The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-08-09
MISCELLANY.
Correspondence Of the Boston Atlas.
GERMAN SOCIAL LIFE.
FRANKFoRT-oN-THE-MAINE,

lie, from that OF his own country. lie nnds
nowhere, at least in towns, that calm, do
mestic existence, such as encircles New
England fireside. The family circle, as we
understand it in America, with all its hal
lowed associatons-the meeting and inter-
course of friends, in the bosom of domestic
life-the hours Of sacred and undisturbed
COMMUNICATION between all the members of
the same family--above all the family altar,
with its purifying infuences-these seem
almost unknown here, the only idea Of So
cial enjoyment apparently being to resort
to public places Of amusement, to meet in
crowds at hotels or other public houses, and
spend the leisure hours of life in dreary eX-
citement over wine sluggish beer.
The number of public houses in Frank
fort though il has but co 600 inhabitants, is
really astonishing. There are Is large no
tells, about 60 second class hotels or inns, 5
or 90 wine houses, s cafes and above 100
beer shops (trrithshauser) of different grades
and character; and there are also, in two or
three neighboring villages, much frequented,
so or 40 more, making for the whole terri
tory of Frankfort, numbering 10000 souls,
at least $50 places of resort for drinking
Here assemble nightly the whole adult male
population Merchants and professional
men on leaving their offices, clerks from
their desks, storekeepers after leaving stores,
| (aIways at 8 O'Clock, mechanics and labor
ers, at the close of their daily TOLL instead
of seeking the domestic fireside, and the
tranquil enjoyments of home, crowd togeth-
er in the public places, where they sit the
whole evening till eleven O'Clock, smoking
their long German pipes, playing cards, or
other games, and drinking wine, beer or
cider, according To their rank or ability
Teetotali>m, or temperance societies, are
things unheard of. 1 have never yet, at
least, encountered one of their votaries,
either among the male or female part of So
ciety.
But will attempt to give some more def
mite idea of the different drinking houses of
the Germans. Let us first glance at hotel,
or inn of the first class, excluding, however,
the few of a still superior rank, such as are
here, the Hotel d. .4ngieterre, and Hotel de
Russie which are frequented chiefly by
strangers, and afford, therefore, no true pic
lture of German manners. purely Ger
man hotel is intended not only for the ac-
recommendation Of travellers, but also even
more especially to afford resident citizens
daily board, and evening entertainment. -
Here nothing is drunk but wine. The apart
ment that receives the guests, Casually the
dining room, is furnished with several long
narrow tables, extending from one end to
the other, on each side of which are placed
chairs, SO as to accommodate the greatest
possible number of persons. From seven
till half-past eight, the evening customers
arrive. Each takes his seat, calls for his
chopin (half.bottIe) Of wine, takes a cigar
from sort Of leather pocket-book which he
carries with him, or else instead, if he be
an old German, uncontaminated by fashion,
fills and lights long pipe, which is also
often his companion, looking like a walking
stick, and is then ready for the general con-
lversation of the table, or a tete-a-tete with
the one who may happen to be al his elbow
Many also, particularly young men, begin
the evening sitting, by eating Il beef steak,
mutton chop, outlet, boiled sausage. or bread
and cheese. In the mean time, simnltane-
Gus with the noise of knives end forks, the
.ling'ing of bottles, and murmur of voices,
begins the ascent of smoke from a hundred
cigars and pipes, filling the room finally with
so dense vapor, as TO render its occupants
almost invisible to each other. Thus the
evening is passed in the midst Of smoke and
the fumes of wine, till towards eleven o.
CLOCK, each one begins TO wend silently 10
his home, which he enters by means Of
nigbt-key prepared for the purpose, the
that time retired TO rest.
The persons who frequent houses of the
above description, are mostly merchants,
professional men, and respectable trades
men. Mechanics also, when they wish a
change from their usual beverage Of beer
betake themselves 10 these places, and re-
gale themselves with a chopin of wine
The price Of the wine is different according
to the quality, but that most commonly drunk
is about IL I-2 cents chopin.
The wine houses, properly so called differ
only from those above described, in being
exclusively for dining and evening enter
ltainment, and not at all for lodging, or the
accommodation of travellers. They are,
therefore, even more frequented by the citi-
zens, than the hotels or inns.
The cafes in Germany are established on
the model of those in France, whence they
derive their name. Some of those here are
very spleadidly furnished, having sofas, vel
lvet cushioned chairs, and marble tables
Most Of them consist of a reading ROOM,
billiard room, and one or two saloons. The
cafe .uitani, the principal one of Frankfort,
has an elegant saloon for gentlemen accom-
panied BY ladies, as it is NOT uncommon in
Germany for the latter TO visit public houses.
II is a German as well as French custom
or fatneT perhaps more correctly, III Is Gus
tom here, borrowed from France, TO drink
coffee after dinner. Many persons, instead
Iof taking their coffee at home, or " here they
dimes resort to cafe Immediately after din
ner, where they spend an honr or two Of the
afternoon in conversation, playing billiards,
cards, chess, dominoes, or reading the news.
The cafes are generally full from two O'Clock
lsill ten or eleven in the evening. Besides
Iecffee and tea, spirits. wine, and beer are
Iaiso here drunk, as we'll as sugar and water,
with some sort Of syrup mingled to give it
flavor.
The great resorts Of the middle and lower
classes Of Germans, are their beer establish
rnenfs These are about the sanre "a inns