The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-14
COLOGNE.
ITS Ma gnihcsHt CsthsdraI-Its OdOrs,
Good and Bad.
ALI Bah Il.

From our otOn Correspondent
COLOGNE June 49, 1868 Il am satisfied that
have at last encountered the place where those
who have sinned in this world receive their
primary punishment. II you will take the
trouble to look on The map you will Ind that
IL Is on The Rhine and has a Cathedral, which
are its only recommendations. You may spell
it Kohn, or Koln, or Coeln, or Cologne, or Ia
almost any other manner without being incor-
rect; but If you do anything else correct while
you are here, your experience will be unlike that
of all Others who have been so unfortunate as
to make 1t even a temporary stopping. place.
Arriving from Brussels, after weary, dusty.
and disagreeabie ride of seven hours, the
traveller is Immediately besieged by custom
house officers, guides, hackmen, hotel. keepers
porters, and vendors of the "only true original
Farina Cologne Water" all speaking a Lam
guage of which his knowledge, probably, ex-
tends like mine, in such limited lines as 'zgei
lager and "Limburger kase.' He is shown to
nts room by an exceedingly polite attendant.
who takes the opportunity to leave him four
boxes of Cologue Water and a very interesting
pamphlet. In Dutch of a lawsuit between and
among four Jean Maria Farina's, who were,
without exception, all the original jeans, aud
manu- actured and sold the only original Co
logne. ! thought perhaps, the readiest an
ner TO evade all further opportunities on this
point was to buy a box. 1 did so for"
a lot of dirty stuff called "groschen,
amounting in the aggregate lowell, 10 con-
siderable. precisely how much, defy any man
to say. But you will find that you can't rid
yourself of these people In that way. You must
buy Cologne, buy OF everybody and at all times.
You are obliged to believe that the last man
you meet is the only original Jean Maria Fa-
rins, and your only relief is to return TO the
hotel, lock the door, and remain insensible to
the muttering of voices and rattling of bottles
outside. If it were possible for a traveller to
escape the Cologne nuisance, he cannot evade
the ever restless vigilance OF his five hundred
and seventy two couriers, whose single mission
on earth is to show MIN the Cathedral. II cRn-
not, however, be denied that the Cathedral is
well worth visit. 1t Is really, even in its
present unfinished state, the largest and
best specimen OF pure Gothic In the world. APP
preaching Cologne from any direction, it is the
first object that strikes the eye, and the remem.
bIance of 1t the only pleasant souvenir. Com
menced about the middle OF the thirteenth
century a hundred years to come will scarcely
lee 1t finished. The legend says that Conrad OF
HocksJaden, then Archbishop OF Cologne. Sc
leCted the architect, who, being unable to
sketch plan of sufficient size and subiimity of
sly lie, splenoor, and ornament, unsided, called
the assistance of the devil (who, by-Lhe-way,
seems, If we believe tradition, To have been as
Instrumental in building most OF the ancient
churches OF Europe as he is now in peopling
them), the compact being, as usual, the soul of
the architect The work was commenc ced and the
Bishop ordered that the masters name should
be engraved on frozen plate and walled iu
But the master refused TO keep his contract, and
was absClved from lis conditions by the pious
Bishop. The Devil, upon his part, determined
that the Cathedral should never be com pleted.
Shortly af;er the master died. aud the same
night the tablet containing his name disap.
peared, and the Cathedral remains unfoisned.
some portions of IL are old that it is almost
i'm possible to distinguish the carved figures.
and by the time the new portion is com pleted
the old will need restoring Tue streets ofGhe city
are dirty.c oked, and narrow, and the build
iDgs high, dingy, crampe1, ami DID, the beds
are too short at both ends the victuals are
prncipBly oil and cucUmbeIs, and IL takes q
wheel. barrow load of money TO make doll r
and half Ii you wish TO visit q logne, Jne
most advisable way Is To read us legends, ouy u
photograph Of the Cathedral and guide book,
| and stay at home. IL, r. b.,