The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-04-09

BERLIN. March 81, 1881.
Despite all the efforts OF Ike German Gov
eminent to check emigration from Inc ag'i
cultural districts Of east aud west PRUSSIA
PomeIania, aud FrIcsland, the outflow ol
Wcndish and German peasantry this spring
has assumed the character, especially III west
Prussia, of u popular exodus. Official reports
reaching Berlin from the Rosenberg district
state that many large estates therein have been
completely abandoned by the tillers of the
soil. One hundred and eleven families have
quilted the parish of Schwen'en, in ihc Gran.
deuz district, for America; and fittings upon u
similar scale have either already taken place
or are IN course of preparation IN various
parts of the province. At Marienwerdor re.
lays of gcndarmcs permanently occupy the
railway station, with orders to arrest any Ia
boring folk about 10 depart thence, ION emu
grating thoughts intent" upon written Ie-
question: duly endorsed ny the police author.
ties presented by any employer of labor who
has suffered breach Of agreement 10y the
would be emigrants; and to convey such con
tract breakers, by force If need be, to the place
from which the may have come, there To full
I'll their engagements according to l.w or Gus
tom. II appears, however, that the persons
for whose restraint these severe measures have
been adopted, display considerable and sue.
cessiul ingenuity in evading the vigilance
Of the Prussian executive, and that the flower
Of Northern Germany's population is trans
ferrIng itself, with all convenient speed, to
transatlantic countries where compulsory NIL
itary service does not prevail.
In German village not far from Berlin, al
modern version of the old farce, THE Dcvl ,o
Pay" with some entirely new effects, would
appear to have been produced. The hero of
this diverting performance proved TO be an
official parsonage, the judge of the village in
question. who had assumed the character of
old Nick" for highly reprehensible purposes
Having learned that an old peasant woman, q
resident in his district, haa won prize of
three hundred forms IN the lottery, he thought
of plan by which those ill gotten gains
might be transferred to his own possession /,
Accordingly. dressed as the Devil he pre-.
sented himself, as the clock struck midnight,
at the old womans lonely dwelling, aroused
her from her slunbers aud, In hollow voice,
commanded her to hand over her winning,
on the ground that "all sans accruing from
lottery speculations were his perquisits, by
him to be applied to the corruption Of human
souls" The terrified woman at once produc !
ell sevcnty.flvc forms, protesting that she had
that day lodged the balance in the Savingsl
Bank; whercupon the Devil Informed her,
with dreadful threats of internal torment
should she fail to fulfil his behests, that he
would return the following night at the same
hour to receive the remainder Mex, morning
the poor old lady applied to the Savings Bank
for her deposit. The manager. surprised that
she should wish TO draw 1t out so soon after
having lodged it, inquired into her reasons
for SO doing, and elected full confession of
her adventure Of the previous night When
his Satanic Majesty called at 10 p. ". for the
balance Of his "pcrquisits," he was received
by two policemen, who handcutfcd HIM and
off and delivered him to the secular arm,
which will probably disable him from play.
ing the Devil for some time to come