The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-11-21

! The castle was several times besieged
and captured, and was three times de-
stroyed, and entirely or partly rebuilt.
About two hundred years ago the forti-
ficatiOns OF the place We're blown up, the
castle was set on fire, and part of the
town burned by the French. 1t was
afterward partially restored, but a little
less than a hundred years ago it was
struck by lightning and its destruction
completed. Since then it has been left
/ in ruins, but carefully preserved. Sew
eral of the buildings have temporary
roofs, aud some are occupied by the at
tendants. As we wander for hours
/ through the many rooms, banquet halls,
chapels, and underground passages con-
nected with this vast system OF build
ings, we begin to realize in a measure
what must have been its magnificence
when it was completed, three hundred
years ago. A part OF a round tower at
one angle OF the fortification, which was
blown up by the French, shows "a wall
of solid masonry twenty feet in thick
ness.
In one of the many cellars is the Gel
ebrated tun or wine cask, which is the
largest ever constructed. Ii was built
one hundred aud thirty years ago, and
though unused, it is yet in a good state
Of preservation. 1t is almost as large as
a house. having length Of thirty-two
feet, aud head diameter Of twenty-five
feet, and a bung diameter Of twenty-five
feet. Measured around the middle, it
would girt more than seventy-eight feet
II holds eight hundred hogsheads Of
wine, and its contents would fill 2s3, 600
bottles. Near il stands figure OF one
of the court fools, who is said to have
taken eighteen bottles OF wine daily,
and the color of his face and the size Of
his stomach confirms the story.
In many places the ruined buildings
are covered with a dense growth Of ivy,
as if Nature were kindly trying to make
that which would last forever.
In the evening we had the pleasure Of
seeing the ruins illuminated in honor
of a convention Of millers who came to
the city for an excursion.
The university Of Heidelberg shares
with the castle the honors and pride Of
the citizens. An American looking
over the city finds no grand buildings
which suggest to him the idea of great
university, but scattered here and there
are old dingy structures which are
pointed out TO him as making up the
university. / admit it was with feel
ing OF disappointment that friend of
mine, a student in the university, took
me to a plain, brick, three-story build
ing, which looked like common court
house without a steeple or dome, and
entering a small door, told me 1 was in
one of the lecture-roOm buildings of the
university. We passed along narrow
hall, took drink of water from a fau-
Get in the wall, and turning down a still
narrower passage at the right, a few
steps brought Us to a door which opened
| into the room where we were to attend
| the lecture. This room was perhaps
/ fifty feet square, with windows on two
sides. The desks were long benches,
/ the seat OF one being the back and desk
OF the Que next behind, just like the
/ benches in country school-houses years
ago. If these had ever been painted,
there were no traces Of il left, and the
noble German student, after the style Of
the bare-iooted Yankee boy in Connect
icut, has not been above leaving the
marks Of his jack-knife on the seats.
Ink bottles also seem to have way Of
upsettiug here and sending their con-
tents over the desk and floor just as they
do with US. The lecturer platform was
in the center of one side of the room,
and had a plain desk in front Of it, like
a common pulpit. The students, some
sixty or more, were all in their places
quietly talking with each other before
the professor entered. When the lee
turer opened the door, he was greeted
with subdued applause, which he
seemed not to notice, but walked rap
idly to the platform, where, standing
behind the desk and opening his manu-
script, he at once commenced his lee
ture. He spoke for an hour on the prin-
ciples of international Law, without
even once consulting his manuscript
and during this time there was the mos
profound attention on the part Of his
hearers. \ considerable part of the
students took very few notes, as th'
lecturer had published book on the
same subject but short time previous
At the close OF the lecture the sam'
quiet applause was renewed, and th'
students remained seated until the pro
fessor had passed into the hall, wheI
they arose and went quietly out.
It would be considered a mark Of th
greatest discourtesy for one to 20 on
, during the progress Of the lecture unles
the circumstances were most pressing
II any student should show intentiona
disrespect to a professor or disturb a lee
ture. he would be imprisoned for from
two to ten months, according TO the
nature Of the offense. In their treat
ment of each other the students ar'
most careful Of their personal dignity
and honor. Anything like hazing oi
sbuzive Language, even the calling OF q
fsIlovy-student a fool, will bring down
,ta wrath of the authorities on the Of
fs,der's head, and at the least will give
bin, a suspension Of six months, and hC
IL. - -,