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Show - Odd Livlihood. throughout the whole chain of the Alps there are men who mako It their business to search for and root up the gontlnn, arnica, puftballs and other Alpine flowers. High up In tho mountains tho root grubber, generally an old man, builds n llttlo hut. He clambers precipices to tho edges, where the bluo flowers grow; or, If he cannot nscend, he lets himself down to their place of refugo by a rope fastened to a plno abovo. Ho wanders to a long dlstanco from his hut and does not always trouble to return to It at night, ilndlng shelter under a rock. Next morning he spreads all tho roots he has collected on a rock whero thoy may dry. Ho collects herbs as well as roots and tho resin from tho pine besides. When the summer Is over and thoro are signs of snow, tho root grubber collects all together In his little hut and finally transports the wholo of his six months' collection to the allcj Arnica nnd some other roots used In medicine uro rendllj disposed of, From tho gentian Is mado the gentian brnndj, which Is considered the very elixir of llfo by the mountain folk. In other days, when gentians grow In great numbers, the root digger was able to r-jall.e a good Income, but It Is otherwise now. |