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Interesting Letter From G. W. Taylor
Grand Hotel Mediterranee, Pegli
Sept. 20, 1906
Gen. W. T. Dameron
Huntsville, Missouri
Dear Sir:
I wrote you at Murren, Switzerland, giving you, as it were, a bird's eye sketch of our trip up to that romantic village, with its snow-capped mountains. After a delightful week here, where many tourists were climbing the highest mountains from day to day over the glaciers, which had been there perhaps ever since these mountains were formed, and among the throng of climbers were Dr. V. C. Vaughan and wife and their two youngest sons, Henry and Warren. The two boys could not be satisfied until they reached the top of one of the highest snow-capped peaks, passing over glaciers of snow and ice, supposed to be from fifty to one hundred feet in depth, covering many acres of ground and at an altitude of something over ten thousand feet. We formed the acquaintance of many of these tourists, who were English, German, Russian, and French.
But our time was up and we left the village and our friends with some regrets and took the electric cars to the Junction Station. Here we took the funicular cars to the Village Looterbrunnen one mile below. This is said to be the steepest grade of any car railroad built. It is at an angle of over 55 degrees. After reaching the village we too the train down a lovely valley and stream to Interlaken, a lovely village of 10,000 people situated on the River Rone which connects two lovely lakes, or rather an outlet of one and into the other. Interlaken is a great summer resort and has many handsome and commodious hotels. We remained here only a few hours, having our dinner and doing some shopping on a small scale. While we were here a Russian woman shot and killed a tourist, whom she had never seen before, through mistake. She had some grievances against a man whom she had followed from Russia. We did not learn of this until after we had left and therefore did not learn particulars. We went from here to Berne, the capital of Switzerland. We traveled through a delightful and highly cultivated country, arriving in Berne at 4 p.m. We visited the stores, and next morning we drove over the principal streets of the city, and at 10 o'clock we were again on the cars. This time for Geneva. Before giving you Geneva, I must tell you a little more of Berne. It has a population of 75,000 people. There are many things of interest to be seen here, and one is the arcade on both sides of the principal street, extending two or three miles, and here are the principal stores. We visited them hurriedly, but made few purchases. We left at 10 o'clock for Geneva, and again we passed through a fertile and well-cultivated country, where the principal product is the delicious white grapes which we often get in America late in the season. We see thousands and thousands of acres, and they are fully matured now, and we have the served on the table every day. We are all very fond of them, especially Henry and Warren Vaughan. We arrived in Geneva about 2 p.m. in time for lunch. We remained here five or six days, taking steamers and visiting many villages on either side of the lake. One side belongs to Switzerland and the other to France. Dr. Vaughan, wife and sons too the train and went to Chateau deLancey, where their son Herbert, attended school several years since. They were very cordially received by Madame Brunei, the professor's wife, her husband not being at home. Geneva is a nice city of 250,000, situated ion a lake of the same name, and after visiting places of interest and taking several excursions on the lake and making purchases in a small way as souvenirs we found our time was drawing rapidly to a close, and on Wednesday morning, September 4th, we too the train to Lucerne, where we had left our trunks. Here we received mail, and I was sadly disappointed that I did not receive the Huntsville Herald. I have only received two papers. We remained overnight in Lucerne.
The next night we took the train for Como, situated on Lake Como, Italy. This we considered was our start for home. However, we intended to visit several towns and villages before reaching the sea. |
We arrived at Como at 5 o'clock p.m. We had to pass through the custom house when we reached the line between Switzerland and Italy, which detained us some time. However, we reached our hotel in good time for dinner, and as we had traveled all day and were hungry we enjoyed our meal very much. The next morning we took a steamer and went up the lake twenty miles. This lake is said to be the most beautiful lake in Italy. On either side its banks are lined with beautiful villages and lovely villas, while its shores are walled with solid masonry and is bordered with flowers of every variety and color, while its mountain slopes are covered with chestnut, walnut, cedar, pine and olive trees of every variety, with green grass interspersed the very tops of most of the mountains, some of which are at an elevation of 7,000 feet, while the depth is in many places over 1,300 feet, and its width varies from a half mile to two and one half miles. We lunched at the Hotel Florence Bellazzio and later made some purchases of carved olive wood, for which this city is noted. About 4 p.m. we took the boat for our hotel. We spent the following day in Como visiting the cathedral, the market place and other places of interest, including the shops.
The following morning we took the train for Genoa, a distance of 175 miles, and from which place we sail. We reached out hotel about 2 p.m., and after luncheon Dr. Vaughan, wife and sons went to the ship office and ascertained that our boat, which was to sail on the 17th, had been in the dry docks ever since we landed and should not sail until September 20th. This was September 10th, and while we were all sadly disappointed we thought to make the best we could of the circumstances, and Genoa being a business center, a military station with ten to fifteen thousand soldiers and the greatest ship yard and seaport in Italy, with all the noise and bustle of a city of 300,000 people, we decided to go to Peg, which is distant seven or eight miles. The steam cars and the electric tram connects the two places. It is really a village and long street all the way along the shore. We have been here nine days. Pegli is a bathing resort on the Riviera which is visited in the winter, especially by the English and Germans. The hotel at which we are now staying was built between two and three hundred years ago by one of the aristocratic Genoese families for a country home, but for the past thirty years it has been used as a hotel. The hotel faces the Mediterranean and is separated from the beach by a small garden, while back of the house is a very extensive garden filled with great palm trees on which immense bunches of unripe dates are hanging; magnolias, orange trees just coming into blossom and olanders and flowers of innumerable varieties. There are pleasant walks and nooks where one may read or pass the time in conversation. From a tablet on the wall of the hotel we learn that Emperor Frederick the Third when he was Crown Prince made this his residence during the winter of 1879-80. Among the guests are three Russian families, two Hungarians, one family from Boston, one German banker, his wife and daughter from Stuttgart, Germany; also a gentleman and his wife recently arrived from New York. There are many beautiful villas and gardens in Pegli, two of which we visited. We have not found our waiting as tedious as we had expected.
This afternoon we go to Genoa and spend the night in order to be ready to go aboard the same ship we came over on, the Italian mail steamer Sicialia. We go from here to Naples, 300 miles south, stay there one day and then sail direct to New York, making no stop. We will be due there October 6th to 8th. I must say that we have had a very enjoyable trip, and now we are ready and anxious to return to our native country, which I am sure I will be better prepared to appreciate than ever before. We have traveled nearly all over Switzerland and Italy, and I am very much pleased with the people and the charms of the country, especially with Switzerland. Now, if you think this would interest your readers, you are at liberty to use it. I very much regret that I cannot be with you and the other settlers of Randolph and adjoining counties at their reunion, but I hope to see you and all friends in the near future. With kind regards to you and all friends, I am, as ever,
Yours truly,
Geo. W. Taylor
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