Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-11
YAHRMARKT.
NATIONAL TRADIsa JUBILEE-A mag
ICaL TOWN.
Scenes by the Observation-Disclosures
Observation-Disclosures
Dishes -Peasantry

Correspondence OF the RECORD UsIoSl
DRESDEN, October l6. 1889.
Been to Yahrmarkt? This has been
the universal salutation for the past two
days-two lively, active, busting DAYS.
Generally this question is quite superfu
GUS, for the well.filled satchel on the arm,
pfefferkuchen in the hand, and the servant
with her big basket, betray the source
from which all Saxon blessinga flow at this
particular season of the year. As matter
of course everybody must 90 to Yahr.
markt. How else could the German
housewife replenish her culinary depart.
ment with earthen jars, pots, pans, wooden
implements aud scrubbing brushes How
could the mother reward the good child
who has been told daily for the last Elk
months {: "Be good and you shall buy
pfefferkuchen at Yahrmarkt." Why, the
Yahrmarkt in Germany is just as effectual
moral agent as the catechism is in all
well-ordered orthodox families in America.
and / am thoroughly convinced that the
children prefer pfefferkuchen TO questions
on everlasting punishment"
well, we follow the ruling, passion and
go to market. But how changed are the
streets OF our demure and dignified ORES.
den. The moderate and well regulated
step, so becoming to people who live in
the city where Kings have long dwelt. and
where Princes and Counts roam at large
Is changed to hop, skip and Jump, as
each one hurries to the center of attraction
Among the citizens we readily distinguish
representatives from all the adjoining
towns, villages ana mountain districts
We see clumsy, oblong boxes from the
country, filled with entire families, from
grossmama" down TO the entwickled !"
baby, all In holiday costume, which is
quaint but not costly and these boxes are
logged along by skinny. bony. long legged
horses. l believe Don Quixote's Rosnante
must have originated somewhere in Ger
many We meet peasants coming from
the market laden with every imaginable
kitchen implement. Now a little old
woman, with deeply-furrowed, joyless
features, trotting side by side with her
faithful dog, pulling together the clumsy
cart laden with butter. molds, pals and
trays then another, without dog or cart,
carefully posing her heavy washtub on her
head Madchens with the "good children, -
taking home their nondescript TOYS, and
pfefferkuchen, and servants innumerable
with baskets and bundles. But at last,
after much elbowing, we arrive at the
altmarkt, headquarters of the
DRESDEN YAHRMARKT.
How grotesque appears the square, with
its beautiful white marble Germania rising
high over the tops of the queer little black
wooden booths These fill the place com
pletely, and turn the usually big open
square into an active little trading town,
fairly bristlipg with the zeal of peasants in
market season. Who waved the magic
wand that caused this little commercial
town, with its booths, wares, and funny
wizened- faced people, to spring up in a
night? Why the booths, old, black and
worm. eaten, were made, with Germany,
out of what then remained of the ark,
Each succeeding generation inherited them.
used them, and passed away, and SO they
have moved along from century to century.
II the world endures much longer the
booths will not. The wares. ranging all
the way from mirrors and lace curtains to
| shoe-strings and jack-knives, were brought
| In from the country and mountain dis.
tricts some in dog carts, some in wagons,
or IN baskets strapped upon the backs
OF the much enduring sex. One woman of
hercuiesn strength, known as the " Butter.
frau, brought on her head 100 pounds of
butter from village some miles distant.
She said she had to get up pretty early. "
This great Iahrmarkt appears in ali Ger
man towns twice year, and fourishes
generally during the months of March and
September or October. OF course cheap
editions appear every Saturday, the 'Re-
genshirm " edition, where poor, shriveled
old women sit over their apples, nuts,
cheese, flowers and onions, under mann.
moth umbrellas with faded covers and
bent or broken handles. Here they
crouch, shiver and chew their dry crusts
the live long day, to go home at night
only few pfennigs richer than they were
in the morning. Then there are the extra
numbers at Christmas, illustrated with
Madonnas and jumping jacks of wonderful
invention. But we speak now of the great
| national semi. annual jubilee in general, and
of the Yahrmarkt of October, 1882 in par
ticular. Why, Germany would be robbed
OF hall its quaintness were these trading
jubiees to be abolished
Now let us take g peep within, and
| slowly meander through the regular streets
of this systematic little town. Women
predominant at the counters and what a
babel OF tongues greets our ears! What a
combination of all known gestures Be-
tween the selling they actually do, and the
off fhax- tn,t
exciting trade is going on.
Here stands booth, three Of whose sides
are piled TO the very top with brightly.
dyed yarns /: 1t hangs from the ceiling in
knots and skeins, hobs and swings about in
| every direction on the counter it is piled
! so high that just the nose and eyes of the
toothle SIS old woman are visible over the
| top, as she lodges about between the swing
| ing skelus, and screams in squeaky voice,
Beautiful yarn Walk right up and Sc.
lect some of this beautiful yarn !''
The opposite booth is decorated in a
similar manner with the most extraordinary
| wooden toys (; but look at the sheep! No
wonder the Germans say DUNN vie Elm
schaf Stupid as a sheep), If these speci.
mems are modelled from nature. The bodies
are square; the legs innocent of joints ;
heads IKE Bartlett pear, with che ears
near the stem part; eyes green and lit.
tie askew and there they stand, stupidity
gazing. On the same counter, in gorgeous
array, stand many repetitions of
THE PROUD GODDESS GERMANIA.
What burlesque on the beautiful monu.
ment not ten steps distant But "com-
parsons are odious, and why should not
these fat-faced, long wasted, yellow.
winged, red-eyed, wooden divinities cause
the little hearts of Hans and Yacob to swell
with patriotic fervor?
The next booth is packed with wooden
cloths OF wonderful baroque and rocco
patterns, which the frau insists are s'all
pure wool, and her "mann stands on
the outside ready to convince anyone who
expresses doubt OF the subject.