One Name For Everybody

On the slopes of Mount Terrible, not far from Delsberg, in the Basler Jura, lieá a small village called Montavon. The Sunday before last was the day of the commuDal elections. A list of the successful candidates is given in Der Birsthaler and Le Pays, the jonrnals respectively of the Germán speaking and French speaking inhabitants of the valley of the Birs. The narues stand as follows : President (maire or burgermeister) Joseph Montavon Vice president Viktor Montavon 1 Peter Montavon Councilors or aldi-rmen. . . . Julius Montavon ( Ernst Montavon Commnal steward Georee Montavon Comn-.unal clerk Joseph Montavon Communal sergeaixt Karl Montavon There is not a man in authority who is not a Montavon. This is due to the curious fact thatevery person in thevilluge without exception bears the name of the village as hiBsurname. Noother instance of this onique custom is to be found in Switzerland, or. we presume, anywhere else. -