Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-04-28
The Butchers Baptism--An Incident
of the Carnival Season.

/
OF the Carnival Season.
CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER writes from
| Munich to the Hartford C0urdnt.
! Ono of the old ceremonies of the carni-
val time, which ended in blaze of half a
dozen balls and masquerades nightly, was
| what is called the "MetZger -Sprung''--
The Butchers Leap. II has nothing ex-
ceptits antiquity TO recommend It. You
are not permitted to kill in this country,
not even in the army, without apprentice.
ship. Butchers serve three years before
they become journeymen. Some three
centuries ago the custom arose of sort of
profuse baptism Of the apprentices who
had served their time, and II is still con.
tinued with all the old forms The other
day an immense crowd gathered in the
Marian Platz TO witness the ceremony,
which took place In and about the pretty
fountain. Although tempest of rain
| swept the square every ten minutes like q
volley of musketry, it did not clear It ex.
cept of fow who retreated into the neigh
boring bcer-hOuses to restore the equilih.
rum by getting wet inside for more than
an hour the pack maintained itself with
all the aspect OF people who expected that
something worth seeing would appear.
AT two O'Clock a mounted gend'arme
forced his way through the crowd, and
rode around the fountain, followed by six
butchers apprentices on horseback, clad
IN scarlet and leather, and half a
dozen mites of children, who could
scarcely sit horse, clad also in scarlet
and otherwise adorned, sons of butchers,
and hopeful, incipient killers, dedicated
in the bloom of babyhood to blood and
tallow. Then there was Il long waiting,
whichth boys about the fountain, where
buckets were to be had, improved by
-spattering the crowd, and drenching with
water the packed men as far as they could
throw the fluid. This caused great com.
motion and shrieks of laughter, and ap.
peared to be enjoyed by the spectators
who filled all the windows of the tall,
gaunt houses of the square.
Suddenly appeared standing upon the
edge ot the fountain the chief of the
butchers guild and the six lads who were
TO make the spring into full butcher life.
The master wore Il cooked hat and scar
let coat. The boys were clothed in caps
and coats and trowscrs made entirely of
calves tails, variegated in color, and SO
scwed together that they all tapped loose
and gave the wearers horribly fantastic
appearance. l do not know whether each
boy made his garments from the calves he
had personally slain, but if he did his
proves must be great. 1t must need
hundreds OF tails TO cover a boy when they
are thus stuck into him like feathers. / !
can see now where the Uedl comes from that
forms so large portion of The meat eaten
in Germany
The master made an address to the boys
upon the momenlous plunge they were
about TO take, cautioned them to uphold
the honor OF butchers and never to give
poor meat, nor short weight, nor to cheat
IN the price. This the boys, by bold
oration in the mouth of one, promised to
look TO. This public pledge between
butchers about excellent meat and good |
weight was most edifying to the spectators
and was received here, as IKnow il would |
be in America, with the most perfect CON
viction Of its sincerity.
An attendant then opened some bottles |
OF red wine, glasses were filled, and, all |
still standing upon the edge of the foun.
tam, The master gave the Health" of the |
ancient Duke of Bavaria, who had been |
protector OF this ceremony The boys !
with Il ~ HO! HOl" and h0chLCbep sipped |
OF the liquor and tossed the remainder |
over their heads into the fountain; the |
crowd huzzaed AMI swung their hats. They |
filled again to King Ludwig, raised a
" llo! hor' and hochiejen, slipped and |
tossed, and the crowd huZzaed again. |
With a regular dip and "Ho! hop' |
and sip and toss the process went /
on for several minutes, The master !
calling out the iull title of the |
royal person toasted, and hunting up all |
the Bayarian family, male and female, TO |
the youngest, and finally ending with
Kaiser William and the Crown Prince.
This done, the bold youths gave a wild
spring and soused into the water, where
they Hoped about like lot of seals, and
deluged everybody within reach They
climbed out and dived in again, two dip
pings being thought necessary to wash
AWAY the stains of their bloody appren-
ticeship. When they finally emerged,
each was decorated with broad collar of
blue silk thickly sOwn with ancient silver
money. These are heirlOOms in the fami-
lies which have killed for generation after
generation, and some of them are worth
800 or 600 guldens.
The rite was over. Before coming to
the fountain the candidates had made a
procession through the city and called
upon all persons of royal or princely
blood, and received presents. Some of
them may need all they obtained, for this
barbarous custom is occasionally followed
by the death of one of the lads. The
fountain is filed with warm water, but
that may increase the danger from the
contact with the cold air. The
Munich newspapers protest every year
against the silly and dangerous perform.
ancei but custom is stronger than sense.