Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-01-19
From Our Regular Oorrespndent.1
Berlin Letter.
BERLIN, Prussia, Jan.

statement resulting from a census to
which the German empire has recently
been subjected. Berlin is now entitled to
take the third place in the list of European
capitals, as far as the number IF her in
habitants is concerned.
The old Prussian Resdenz, which has
become the capital of United Germany by
the force of circumstances, rather than
through any especial fitness for that
supremacy influential position, has nearly
doubled her population within the last
fourteen years, and is, at the present
moment, roughly speaking, the dwelling
place of eleven hundred thousand human
beings. In many respects, however, the
moral and physical conditions of its deni-
zens are sadly in arrear of the develop
ments which modern civilization has in
troduced into other great continental
cities.
few nights ago, in the course of an
interesting and highly instructive lecture
delivered at social science meeting in
Berlin, P'ivy Councillor Starke earnestly
and forcibly drew his hearers attention
to several amazing facts relating to the
permanent and floating criminal popula-
ton, as we'll as to the every day life of the
lower, middle and working classes, Juve-
nile crime would appear to be terribly
prevalent in Berlin, for the privy councillor
stated that no fewer than ten thousand
youthful malefactors are annually turned
into the streets of tn city from the
several state prisons, the terms of their
sentences having expired; and that, of
these, three thousand, having no homes to
90 to, are absolute and hopeless vaga-
bonds. The Berlin society for the re-
delnptlon of juvenile offenders is unable
to spend more than hundred year upon
the objects for the achievement of which
it was founded, whereas a similar associ.
alton in New York is in a position to de-
vote one million dollars annually to these
purposes.
Half the population of Berlin is lodged
in dwellings possessing only one fireplace
and no fewer than three thousand two
hundred and thirty-nine sets of apart
ments, totally forlorn alike of fireplace
and chimney, are occupied by families r
humble circumstances. Dr. Starke draws
an appalling picture of the immortality
characerizng the lower classes of Berlin
society, and his lecture appears to have
produced painful and depressing effec
upon the public mind, as mirrored in the
columns of the German daily press.
Mayence, one of the quietest old fortified
cities in Southern Germany, has seldom o
late years Witnessed such a scene of pop
ular excitement as that which took plac
within its precincts on Tuesday, whel
vast crowds of its inhabitants gathere
round the station of the Cologne-Dussel
dorf steam packet company to watch viii
I eager interest an achievement of me
/. chanical ingenuity never before performe
8 upon German soil. This was no less
e marvel than the removal, by means of Il
$ American apparatus, consisting of screw
' Jacks. of the entire building containin
= the company's local offices to a spot som
4 hundred and forty feet from its origini
site The station was first raised nearl
q six feet by the simultaneous action of tt
, screws, then transferred to a wheele
# platform, and finally rolled to and set U
a upon the new foundations prepared for i
d reception. The whole operation was
d skillfully and accurately performed tn
e not single pane of glass in any one
n the windows was broken, not caseme
t. set swinging on its hinges, or do
% thrown open. The station now stands
Il solidy as though it had been built Their
e close by the broad stone steps leadir
down to thr Rhine, just above the brid
,t of boats, where it is destined to rema
Ne until the completion of the new ir,
it bridge about to be thrown across the gre
in German river.