of a rubber famine. Trees are now being planted by the thousands In Ceylon, Brazil and else where, but it will be a good many years before these come to maturity. Mean while the demanri f,.r ntkk.. w , creased from hundreds to thousands aad there Is no Indication that It will do oiner man continue to Increase year by year. A single Atlantic cable, for ex amnle. uses tin fullv &an ber for Insulation purposes, while motor ana oicycie tirea call for a huge annual aupply of the only suitable material for their manufacture which haa so far been discovered. How rich a reward Is wait ing for the Inventor of a successful rub ber substitute! in conclusion, we may glance at one more problem which haa puzzled In ventors for several generations to wit, hOW to harness tha HhlnU W ens knows thst the atmosphere Is cuargen witn a vaat and perhaps limit less aupply of electricity. If thla could be turned to practical use, without the employment of chemicals and costly ma chinery, how great would be the ad vantage that mankind k'iM U(.h,1, enjoy. Every house might collect Its. own electric nuia. and the supply would be forthcoming free gratia aad for nothing. . OREGON DAILY JOURNAL, Europe. It la built In the medieval style andXias historical and art Indus trial objects from prehistoric days down to our time. An Interesting feature of this museum Is a series of rooms fitted up with me diaeval and renalassnce furniture. It has some splendid models of villages as they were daring the time of the Swiss lake-dwellers. Another attractive fea ture of thla town la the broad sea-qunl. With n heatulfui promenade. Toward sundown the plsce Is thronged with men snd women out to enjoy the cool evening breese. Many wander toward the Tronhnlle, where they dine and lis ten to lively patriotic airs of a Swiss band. Not far away ta Berne, the capital of the Bwlas republic, at the foot of the Bernese Oberland. Though the Journey across the Bernese Alps Is a steep as cent, it Is so gradual that, were it not for the tops of the mountains, the rush And roar of cataracts, the small Swiss ohaleta and for the cattle gracing on the slopes, the traveler would forget that he was being carried across a chain of high mountains. Here Is a rugged mountain, there la a green-carpeted val ley; not, far off dances and Haps a waterfall as It breaks over the side of a Jutting precipice On every mountain side and summit la a nsat little chalet, where the peasants tend their cattle dur ing the summer and eke out a living oarvlng wood during the cold, bleak winter. Berne has many points of Interest for the stranger. It lies In a low valley, encircled with high mountains. The new part of the city Is handsome aad modern; the old Is quaint and pictur esque. The handsomest building In the new part Is the Bundesrsth, or Swlsi parliamentary 'house, which compares favorably with our capltol. T,he first floor haa a rotunda decorated with stained glass, windows Illustrating the arts and crafts of Switzerland and the shields of the different cantons. Above stairs are the aplendld apartments of the president, hla oahlnet, the hall for the two houaea, their lobbies, reading rooms and the large hall where the two houses sit together. The Swiss presidents are, a a rule, unostentatious, hard-working men. usu JAX I BBBBBH I ally possessing superior culture, who have served their country In other offi cial capacities before they are elected to thla office. They hold their position Only one year, but trfify ' may be re elected several times. The streets In the old portion are very quaint; they re flanked on either aide by amall ar cades, which aerve as a covered way for foot paen-engers. An Int -resting spot Is the KOrnhaus Plata, which In oldeo times waa used as a place of exchange. It is embellished with a grotesque foun tain called the ogre fountain, deoorat.'d with a procession of armed besrs, th- symbol of Berne's protection. Berne Is a handsome as well a an Interesting town. "Tne-'Rlver Aare divides It Into two parts- This quiet stream Is spanned by several handsome bridges. The besuty of the city Is seen St Its best from the little Schc.utsle. a large park and terrace. In the foreground are seen the new public buildings, proud In their splendor. Beyond rises the wooded Our ten; the Bernese Alps on the left, to tho right the Stockholm chain. But the traveler refuses to leave Ger man Switzerland without aeeing the Rhlnt-falls. the most beautiful stream In Switzerland. It welcomes the stranger with rush and roar' and by a series of terraces It falls In a whirlpool below This stream Is of wondrous beauty Splendid are Jhe light and play of colors with the sun or moon shimmering on the hissing, seething waters. Theae waters dash and piny on the little island of Worth, situated on the left bank. while beyond the castle of Lanfen rears Its proud head. On the high slopes of the right bank Is a beautiful hotel with terrace and a wonderful garden of flower. These hotels are ao well managed that girls come here from the surround ing cantons to study cooking and hotel keeping. In theae parts the hotelkeeper always comes forth to receive his guests, and when they go he says: "Aufwldereehen." by presenting each one with a bouquet of flowers. At tractive aa are the Rhlnefalls under all conditions, they are most splendid at night, when illuminated by colored lights Like a weird dragon it gleams now red. then greea and black In a flash. But the Rhlnefalls have cruel rival in the Vlerwaldstatter-See. Lu cerne ta the starting point of thla lake, and by August It becomes a perfect Mecca. Under the handsome promenade bordering on the lake are seen men snd women of every nationality. Walking under an arch of shady trees are a group of Parisian women, dressed In most perfect fashion, laughing and ro queting with friend they have met. Ruslan diplomats brush by them quick ly, enjoying the grandeur of the sur rounding mountains while they discus Important affairs of state. In sharp contradistinction are a group of Ital ians, too anxious to enjoy the rest and calm of the mountain brasses to con sider anything weighty. It Is not difficult to recognise the English tourists, dressed In their smart est white frocks snd suits, seated before a fashionable hotel sipping Afternoon tea and planning a trip up the Rlgl for the following day. Russian women are scattered here and there, smoking their cigarettes and commenting on handsome gowns that are shown from many parts of the world. Americsns are sourrylr.g In many di rections; there are those who are hast ening for fear they shall miss the boat, going up the lake; others have planned to hear an organ concert given at the church dally. None think of leaving Lucerne without a visit to the hand somely carved Hon erected to the mem ory of those Swiss guards who died fighting to protect the Lily of France. There are plenty of Germans who are ton busy sightseeing to worry sbout handsome toilettes. There are high of ficials from the South American repub lics who are glad to escape the uncom fortable heat known In their countries. There is the promenade for those who like to walk: hsndsome roads for the automobtllsts: mountains for those fond of sports; the casino and roulette "VE-INIINU, II, tablevfor sporting people; museums and old churches for tourists, and grand scenery for lovera Of nature. Lucerne, on the left aide, rlsee In undulating hills tha are sprinkled with handsome villas, while on the right, behind the town, Pilatua rears Its Jag ged head. Ita nelghbora are Stauser horn and Burgenatock. Smiling on them from the opposite side of the lake Is the broad Rlgl. The mountain-climber ascend at last Pllatus and Rlgl. From Pilatus he gets a magnificent view of the Bernese Oberland. with a whole ohaplet of peaks. Including the Schreckhorn and Flnster horn. From the Rlgt he gets a splen did view of the entire canton, with the Vlerwaldstatter-See gleaming In the middle. There are two other watys of enjoying the beauty of the lake by large steamers that go from one end to the other, atopplng at the dlferent points of lntereet; the other la by touring the lake, for there are excellent roads all along the shore. The Lake of Lucerne Is a perfect labyrinth of beauty, and Is beat de scribed as cross layed slantwise. Every kind of beauty is seen along Its shore, from the tender-rushing water of Lenau to the grandeur of Pllatus and the milder beauty of the Rlgl. One arm dlpV into lovely, undulating hills, anoth er touches the majestic threshold of tho MAKING MONEY FOR BRITISH EMPIRE AT NO PLAtTE in tfco world can money be made more quickly than at the royal mint In Lon don. The gold comes from the Bank of England to the royal mint In carefully guarded vans. The Ingot, which weigh about 25 pounds each, sre stocked In various strong rooms un til required. , When the officials de cide thst gold coins are to be made, the Ingots. after having been assayed, are carefully weighed and the. neces sary quantity, with Its proper amount of alloy, is handed over to the superin tendent, whose responsible duty it Is to wateh It through the various pro cessor until It I returned in the form of money. Every ounce of the precious metal must be satisfactorily accounted for. The gold Is first taken Into the melt ing room and is received by men who are srmed in thick gauntlet. A certain amount of the ore ts placed In a cru cible and let down Into one of tha fur naces and melted. At the expiration of about an hour the crucible ta lifted and the molten metal Is emptied Into molds placed ready to receive it. The metal, when cooled, haa now assumed the shape of bars about half an Inch In thickness and worth about 11,000 each. The bar are again weighed and If passed by the assayer are carried Into the rolling room. , There the bars are gradually reduced to aearly the thickness of the coins to be made by paaalng them again and again beneath several heavy rollers, snd In this way are converted Into long strips. These strips are next operated upon by a cutting press, which rapidly punches out the metal Into circular discs. Another machine gives the discs a, rim, and tha metal which we first saw In Ingots has- now assumed a more fa miliar shape. After passing through the annealing furnaces hested to a high temperature and plunged Into a oold bath, the colas are ready for the stamp ing press, and not the least of the Inter esting work begins. Before proceeding, however, to deal with the operation of stamping, a few words regarding tha sltvsr coinage are necessary. Silver, being the cheaper metal, is naturally dealt with In a larger bulk. An Ingot weighs 100 pounds, and the crucible In which It Is melted contains close upon 100 pounds. The operations through Which It peases are much the same as In the case of 1PW. Alps, and the southern arm hugs the Bay of Url. "From over the Brunlg the snow peaks of the Oberland are re flected as beautiful as a dream on the surface of the lake. The Burgenatock, with Its firs, the Rlgl, with Its cliff, are mlrored In the deep; half hidden In fruit tree peep the hamlet along the Kussnacht and the Alpine arms of the lake, while In the distance the towers of Lucerne greet us." Here Is the loveliest part of tha lake; here are reflected myriads of colors from the valleys and the encircling moun tains. The sun playa In turn on trie blue waters, the sharp faces of the mountains and the dark forests. By September tha season 1s at Ita height; the tennis totjrnamenta be gin and some of the beat plays made In Europe are shown on the tennis court at Lucerne. A rival to these are the races) where fine horses and handsomely gowned women are not wanting. There are the dally concerts and elaborate programs at the Kur aaal, which afford satisfactory excuse for thoae who desire to play at the roulette tables. The peasants of the town occasionally give homely folk plays. v Lucerne shares the honor of receiv ing guests from all parte of the world with Interlaken, which Ilea in a low valley hemmed in by three mountalna covered with perpetual anow the Elger, gold. The metal Is reduced to the re quired thickness, and the discs punched out the different sizes that are required until they are reedy to receive the king's lmne The heavy hydraulic presses are ao arranged that they are capable of stamping every cola of the realm from the lowest to the highest save one. The crown piece, Instead of the usual milled edge, haa In place thereof an In scription running round the rim, and to Imprint thrs a special machine I called Into requisition. The design used In the stamping of the coin are made direct from the original "mat rix" engraved by the designer, and there ts only one matrix for each cin of coin. At the rate of 100 coins a in I n it i r. the presses are fed, and the die comes down and a clear Impression taken. The coins are now complete, hut one or two operation are still nec essary before they are permitted to rank as the current coin of the realm. Every coin is Sung for the purpose of detecting any crack or flaw which may have been caused in the process of making- Cracked coins are all r smelted and remade. Where women Are Maid. "The women, not the men. go bald In Brittany," said a barber. "They go bald where It shows the most above the ears. Women, quite bald above the ears, are as common In Brittany as bald-headed men are with us. "Brittany ta a granite-strewn, hilly, well-wooded country In northwestern France, overlooking the sea. It I New Hampshire, with the aea added. The Breton peasant speak a language which resemble the Welsh; they hst strang ers, and they wear a peculiar costumo. "This costume la what reuses the bald-headed women. One part of it, the coif or head dress, a cap of white linen, requires that the hair be drawn bark very taut from 'the temple. Drawn back thus, as taut as It will go, It begins to disappear at tha age of 25, and by the time she Is 16 or 40 the Breton peas ant woman looks as If she were the victim of some horrible disease; for. from her temples to well behind her ears, she 1s aa bald as sn egg. "The men, on the contrary! are never bald. For one reason, they work bare headed. For another, they belong to the low, animal type of man that pro serves a head of thick, ooaraa hald to Mori sen and Yungfrau. Theae haughty mountains were overpowering were It not for the spacious hotels, the Kuraaal and the life of the street. The Swiss have brought the grandeur of the scenery nearer by building a rail road through the lovely Valley of Lau terbrunnen, that winds Its way through the woods of Grindelwald up the Klelne Scheidtg to the Yungfrau beyond. Here the strangers enjoy the beauty of the three sister mountalna. Here he vlewe a panorama that haa only been made possible because of the dauntless en ergy of the Swiss. The moat fashionable of the Swlaa summer resorts Is St, Morlts, In the Engadlne. Though the summer season only lasts eight weeks, more money la spent here than In any of the other Swiss resorts. German barons, French, counta and English lords aad American millionaires vie with each other trying to aee how much they can apend. The price of rooms mounts from week to week as tha season advanoes, but tha proprietors reckon that their ssasona are short; the guests carry large letters of credit and will be seen there at any coat The following story Well Illus trates this point A guest, being asked an exorbitant price for a room, com plained. Tha proprietor said: "But you need not care; you are a -rich Frenchman." The gueat answered that he waa not The proprietor -retorted: "Well, then. rich German, Italian something.'4 Hearing hla guest waa aa American, he explained : "I have given It to you too oheap; ao you don't appreciate It" St Morlts lies at suob a Ugh alti tude that its climate la considered bene ficial for thoae who can atand the alti tude. Some come to take the bathe and drink the waters; thla duty la lightened by handsome- promenadea aad morning concerts. The eoenery of the place la delightful. The mountain ta net with a beautiful lake, and Ita environs are covered with woods and delightful walks. The most attractive Is the ona to Pontrealna, at the other end of the village. The path ways are bridled by valleys and steep forests. St. Morlts Is quite aa popular as a winter resort because of the winter sports. Many English people stay hero all winter ice-boating, skating and to bogganing. From here they go to Rngatt and Engelberg for the some purpose. Switzerland has Ita visitors all tha year round. During tha aprlng many go to Magglore, enjoying the beauty of the-lake and the forests. rich with laurel and olive wood. Nowhere doea nature wear a more romantic mood the upper end of the lake ta Inclosed by high mountains, while the eastern bank, toward the foot, alopee gradually down to the plains of Lombardy. The Swiss have been given two gifts grandeur of scenery and a desire to work and becau.se of thla they enrich their coffers with foreign gold and make their country the playground of the world. , After this comes the weighing teat The chief part of the machine la In cased In glass In order that not a breath of air shall disturb the accuracy of the balance. Each coin Is dropped down a tube into the weighing machine, which, In addition to accurately weighing them, automatically sorts the coins Into three classes the good, and those that are too light and thoae that are too heavy. The faulty ones are remelted, but those thai hnve passed the test are next dealt with by perhaps the most remarkable machine In the" royal mint the count ing machine. The working of this machine Is most Ingenious. Two men stand at the top and- receive the coins. They empty them on a slab sloping down to a single passage. A cog wheel of the requisite size and make to suit the particular class of coin to be counted has already been tneerted. The weight of the coin acting upon the cogs causes the wheel to revolve until $500 worth of money has been passed through the machine, when It automatically stops and the coins' are collected Into bags, ready to he put Into circulation. the end. They are a nasty lot, the men of Brittany drunk every day or two, putting all the work on their wives, shouting ribald Insults In the Breton tongue at tourlets." The Price of ProBolenoy. Herkimer James, the scientist, waa talking In New York about the bill of $26,000 that Dr. Frank Billings pre sented to the Marshall Field estate for seven days' treatment of the dead mil lionaire. "It seems a big fee," said Professor James "It comes to more than 18.500 a day. doesn't it? At that rate Dr. Bil lings' income would be a million and a quarter a year. "Tea, it waa a big fee, but whenever physicians' fees seem extortionate I think of a certain famous eye special ist. "A patient of this specialist's, coming to pay his bill, growled: " l . -tor, u seem to me that $500 Is a big charge for that operation of mine. It didn't take you over half a minute ' " 'Mf Mr lr, the other answered, in learning to perform that operation In half a minute I have a polled over eleven pecks of such eyes aa yours.' "