The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-05
Student Life at Heidelberg.

We find the following in the Worcester SPY.
from correspondent of that paper, writing
from Gcrmanv:-
At our hotel we had a lively young German
landlord, who amused liz all at dinner, party
OF a dozen Americans, with his accounts of
student life. "Oh they don't study at all, " said
he: chow can they? They ret up at ten or
eleven in the morning. After breakfast they
must have their fighting lesson. In the after
noon they come here for good dinner, and in
the evening they must be at the beer garden.
you know. After they have spent year or two
this way, they just pay the professor for some
papers, and then say they have graduated at
Heidelberg University This story. much the
same as the Parker House waiter would give
perhaps of Harvard men, we recognized as the
account OF the ten per cent of last men to
be found in every college. And we happened
to know of one at least, fitted ut Mr. Metcalfs
Highland school, son of the Chinese Minister
Burlingamc, who. after an exemplary college
career, had recently graduated with very high
honor. But with curiosity excited about the
fighting lesson, after further inquiry, ne assured
us they do every week fight in desperate encOun-
tcrs and dead earnest.
Next morning | CHANGED to learn with ocular
demonstration that the sword duel of the Ger
man students is no myth, or affair of the past.
or rough play at blunt fencing, as had ina
gined, but horrible reality of to-day. bar
barism beside which the toughest hazing of our
colleges is pleasant pastime. OF the eight or
nine hundred students. some hundred or more
form clubs, under the name of corps students.
distinguished from each other and from all the
rest by caps of special color and style. They
lead life of luxury and dissipation. AS we
drove by their club house. halfway up the hill
across the river. among the woods, and quite
away from the city, we were curious to 90 in.
With the help of our student friend we were
permitted, with some hesitation, to enter for u
few moments: for to his own credit should say
that our friend had no personal acquaintance
among them, and only, perhaps, by dress and
manner was recognized as member of the
University and fellow-student. Abundant
evidence indicated the place as club house of
beer and wine and fast living. Around the door
were a half dozen immense dogs. of bulldog and
bloodhound species savage looking, but heavily
muzzled, which we imagined to he the students
special pets and playfellOws. As we ascendcd
the stairs, a porter coming down, with two pans
of water deeply dyed with blood gave us un-
pleasant suspicious of rough play going on. On
entering a room much like Brinley Hall, divided
in two, rudely Ornamented, and with Il fewrOugh
benches, on whose floor were blood stains of va
rious date from the many encounters, and along
the side were the long, straight slender swords,
with blunted ends to unfit them for thrustng but
with edges as keen as penknite. About forty
| young men were lOunging around, some in halt
dishabille, Others rsrichlydresseds some slipping beer
listlessy lying at full length on the benches, OF
! gathered in little knots chatting carelessly over
! some event of interest Many faces were SCARED
| heavily with the hacks and gashes of former
encounters. There was nothing to indicate any
/
| spite of my aroused suspicious ] was half sur
| prised to learn that duel had Just taken place
| In one corner where q small group was gathered
| we found q student sitting in chair, hal
| stripped having his wounds spOnged and seweC
| up. lie had just received CHASTITY sword Gu
| over the left eye some two inches in length, anC
| one on top of the head still longer and deeper
| the scars of which he will carry to death. lit
| wore spectacles, was pale, but keeping up goo,
| courage and talking very coollv about it. An
| other man. the centre of a different group
supposed to be his antagonist, but soon fOunt
them dressing two more for anOthe
fight They were heavily bandaging TIN
arms, neck, and breast, and covering tn
| eyes with iron goggles, and the person witt
a butchers shirt. The face and head are free t.
| be hacked and gashed. Our friend said th,
formerly they admitted the dogs, but on on
occasion, when the end of a nose was snippe
off dog seized and swallowed it, before
could be sewed on again; so now they are NOR
cautious. And what do they fight for! NOthin
at all 1t is good discipline for courage BIZ
mark was Il corps student. And so were som
of the best professors in college. The differcI
corps fight each other, men on the most friendl
terms are arrayed against each other. Generally
however, some insult is purpOsely offered an
passed TO provoke the challenge. / heard
their beautiful fights, and the beautiful cuts the
give each other. But rGsCrVing this epithet fC
, other uses, l only wished for the strong arm
power to arrest the whole set of young barb,
rians, who outrage and disgrace civilization, an
send them to coal mines for some useful seryit
, to mankind.
l II cC