, 1872-12-02
The Manners, customs, and Peculiari.
tics Which 1hey Bring from
the Fdherland.
Their Contributions to the
Arts and Sciences.
German Societies forthe Advancement Of
Religion, Beneolence, Music,
Physical nd Intel.
lectual Glture.

AAV1lto11A9 DuutD1tUtV3 W4AAc5
Physical al Intel.
lectual 0lture.
1t certain times when issues on public ques-
tiona enlist attention, muA is said about q Our
German Element, and so sasily and cheaply is
the term employed, that it nay be actually made
to appear as ii tho circUi, of 8 saloon round
table held this entire representative element. It
will be well to pass in review some Of the fea
tures and characteristics th.t make up the great
intelligent and wealthy Gernan-born portion Of
our citizens, and from this will be seen that,
while all varieties and shades Of social life exist
among them, as among other nationaities, they,
rs class, posssss elements Of character and
systems Of buslr:Es and education that give
them qualities tha4 add largely to the best
growth of conamunit.+ There are very few Ger
mans without reiglol or education. They are
a SOBER AsDFHUGM PEOPLE,
not opposed to Temperance laws because they
are addicted to intoxioting drinks but they
have been brought up ina country where wine
flows like milk, and when lager beer is the IT.
tional beverage; Jet no Ole would think Of dis
gracing himself by drinking more than his meas
1are, any mora than he 1eu1d think Of eating
any more than he was able o digest. They are
opposed to the closing t their saloons on
Sundays, because in EuropepeopIe go to church
on Sabbath morning, and assemble in the after
noon at the village inn which is usually contig
nous to the church, and oy,r glass Of wine,
beer, or sugar water for which they pay about
five cents, discuss the topics Of the day, both
moral and political, and eFea their ministers
and teachers, as well as all otlbr dignitaries Of
the community, join them thereand take part in
the discussion. No profane language, no i'm
proper expression is heard there; but the air Vi
brates with pleasant, intelligent, and moral
talk. L peasant in Germany has to work hard
six days in the week he has no time to think Of
anything but the work before him but on the
seventh day, after havirg "rendered unto God
what belonged to God, that is, having attend
ed church, he meets his neighhors and
friends at the village inn, where politics are
discussed, and opinions formed, and he enjoys
himself haFmlassly over glass Of wine OF: beer,
and prepares himself Herewith for another
weeks toll anl labor. With these inherited
convictions, thtse people arrive in this country,
and commencing with small means, and in mar
TOW quarters, ;hey are not able to invite their
friends to Their houses, but are compelled to
meet them atsaloons. It humanitarians would
provide public halls or rooms where these peo-
pie could co1gregate, it would more efectually
suppress saloons than all the temperance laws
in creation. It is not on account OF heathenism
or heresy tlat these people oppose the present
temperance laws, but because they consider
them as infingements On their private rights,
and as opuoEers OF lifelong convictions.
THE GERMANS OF CHICAGO.
One-t third OF nearly 100, 900, of Chicago's in
habitants come from Germany, and nearly all Of
them are tnbued with these ideas and con1ic-
tions. It il, therefore, not surprising that the
late enforcement Of our Sunday law has created
quite commotion among these people, and that
they are battling with all the means in their
power to have il repealed.
Out Of e. 412 saloon licenses issued at the City
Clerks Office, only $50 we're taken by Germans.
This is one-third of all the licenses issued, and
in the exact ratio they stand to the population OF
the city. Then it may safely be added that these
$50 saloons are by far the most respectable in
tie city, and in very lew Of them do they keep
anything but lager beer and wine. These
Places ; are mostly ar kept as n.ns5a the Vi, II,
the purpose OF giving the poor laborers and
workmen place where, over a glass Of beer for
five cents, they can discuss together the issues
Of the day, without requiring their families Lies TO TO
Germans oppose the temperance and Sunday
laws, and not because they are all saloon-keep-
ers, drunlards, or heret1cs.
Germans, as q class, are sober, industrious,
would not to-day be the pride Of the West and
the marvel of the age.
As nx-pA7ERs.
Many OF our noblest and finest public build
dngs and churches have been reared by their cn-
teTp1ise, and they pay large ebare Of our taxes.
The ta1-books at the City Collectors Office re-
veal the fact that they pay fully two-thirds Of
The real estate, as well as Of the personal prop
erty taxes, on the North Side, and OF the taxes
Of the South and West Divisions they pay a
so-caled s:tax-fghters," bnt, as the City Collec-
tor, Alr. George Won Hollen, ayers, they are the
promptest taxpayers IN the city.
N TRADE.
There is hardly a branch Of business or q trade
in this city in which the Germans are not repre-
scented. Certain branches Of trade are almost
exclusively in their hands, as for instance, the
butchers, bakers, milkmen and gardeners. 4
large proportion of the ekilfu1 workmen in ou1
rolling mills, iron works, and machine-shops, are
Germans. 4 majority Of our tailors aud shoe
makers come from Fatherland, and many Of our
furniture manufacturers and earvers have
learned their trade in Germany Two thirds Of
The stone cut for the magnificent fronts Of ou1
new business palaces have been cut by men o1
the same nationality. Almost all the pianos
used in this city nre Of German manufacture D
AA the manufacturers III LIB country pu
one being Germans, and that one employs
German worknen- And in man.
other tradea, too numerous tt
mention, the Germans predominant and excel
The reason why Germans are such good me
chanics and workmen is because they 1ear1
their trades Systematically. Every man learning
a trade his to serve three years as an apprentice
and the same length Of time as craftsman, be
fore he Is accepted as master Of his trade, ant
almost every German, no matter how wen edu
Gated, or how large his fortune may be, learn
some trade, ,-eveG royal Princes following thi
rule.
WHOLESALE ANp RrAH HOUSES, @ BANKS, e ETC. o.,
largest and best managed Wholesale and retail
houses are in the hands of Germans. Most th
business at the Stock Yar Is is done by Germans
and many Of our importers belong to the sam
nationality. Two Of our best National Bank
are managed by Germans, and with Ger
man capital the German National Bank
over which our respected fellow-citizen.
-Mr: Henry G1eenebaum, ,presides witl
Illinois, which is ably managed by the afabl
and aagacious III. George Schneider. Their