Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-06-06
Students DHeIS.
| now THE GERMAN UNIVERSITY MIN SET
TIE THEIR LITTLE DIFFICULTIES.

now TIE GERMAN UNIV EEsIn MIN SET
TIE THEIR LITTLE DIFFICULTIES.
Prof Il. Parson in Uticl Herald
The student strips of coat. vest and
shirt 1T Is considered cNv4ninat. g., wear
woollcn uudercolthing-and put, nu AN
old shirt which will not be injured by
blood. Then huge goggles are fastened
over his eyes, and he is harncsstd inlo
contrivance consisting Of numerous bands
across the back and 4 thick mating in
front reaching from the neck 10 the knees.
A thick collar is tied around his neck. ON
his right arm is glove. from the wrist
almost to the sholder, thick y padded, and
then he is led to:chaTs in the middle OF
the room. were the two stand facing one
another until the word is given. When
all these precautions are taken it IS call
ed fighting with dangerous weapons
and is more severely punished in cas-, Of
| detection. The sentence for killing n tel
student reaches sometimes the eN-
treme severity ofSeveral years imprison-
ment. not more than three or four.
But our cOmbatants are standing there
thirsting Tor blood. \ friend puts 4 sword
into each ones hand and holds up his
arm TO prevent it from getting premlt-
urely tired. Each has cap on There
is 4 touching of hats, ceremoniou, bow
ing and an interchlngiug o! words be-
tween the seconds. the conibatanis rise
| their arms in the air and the show begins.
| MOI not vet. Halt and the caps are
removed from their heads they raise
their swords once more. the seconds
touch them and one shout .'los" and they
| 90 ut it. 1t seemed to me not fair match.
| The one was made shorter than the other.
| Judging from the style ot blow not a
| strong, and above all the taller was L
| corps-student and ihc shorter not. There
were four set to's that dav between corps
students and not-corpS students, in which
the former conquered every time. No
wonder, too. Tor every corps is bound by
its rules to practice lenciug two or three
hours every dly.
But the little fellow took hi, punish
ment manlully. The tall one rlined
blows on him luriouSly and did, finally,
come of conqueror, not, however, with
ont some scratches. Three or four times
the seconds cried halt and each fighter
bent his head forward Tor inspection. but
no wound was found deep enough 10 war
rant them in calling the duel over. 1t
did not last. however, more than five
minutes in all. Then the little fellow
was delivered to the tender mercies OF the
surgeon and the bigger dressed himself
and proceeded to drink beer and eat
bread and ham.
Then came another duel between two
more equally matched, but the corps
student beat the ether this time also.
Alter two or three unimportlnt affairs,
there came one between student from
Zuric and Berliuer. Tie latter was
huge, strapping fellow, looked Is if he
could knock down IN on and evidently
meant business. His opponent was
smaller but appeared just a determined.
They had to iasten 4 silver plate over an
old wound on his head 10 prevent any
dangerous consequence, and liz him M
otherwise. So that it took quite long
time before he was ready Silence was
proclaimed tor half an hour. In exactly
one minute and half, the Zuricher was
led of with m ugly cut from the upper
right hand corner of his forehead clear
across TO the lower corner of his left eve.
The goggles had been careleSSlv fastened
and his left eyelid was cut through. II
was bad wOunl. but the surgeon in
attendance seemed 10 enjoy il. | could
not help plying the poor fellow, who had
come all the way from Zurich to get such
4 slash in less than two minutes.
In several cases, one Of the combaiants
was led off with the provi>o that they
finish another time but this second
edition OF TIE same work seldom comes
out. Ii is only an easy way OF letting one
down when he is overmatched. What gave
occasion TO the duels did not succeed in
learning in single ease. Probably some
real or iancied insult They have also q
where two are elect
ed to represent two different corps on the
fell of honor, merely Tor the sake OF hay
ing representation. One student had
been deposed from his verbiudung, and
was trying TO fight his way back to llvor.