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Holiday Life in Germany.
—'iini
Christmas is the “Weihnacht," or conse
crated night, and the genuineness with
which it is observed can new bo doubted
after once witnessing its observance.
Every family, however small or poor,
each household, if it has only one room, has
its tree. The trees are of all sizes, from two
■at to those which tower and graze the lofty
and frescoed ceilings in homes of tho
wealthy. Thev range in price from a few
cents to a dollar, and the markets look like
veritable forests. The small ones are gener
ally fastened in to flat boards and covered
with moss to represent grass. The tree is
carried home several days before the event
ful night, and the good mother is very busy
Bllvering and gilding nuts and ornaments,
and making little balloons, with fluted sides,
from fancy-colored paper. If possible, one
or more of every kind of friflt known to the
family is hung upon the tree. In fact, there
is nothing the Christmas tree may not be
expected to bring forth. Every variety of
berry, with green leaves, is greatly prized;
tiny cakes and bonbons, in fanciful designs,
are suspended from every branoh. Narrow
bits of^cotton are often ingeniously placed
"of, the oTancfiPs, tA'Veprekent snow. "'Then
come the candle-holders; and whether they
be highly polished and support wax tapers,
or a few bits of twisted tin, the childrens’
pleasure is the leading feature.
The expense of these trees is sometimes
very great. Everything the child heart rev
els in can be found ; but no tree is complete
withont a doll (bound in its cradle German
fashion) for the girls, and a wooden horse
on wheels (the universal toy of Germany)
for the boys. The presents for the parents
•re placed around the room. After the
* .presents have been distributed, coffee, cakes
Sod-apples may be banded to each one pres
ent, or an invitation to the dining-room,
where a bounteous feast has been prepared.
For two days all places of business are
closed, and the city gives itself up to merri
ment.
New Year’s eve, the whole city seemed to
remain up, till the town clock informed all
that a new year had come. Then the win
dows flew open, end.one heard, on all sides,
‘•Proiit Neujahr," which is about equal to
our "Happy New Year.’’ The streets were
also the scene from which thousands of
voices shouted aloud, “Proiit Neujahr.''
The New Year’s kiss is an old custom, still
observed by many of the German families.
As the clock begins tolling the new year' in,
the celebration begins. As there were six
of. us, each had five to kiss. It is a custom,
according to American ideas, that might be
very pleasant or very disagreeable.
Leipzig is an old town, at least a thousand
years old, with about the population of
Louisville, Kentucky. The immense houses
. t are from four to ten stories high, and the
streets are narrow and winding, though
scrupulously clean.
Until recently, the city has been surround
ed by a wall, which has now been removed,
to give place to a beautiful promenade,
planted with shade trees. This promenade
'is two miles in circumference, and on fine
afternoons thousands of pedestrians resort
thither, and on holidays entire families are
seen, mothers and fathers, each carrying a
child, and larger ones following. No people
enjoy a holiday more than the Germans.
The Leipzigers are very patriotic, and I
had the pleasure, two months ago, of wit
nessing the celebration of the victory of Se
dan, in the war of 1870 and 1871. They en-
thuMa'di iall) celebrated the day with im
mense pu tessipus, music. orations, beer and
everything thai is proj 3i' for a German,
but, according to our American ideas, they
were all too orderly. There were no fights,
no drunken men (of course that is not^to be
regretted), and I heard not a single yell of
applause. I thought it would be a good
idea, if some one would set those staid peo
ple an example, but I did not care to appear
before a German magistrate for disturbing
the peace.
The new parts of the city, built mainly
within the last fifty years, are outside of the
old wall. At one, two or three miles from
the city are, perhaps, a dozen flourishing
villages, some of them with a population of
10,000. In one of these villages (Gholis)
Germany’s most loved poet, Schiller, lived
for a while, and his little room is pointed
out to visitors.
Unlike our American cities, Leipzig has
several large open squares, which are used
as markets, and everythinga German loves
can be bought there. Their annual fairs
and public meetings are also held there.
Leipzig can boast of several large parks, and
in summer, many people visit them to study
and have quiet thoughts. Nobody whistles,
nobody halloes, nobody speaks above an un
dertone. The Germans literally mind their
own business; for you may be sitting quiet
ly alone,' communing with your own'
thoughts, and a German comes and sits be
side you. He does not interrupt you by the
usual “good day,’’ and ask you inconceiva
ble questions about yourself and America;
but, like yourself, falls into a reverie. In
deed, I believe, that all Germans are dream
ers—and this, as much as their reverence for
law, makes them very quiet people.
The literary, theological and musical ad
vantages are as fine as any place in Germany,
and many Americans are studying here.
Concerts are given daily, by very fine or
chestras, in various places in the city; and
for three hours one can sit and enjoy the
production of the great composers for ten
cents. J ust think; for the price of a glass of
soda water in America 1 The Germans are a
music-loving people, and almost every Ger
man plays on some instrument
The theaters are open every night in the
year, except one or two nights, when they are
closed, in respect to the church fast days.
Both the theater and opera here are consid
ered superior to the stage in America.
The churches are not numerous for the
population. The prevailing religion is that
of the Lutheran Church, though all creeds
are tolerated. They have a Roman Church,
a Synagogue, an Episcopal chapel and an
American Luthern Church. Some of these
churches are nearly 400 years old. The Ni
colai Church is famous, from the fact that
Luther once preached from its pulpit.
Around the city, on the streets and in the
parks, are several monuments. Three or
four of them commemorate the bloody bat
tle of October, 1813, between the French and
the Allies. A mile from the city is the Na
poleon stone. This is a large block of stone,
placed in the elevation from which Napoleon
watched the progress of the battle in Octo
ber, 1818. It is surrounded by an iron rail
ing, outside of which trees have been plant
ed. On the block, also in stone, lie Napo
leon's bat and sword. Ono side of the stone
records the fact, that hqre Napoleon viewed
the battle ; and the other side gave God the
glory for the victory of the Allies. In a lit
tle house, near the Napoleon stone, can be
seen cannon balls, picked up on the battle
field, and several skulls perforated by buV
lets. This monument.\yill always attract
many visitors, especially those who admire
the great military skill of the hero. His
love of war no one will commend. That he
had genius, none can deny. The surround
*ing ground isnow cultivated. Itwas a point
well chosen for seeing, being the highest
ground in the vicinity.
Leaving this monument, we pass another,
now inside of the city, which records the
fact that here the allied forces stormed the
wall on October 18. On the opposite side of
the town, another marks the spot where tho
retreating French blew up the bridge over
the little river to prevent the pursuit of their
foe. The blowing up the bridge, however,
was premature, causing the loss of 25,000
French as prisoners, and many thousands
more by drowning. And, as history tells ns,
this great battle lasted four days, and engag
ed nearly half a million troops. The Ger
mans seem to be very proud of their victory,
but I think, without any just grounds; for
the allied forces more than doubled those of
Napoleon.
The cemeteries are neat and well kept, but
present a very different appearance from an
American cemetery. They are all perfectly
level, as indeed the entire city is, and con
tains many illustrious dead, but very few ex
pensive monuments. They are not places of
resort, as our Cave Hill is. I attended a bu
rial, a short while ago, and approve of many
of their ideas.
After the preacher had finished his dis
course, the frl*rtds»u‘ the deceased advanced
to the grave and strewed flowers on the cof
fin, and, when there were no more flowers,
others threw in handfuls of earth. This
they call the last mark of respect. No one
is expected to attend the funeral but imme
diate friends, and this I think preferable to
the costly American style; for the grave is
the last place for ostentation. The German
name for cemetery is very pretty—"Friedh-
of,” quiet place. They have also another—,
"God’s Acre.’’—Cor. Louiiville Poit.
pyrotechnic display in the Park extension,
beginning at 7 o'clock. It is expected that
many distinguished guests from all parts of
the Union, and from abroad, will be pres
ent
; ground
Georgia ScsquI-Ccutonutul.
The arrangements for the 150th anniver
sary of the landing of Oglethorpe and the
settlement of Georgia are completed, and
there is no question about the occasion be
ing one which will long be remembered in
tbe history of Savannah as a notable event.
The whole programme has been published.
At 6 o’clock a. m., the bells of the city will
ring one hundred and fifty times, commem
orative of the Sesqui-Centennial anniver
sary of the settlement of Georgia. At nine
o’clock the various military and civic bodies
taking part in the procession will form into
line and march over the route designated.
At 10 o'clock a. m. tbe schooner or ship will
arrive with Oglethorpe and the colonists on
board; they will land at the foot of Gas
House Hill under an artillery salute; tbe
party will proceed to the Battery (North
side of Bay street), where they will be wel-
corned by the Indians, and the speech of
congratulation and friendship delivered to
the Yamacraws by Oglethorpe, and the re
ply of welcome by their Sachem Tomochi
chi shall take place. The shipping in tbe
harbor will be decked with flags of all na
tions, and should England and the United
States navy be represented, the salutes and
ceremonies customary on such occasion will
take place. Upon the conclusion of these
ceremonies the pageant will proceed to the
position assigned them in the parade. The
column will then be put in motion, and
will be massed in front of the Theatre from
the platform of which the oration by GoV
ernor Alexander H. Stephens will be deliv
ered, and the Ode written for the occasion
by Paul H. Hayne Esq, will be read by Col,
C. C. Jones, of Augusta. The streets will be
appropriately decorated and an arch is to
span Bull street at the corner of Broughton
embellished with bowers,evergreens, inscrip
tions and a bust of Oglethorpe. Tbe festiv
ities to close on the same night by a grand
An Orntor'M l’owcr.
It was in the Clay campaign of 1854. An
immense audience, 15,000 or 20,000, had as
sembled to hear Preston. A large stage had
been erected, which was crowded with
prominent persons, and the multitude was
packed around it. There was the usual buz
and confusion incident to such occasion,
until after Preston had been speaking a few
moments, when it began to subside and
there was a dead silence, except the music
of that wonderful voice. He was in fine
condition for his work and went at it in his
best style. The silence seemed to intensify
as the tide of his eloquence poured over the
dense mass of enchanted listeners. With
the swell of his sonorous voice the audience
seemed to rise on tiptoe and sink hack again
with its ebbing cadences;and again they
swayed with the sweep of his arm like a
wheat field to the breeze. At length, in a
magnificent burst of inspiration—with hia
long arm raised high, his eyes flashing, and
the multitude hanging breathlessly to hia
words—he seized the wig which he wore,
held it up over his shining bald head, and
still soaring in his splendid flight, replaced
it cross-wise and soared on ; and there was
not in that vast audience, the least ripple of
laughter at this most ridiculous perform
ance, but, on the contrary, no one seemed
to notice, so^completely entranced was
every listener.— Charlotte (N. C.) Journal.
Chicory Farming,
Chicory farming, says the San Francisco
Chronicle, promises to be one of the coming
industries of California farming. Chicory
was first planted in that State about fifteen
years ago, but since that time it has been
extensively raised on the San Joaquin and
Sacramento rivers. Chicory is cultivated
a small scale in some of the Eastern
States, and in some places in that section
grows wild in abandoned fields and orch
ards. It grows very luxuriantly on the bot
tom lands of Louisiana and Texas. The
root of the plant, when being prepared for
use, is cut by a machine Into small square
blocks, then placed in the sun to dry, after
ward roasted, and finally ground in a mill.
Chicory possesses few elements in common
with coffee, and yet it imparts a taste to it
greatly fancied by certain coffee drinkers
in Europe. In France and Belgium the
common people have become so accustomed
to mix chicory with the coffee they drink
that they prefer it so prepared to the bever
age in its pure state. Travelers in those coun
tries, even when they purchase pure coffee
for their private consumption, find that the
cooks will mix chicory with it, even after
having received strict orders to the contrary.
A writer in an exchange says: "I discov
ered many years ago that wood could be
made to last longer than iron in the ground,
but the process is so simple that it was not
well to make a stir about it. I would as
soon have poplar, basswood or ash as any
other kind of timber for fence posts. I have
taken out basswood posts after having been
set for several years that were as sound
when taken out as when put in the ground.
Time and weather seemed to have no effect
on them. The posts can be prepared for less
tban two cents apiece. This is the recipe:
Take boiled linseed oil and stir in pulveriz
ed coal to the consistency of paint. Put a
coat of this over the timber, and there is no
man who will live to see it rot.”
PUBLISHED \ tt/^t TT
TWICK A MONTH. | V ULi. II.
ATLANTA, GA., *
n I ONE DOLLAR
■No. 7. t A YEAR.