St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-11-28

works of art, mainly copies of Roman
statues, which are embraced in the
same collection. We also drove past
GOethe's house in the Hirschgraben,
and also past the quaint old tower
which stands over the Eschenheimer-
thor. The tower is surmounted by a
vane through which nine holes may be
seen grouped in such manner as to
form the figure 9. Tradition records
that hunter was incarcerated for
poaching, and saved his life by sue
cessful test of his craftsmanship, by
which the figure 9 was made in the
vane by as many successive shots.
HEIDELBERG.
Heidelberg is pleasantly situated on
the Neckar and on a cliff above the
town are the extensive ruins of the
famous old castle, its chief attraction
and charm. The university comprises
a number of ancient and by no means
imposing looking buildings. There are
some eight hundred students, and the
different cOrps-Saxons, HanoveFians,
etc.,-are distinguished by their differ
ent colored caps. Duelling is still prac-
ticed among the students, and scarcely
Friday passes without some "affafr of
honor" taking place at the little inn,
always selected for the purpose, on the
opposite side of the Neckar. The fight
ing is done with swords, and the slash
ing of the face is the only damage
sought or generally effected. The quar-
rel is always between members of diff
ferent corps, and in most cases is made
simply the means to the end. In a
walk through the streets of Heidelberg
great many young men are seen
whose faces are disfgured by ugly
scars.
THE OLD CASTLE.
There is but little about Heidelberg
except the ruins of the castle that the
chance traveller cares to waste much
| time over; and there he can wander
many times and oft without tiring of
the romantic and beautiful scenes. The
castle was one of the grandest in all
Germany in the days of the Electors.
1t was founded sometime about the
close of the thirteenth century, and sue
cessive Electors added to its extent and
its splendor. The visitor is conducted
through ancient halls and vaulted pas
sages, along parapets from which the
view of the town and the valley of the
Neckar is of ravishing beauty, through
subterranean ways and to the SUBMITS
of high towers. In one place portion
of great tower, the walls of which are
of immense thickness, lies where it fell
when blown from its place by the
French one hundred and ninety years
ago. The outer walls are adorned with
Il great number of statues, many of
which have lost arms, feet or It head.
There is beautiful garden adjacent to
the castle and from terrace rising
abruptly from the valley in ifs narrow
est part fine view is had of the castle
itself. A still finer view may be had
from the heights above.
| NECKARSTEINACH
Some eight miles from Heidelberg,
up the Neckar, are four old castles, one
of which has been restored in the an
cient style. The others are in ruins.
One of them is very picturesquely stu
ated on the brink of a high cliff, and
commands beautiful view of the val
ley and the little town below. The
| family of the Steinachs became extinct
as long ago as 1868. In driving out to
Neckarsteinach we passed through the
quaint old town of Neckargemund,
where the street lamps were strung
across the highway on ropes. Near this
town on wooded eminence is the an
cient castle of Dilsberg which with
stood memorable siege in the thirty
years war. Down to the beginning of
the present century it was used as il
state prison, and an anecdote related
by Baedeker indicates how rigorous was
the confinement to which the prisoners
were subjected. On one occasion some
strangers visited the castle and desired
to see the cells. They were told by the
officer in command that this would be
impossible as the prisoners were then
making a tour of the Odenwald and had
taken the keys with them.
THE HEIDELBERG TUN.
A letter from Heidelberg would, of
course, be incomplete without some
reference to the great Tun. The Tun
is huge cask which was built in one
of the vaults of the castle. 1t has the
enormous capacity of $4,000 gallons,
and was built in 175I when the Elector
could claim a tithe from all the neigh
boring vineyards. 1t has thrice been
filled, the last time in 1869. The mon
ster cask rests upon its side and even
then it approaches the dimensions of
goOd-sized house. Two flights of stairs
lead to the top where fifty persons at
least might be assembled. In a neigh
boring vault is another large tun which
would of itself be considered monster
but for the presence of the larger one.
Near the great tun is a rude wooden
etfigy, which is said to represent Perkes
the court jester of the Elector Charles
Philip. Of this worthy it is related
that he was wont to drink eighteen