Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-02-03
DuEL11se IN GERMAN UNIVERSITIES.

Regarding the queer, custom Of
duelling praeticed in Universities in
Germany. a. recentiWriter says :GWhat
do they fight about? Anything. AS
there must be-so much lighting, at
would seem that the sensible way
would be to select four mei wearing
green caps, to slash. four men wear
ing blue caps; but~to- give the alb
surdity some semblance Of reason an
affront,mnst pass. And so'if a green
cap overhears a blue cap make any
remark, however trivial, challenge
Is the immediate result. IF a green
cap passes a blue cap, and mods to
him, the green cap :is at-once chal1sl
lenged; for what right had he to be
familiar with him? If they pass and
one dces not recognize the other, the
non-recognized sends: "a challenge,
for the lack of recognition was an in
suit. If yellow cap criticizes an
opera singer adversely, red cap
challenges him, claiming that the
singer is his friend. If he praises
her, he is challenged all the same. for
she is not his friend, and her rival,
the challenged party, must fight. To
refuse would be to pack up and get
ont of Berlin at once, and be branded
as a coward and poltroon ever after
ward. -.
The duels take place, just now, at
garden about three miles out of the
city. On one side of the garden is a
hall of, perhaps, 50x30 feet, which'is
the arena in which thtse bloody but
seldom dangerous combats are
fought. When we arrived it was
crowded with students, every one of
whom had upon his, head and face
tokens of battle. The skull of one
had been cut by heavy fapier SO as
to make trepanning necessary, and
he wore his cap so as to show the
silver plate. Another had false nose
in place of the real one that had been
cut off year or so before, and almost
every oneihad scars, recent or ancient,
all over their faces. These scars are
considered honorable, and instead of
trying to conceal, the greatest pos
sible display is made of them.
A duel was on the tapis as we en-
tered. Two young men were . in
chairs facing each other, the right
arm, neck and breast of each pro
tected by heavy pads OF quilted can
vass. so heavy as to make those parts
proof against any stroke of the sword.
Each wore heavy iron goggles to
protect the eyes, and all vital parts
were protected so as to make
dangerous wounds impossible, or
nearly so. The rapiers, or swords,
are about three and half feet in
length, sharpened about a foot from
the end, but not pointed.
At the word the swords were
crossed with ringing "cllng" and at
another word the fight commenced.
1t was cut and parry, parry and cut,
the blows falling on head and arm or
breast with amazing rapidity. But
for the absurd padding and the lu-
dicrous goggles, the spectacle would
have been very pretty one. But
without goggles and padding serious
hurt would have followed, and that
was not desired.
After a few minutes of slashing
and parrying red steak showed upon
the forehead of one of them, and
halt was called. The surgeon
(they have one for emergencies) ex-
amined the wound, and sponged 1t.
The faces of both were sponged by
their seconds, aud at it they went
again. Other wounds were given and
taken till blood flowed from each in
streams. The fight continues a
fixed number of minutes unless be-
fore that time dangerous wound is
given, and then it ceases. Both are
presumed to have proven their
courage, and that is the real object
of the encounter.
Mr.. Sergeant, the American min
lister at Berlin, writes OF one young
man upon whose courage some re-.
Election had been made. He chal
lenged the student who had spoken
the words, and the fight proceeded
with great gallantry the specified
time. But the" umpire decided
against the challenger, because it was
claimed that twice during the COM
bat he had lodged slightly. Despite
Ills dSSeTllOD 70 tl1c COutl dIy, duu uC-
spite the fact that he was covered
with blood from head to foot, the
decision was against him, and he had
nothing to do but to quit the Uni
versity, give up his hope of a COM
mission in the army, and go home.
The man who shirks ever SO little
in one of these encounters would
not be admitted into any regiment.
Another fight took piace imme-
diately, which was even more bloody
than the first. Between these COM
batants there was actually bad blood,
and while they did not wish to kill
each other. they fought with an evil
dent desire to do all the damage
possible. One had a leather shield
upon his head, his skull having been
laid open on former occasion. As
he had proved his courage and power
of endurance, wonder was expressed
that he should be required to fight,
but the rule is that man must fight
whenever challenged, reason or no
reason. There is no escape from
that.
Everybody fights now, and every
body has fought in his day. Bismarck
was passionately fond of it, and there
is scarcely German of prominence
whose face does not bear witness to
encounters of this sort. You see
"reminiscences of student days upon
the faces of Judges, grave Senators