Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1880-09-18
SATURDAY PRESS.
Student Life at Heidelberg.
SEP TEMPER Is, 1880.

Several Hawaiian youths having been
sent to the University of Heidelberg, in
Germany, to be educated, the following
will be read with interest. Mr.. Henry
Ruggles writes to the Springfield Mass
Republican as follows:--
To be in Heidelberg and not see one of
the famous students dues, would be like
visiting Spain and not witnessing bull.
fight. Both exhibitions, or amusements,
If / must 80 call them, spring from the
barbarism which two separate and distinct
nationalities have inherited from barbarous
ages Of the past, and which the influence
of civilization, and the culture of the nine
teeuth century have not as yet been able to
abolish. But there is this difference be.
tween the two brutal shows A bull-fght
is open to the public, whereas students
duel is considered of such an aristocratic
and exclusive character that it is seldom
that strangers, or any one except the men,
bers Of the different students corps, are
ever allowed to be present Among the 60
or 20 English or American students who
have been in Heidelberg from one to five
and six years, and even longer, none of
them, with two or three exceptions, have
ever been able to witness one of these COM
bats, though they all, as several had in
formed me, Ind done their "level best" and
brought all the influence to bear possible
to gain admttauce. Soon after my arrival
in Heidelberg l had expressed wish to
some of the students in the Anglo American
club that might be able to be present at a
duel before leaving the city, but l had
heard Of 80 many difficulties in the way,
that l had given up the idea as one impos-
sible to accomplish. But my lucky star,
however, WAS in the ascendant. AS was
on the point Of leaving my hotel yesterday
morning at about 10 o'clock for short
walk, p. L. Conniffe, of Worcester, Mass =,
one of the members of the club, came
driving up in hot haste with the perspira-
ton rolling down his flushed face. He
was evidently laboring under some great
excitement.
"a duel duel % he exclaimed, half
ont of breath. slump in quick, we haven't
got n moment to lose."
My first Impressions were that he had
accepted challenge and wanted me to ex-
press his body home to his friends in Wor-
cester in case he fell. l jumped into the
carriage, the driver gave the horses two or
three sharp outs with his whip aud we
dashed away through the HaupsLrasse in
the direction of the river Neckar. Chow
is it," l asked as soon as could speak and
DO heard, care you going to fightP'
Fight no, Lord bless you, hope not
but we are going to see one. Only got
word fifteen minutes ago before / had got
out of bed"
EYES, but how did You get permission ~
"Your card did it. Three days ago
sent by friend the card you left at the
club with one of my own to the President
of the Yellow-cap corps with the message
that you were passing few days in Heidel-
berg and was very anxious to witness a
fight. l had no idea it would result in
success, but it seems they concluded to let
us come, for the President sent one of the
students to my room but few minutes
ago with an invitation, and also to say that
three duels would take place this after
noon. l wouldn't miss it for thousand
dollars !" And my enthusiastic friend told
the driver in German to put on more speed.
Passing over the historical old bridge that
spans the Neckar, we took a road by the
rivers bank in a northerly direction for
mp into deep gorge between two high
overhanging hills. We soon came to a
large old-style building, two stories high
the upper one formed by huge gable roof
reminding one of the old Dutch taverns to
be seen throughout Holland and built $50
or 200 years ago. The yard in front was
used for beer.garden, and the rough
tables and benches under the shady trees
and trellises were covered with empty and
half-empty beer.mugs, as if some party Of
jewellers had taken sudden flight. No
person was to be seen stirring, and an
ominous silence seemed to brood over the
building and its surroundings. should
have thought the place deserted but for
the presence of dozen or more of huge
and 6erce-looking bulldogs, mastiffs and
deer-hounds of rare breeds which were
chained about in the garden and which
had seen the students carefully leading
through the streets in Heidelberg. Their
masters were evidently not far away.
The driver dismounted from his seat and
gave several heavy raps with his whip
handle on the old.fashioned door. In
few minutes it was cautiously opened, and
mans head, evidently domestic, APP
peared. He was handed our cards and told
to take them to the President of the Yellow
cap corps. Soon a Yellow.cap student came
out, aud, after giving Us a very oeremonious
salute, requested US to follow him. After
passing through long hall we mounted
two fights of stairs, made . turn, passed
through dimly-lighted corridor and eu-
tered large ante-room which some of the
students call the "repair shop" My eyes
proceeded to business at once in taking in
the character Of the room aud its varied
contents that were scattered about in q
most disorderly state. 1t was like a field
hospital during bloody battle. Spougss,
towels, strips of cotton cloth and rags sat
urated with blood were lying about on the
benches aud tables, while wash bowls, pals
and foot-baths partly filled with bloody
water were stationed around the room,
either on the floor or benches. Blood was
to be seen everywhere. Some cast-of
garments, wet with blood, were thrown
over the backs Of some chairs, and two
shirts stained with CORY patches of red
were hanging on nails by window. A
case of surgical instruments was on q table,
near which were piles of lint, rolls Of