New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-04-20
iVNES n =
,rth Star, April I, 1881.
BERLIN LETTER.
Regular Correspondence.
6U1uK correspondence
Berlin, Mar. 21st, 1881

-
Despite all the efforts of the Ger
man Government to check emigra-
ton from the agricultural districts
Of East and West Prussia, Pomer.
ania, and Friesland, the outflow of
Wendish and German peasantry this
spring has assumed the character,
especially in West Prussia, of a
popular exodus. Official reports
reaching Berlin from the Rosen berg
district state that many large estates
therein have been compile teI y aban-
doned by the tillers of the soil. One
hundred and eleven families have
quilted the Schwenten, in the Grau
denz District, for America; and fit
tings upon a similar scale have either
already taken place or are in course
of preparation in various parts of
the province. At Marienwerder re.
lays of gendarmes permanently oc-
cupy the railway station, with or.
ders to arrest any laboring folk
about to depart thence ON emigrat.
ing thoughts intent," upon a writ
ten requis;tion,:: duly endorsed by
the police authorities, presented by
any employer Of labor who has suf-
fered breach of agreement from the
would'be emigrants; and to convey
such contract breakers, by force if
need be, to the place from which
they may have come, there to fulfil
their engagements according to law
or custom. It appears, however,
that the persons for whose restraint
these severe measures have been
adopted, display considerable and
successful ingenuity in evading the
vigilance Of the Prussian executive,
and that the flower of Northern
Germany's population is transfer
ring itself, with all convenient speed
to Transatlantic countries. where
compulsory military service does not
prevail.
In German village not far from
Berlin, modern version of the old
farce, "The Devil to Pay,' with
some entirely new effects, would ap.
pear to have been recently produced.
The hero of this diverting perform.
ance proved to be an official person.
age, the judge of the village in ques-
tion, who had assumed the charac.
ter of .'Old Nick for highly repre-
hensible purposes. Having learned
that an old peasant woman, resident
in his district, had won prize of
three hundred forms in lottery, he
bethought him of a stratagem by
which those ill.gotten gains might
be transferred to his own possession.
Accordingly dressed as devil, he
presented himself, as the clock
struck midnight, at he old woman s
lonely dwelling; aroused her from
her slumb ers, and in a hollow voice
commanded her to hand over her
winnings, upon the ground that call
sums accruing from lottery specula.
tons were his perquisite, by him to
be applied to the corruptions of hu.
man SOULS The terrified woman
at once produced rs forms, protest.
ing that she had that day lodged the
balance in the savings bank; where.
upon the Devil informed her, with
dreadful threats of Internal torment
should she fail to fulfill his request,
that he would return the following
night, at the same hour, to receive
the remainder. Next morning the
poor old lady applied to the savings
bank for her deposit. The manager,
surprised that she should wish to
draw it out so soon after having
lodged it, inquired into her reason
for so doing, and elected full con
fession of her adventure of the pre-
vious night. When his Satinic Ma
jesty called at twelve p. m., for the
balance of his ''perquisite,'' he was
received bv two policemen, who
handcuffed him, marched him off
and delivered him to the secular arm,
which will probably disab Bile him
from playing the Devil for Some
time to come.