Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-09-09
The Germans and their Fetes.

There are no people who appear to
enjoy life more than the Germans
| Though most industrious and frugal.
they do rot believe in the doctrine of
all work and no play, and we find them
wherever they may emigratc, keeping
the national holidays, and stealing some
time for recreation. There is also a
marked feature connected with their
festivals for which we look in vain at
similar gatherings among the people of
most other nations. They eat, they
drink, and they dance to their hearts
content, out it is seldom that Il drunken
man is. seen, or that disturbance of
any kind takes place. Collect together
the same number of either Englishmen
or Americans as has been assembled at
1orkvllle for the last two days, and
there are few who believe there would
not have been some fights, much drunk
eness, and perhaps serious disturbance,
Notwithstanding the large number Of
Germans which have been gathered
here at the festival of the New York
Schutzen Corps, in spite ofthe immense
quantity of lager which must have been
consumed, everything passes off quietly
and the presence Of a police force APP
pears to be almost unnecessary, unless
1t be to protect the assembly from the
attacks of killers and short boys.
AS these festivals are observed by the
Germans among us year after year, the
quest.en very naturally arises why it is
that they are so orderly; and young
America perhaps old America too, asks
seriously, how a people can have a good
TINS without lots Of good drinkables :?
In the first place then, the Germans are
accustomed to attend these festivals
from early childhood The gatherings
are not for the benefit of men only, but
the father takes with him his wife and
family. The presence Of the two latter
exerts a wholesome influence, and he
who might be inclined to act the part of
a rowdy if the assembly were composed
OF men only, would hesitate to miscon-
duct himself before women, especially if
some OF them were those Of his own
household. Then, too, what German
might consider good time, such as
our people might regard as s1oac. I'm
accustomed to keep any festivals but
those OF rather military character, they
expect on such occasions some unusual
excitement, and if the entertainments
are not up to their mark, they make up
the deficiency by taking an additional
number of drinks.
The fact is that we start with wrong
theory, we make life q constant, LONG
continued struggle for riches. Nothing
less chan a fortune will satisfy us, and in
arriving at this we ignore almost all ra-
tlonal enjoyment Worn and weary
with constant mental and bodily anxiety
we lind no zest in the amusements with
which the German would be content:
but IN our relaxation we seek for some
thing which shall excite and arouse our
d@adened natures. Our young men find
bpt comparatively little amusement in
the old-tnshloned manly games, or in the
exercises practised by the Turner's: and
IN their place they seek the theatre and
the bllllardroom. Where the German
drinks his lager bier, and finds in it al
sufficient stimulant, our people substitute
not the wine Of the Frenchman, but those
beverages in which alcohol largely pre-
dominates. These too they take in laro-
er quantities than any other people, save
the English only, whose damp climate
admits of freer use of spirits than does
that of this country. Then, too, we al
most ignore the presence Of women and
children at target excursions or any sim
liar entertainments, thus doing away
with one ofthc most powerful restraints
upon the conduct Of our men.-J0nn0lI
Of Commerce..