Page 65

SOUTHERN WIS. CHEESEMAKERS' & DAIRYMEN's Ass'N. 65
TALK ON SWITZERLAND.
Thos. Luchsinger, Monroe, Wis. Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Convention:
In the south-western part of the European Continent lies
a small country of about 16,000 square miles about one
third the size of the State of Wisconsin and having in
round numbers about three and one-half million of in-
habitants, which country has been named Switzerland and
in ancient times Helvetia and by themselves the "Eidsge-
nossenschaft" or the members of the Oath. Every school-
boy knows or ought to know that this small country is
bounded on the east and north by Germany and Austria on
the west by France and on the south by Italy, which accounts
for the many languages spoken therein and we might
truthfully say the many nationalities of which it is com-
posed. In the north and east the Allemanic branch of the
Teuton Family and therefore the german language pre-
dominates, while on the west it is peopled by the descendants
of the old Gauls and French is spoken, while on the
southern slopes of the Alps Italian habits and lauguage
prevails, while in the extreme south-east of Switzerland in
the mountain fastnesses of the Canton of Grisons live the
ramnant of the old Helvetians, who were driven into those
almost inaccessible and dcsolate mountains and narrow
valleys by the victorious legions of Ceasar after the decive
battle on Lake Leman. They still speak their old mother
tongue a sister of ancient Latin and by them called
Romanic or Ladin. So it will be seen that there are four