Show 0 I 1 g scena in arar shyria prepared by national geographic society Washl neton ton D C service HF HB farm problem Is not confined T I 1 to america recently farmers of JL shyria quiet picturesque austrian valley were unable un able to pay taxes and refused to allow auctioneers tio on their property tax collectors had hoped to satisfy the governments ern ments claims by soiling selling farm stock and equipment shyria Is both the shenandoah valley and the birmingham of austria in an alpine country whose borders touch no salt water Aus city dwellers d w ellers take to the grassy slopes of her tall montal ns or to rural villages luckea way vay in smiling valleys when their annual playtime rolls around hilling hiking along winding mountain paths wearing deerskin or chamois shorts hobnailed boots green trimmed jackets and hats plumed with a trophy of some other years outing hunting the cock of the wood or other game taking part in the rural festivals of the village where young and old don the costume of their home town and join in the folk songs and dances and mountain climbing to dizzy heights on Aus alpine sentinels are some of the attractions which crowd the sp spotless otless styrlan hostelries hostel rles with city families holiday bent hunting the chamois Is the favorite sport for city dwelling austrian and german visitors living in mountain fastnesses fast nesses difficult of approach the clamons ch amols are perhaps the most agile of all Eu ropes alpine animals their pliant skin furnished the original leather of that name and the stilt stiff black hairs tipped with creamy yellow which grow on the back of the animals neck are worn in the hat as a badge of hunting prowess quail cock of the wood pheasant partridge and many other game birds are found in shyria and neighboring tyrol tall feathers from the cock of the wood bodd ulso also are valued as hat plumes to supplement austrian costumes and silver pins which hold the feathers to la place are hunts mens heirlooms heir looms often handed down for generations iron and water power steiermark Stel ermark as the austrians Aust lans rians call this little province astride the tauern bauern straggling eastern outpost of Eu ropes mighty alpine aj range ange supplies 99 per cent of the republics iron needs and by harnessing the latent water power in its mountain streams it provides a substitute for the missing link in Aus chain of raw materials coal deposits which the latter lost after the reorganization of the A Austro tro HungarIan empire from the vordernberg range in the north norih of shyrla shyria comes the bulk bulb of the raw material for the iron works wor ailts of graz leoben lebben and donawitz since the outcropping cropping out ore Is of such high iron content it la Is mined from the surface not through deep shafts and chambers as aa Is the general practice in other parts of the world while the mines have been worked for more than twelve centuries and were once considered as the largest known deposits their total production for all time Is less les q than a third of the worlds annual output today in the iron mountain regions cipe especially where arsenic Is a product byproduct by of iron smelting smelling sm elting some peasants eat this virulent poison it ts Is taken in small doses which are gradually increased as the system becomes used to it until it may be taken dally daily without visible III effect in a quantity sufficient to kill an average person the arsenic Is supposed suppose to clear the complexion increase the appetite and improve breathing especially for mountain climbers norse horse handlers sometimes put pui small in a horses food or in his mouth to make his coat sleek and glossy and improve his wind on mountain slope nat aurally this practice is frowned upon and discouraged by physicians the murmuring mur winds across the length and breadth of st shyrla aria its upper reaches especially near the neck of Aus panhandle where it Is fed by glacial brooks look on a map or to the high altitude airman like the backbone of some gigantic fish along its course and slender fishbone tribu barles cluster the villages and principal cities which seem to grow in size as the river widens as in the case of murau and teufenbach Teufen bach the industrial city of leoben lebben and farther south just before the river leaves austria graz the nations second largest city and Sty St rias off official lelal seat of government towns along the mur straddling the mur graz seems a veritable combination of venice and athens in mIn miniature lature its it ancient houses rise abruptly from the rivers edge suggesting tile the grand carial canal of the romantic italian city while its schlossberg Seh and square clock tower perched high over oer the cites head dominate the skyline as the aar acropolis does at athens yet unlike either of these graz is primarily a manufacturing city here her e are made ble bicycles yeles wagons machin machinery cry styrlan champagne and beer linen leather goods and iron and steel products and here work and live many of those thosa vacationers who frequent the country villages of the mur valley in summer and take delight in going na tave by donning rural costumes in graz there Is a museum in which many a youngster would delight to linger on a rainy afternoon within the or arsenal there Is preserved in perfect berfect condition enough medieval armor to outfit completely an army of men spears swords helmets chain mall mail battle axes complete suits of armor in fact till all of the equipment a well appointed knight could desire are kept ready to hand but strange as it may seem not a single suit of armor in the museum would fit a six footer of today nor could an average modern man wield with ease the cumbersome weapons of that bygone age austrian mercenaries wore some of this armor and much of it saw service against the turk when graz wits was one of Eu ropes bulwarks bulwa against moslem invaders the unchanging charm of shyrla shyria lies iles in her small rural villages each with its church or tur rented castle perched high on some rocky crag nestling in the lonely valleys at the feet of giant sentinels of the eastern alps these little towns area are a world to themselves dairying and farming while dairying has been the principal industry of rural for many generations farming has been encouraged because austria today has to import large quantities of food agricultural schools are scattered throughout the province timber covers over half of Sty laa rias area and gives work to many lumbermen who make telegraph poles and railroad ties for export across the rich bottom lands stretch rows of strange haystacks with cross arms which resemble grotesque scare crows As soon as the snow leaves in early spring the dairy herds are turned into these fields then as the weather becomes warmer and the snow recedes the cuttle cattle are driven to higher pastures the meadows are then used to grow hay bay rind and farm crops borsand boys Boy sand and girls usually chil children drea of the owners te tend edthe the herds milk the cows make maka cheese and in summer live in log ing cabins or chalets chafets pram provided for them in mountain retreats the milk cheese and butter arc ar a brought down dally and in more fh bored villi ages are sent to the local dalry a model of and moi moi ern appliances applIn nees |