Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-14

Augsburg, an ancient town, located in
healthy and productive country. Like
most old cities it has many dark and mar
row streets. There are some editices,
churches and antiquities, however, which
are worth seeing. The Cathedral. psrtly
built in the sixth century, has fine paint
iugs and picture-stained windows. The
Court. house, built in 1915, Is one of the
finest in Germany and besrs the sensible
inscription "Publico consilio, public@
saluti." Its main hall, lighted by fifty
two windows, contains a large picture gal
lery. Near the Court house is the Per
lachsthurm, a tower three hundred and
twenty six feet high. Augsburg was once
one of the free cities of Germany. Before
leaving Bavaria we must mention two other
places. The first is Nuremberg, a city
presenting more clearly the impressions OF
the Middle Ages than any city in Ger
many. Its streets, although for the most
part narrow and irregular, are lively and
have an inviting appearance. The COM
merce and industry of Nuremberg have
always been great. Its fancy articles,
TOYS and carved goods are known all over
the world. Here watches were invented
by Hela. 1t is the birthplace of Durer,
the celebrated painter and author. With
it's activity and industry Nuremberg would
still appear to an American in many re-
spects a backward old place. One instance
will serve as an illustration. 0ne evening
saw a fire which had originated in the up
per story of building used as place Of
storage for hops. The fire at first was In
significant and could have been easily ex'
tinguished. Notwithstanding the large
crowd of spectators no efforts were made
for come time to check it. Upon inquiry
was informed that
NO ORDERS HAD YET BEEN GIVEN
By the authorities to the Fire Department
When that body set to work saw couple
of old hand pumps which seemed to feed
the fire instead OF subduing it. coon had
occasion to repent of my curiosity, for the
police made every one near work in passing
water buckets, which was another primi
| tive way of dealing with fire. Chains
were formed to the nearest place of water
and the buckets passed from hand to hand
The reader can imagine of how little effec
is such a system. The United States
stand ahead of the world in the way o.
! dealing with great fires but as every
question has its two sides, we would in
| quire if prevention is not better thar
cure. If Europe is behind in that respect
| it must be conceded that fires occur there
much more seldom than here. The build
ings are for the greater part of stone, with
sIate-roofs, and this may also be the reason
why there are so few CONGREGATIONS. An
other noteworthy place in Bavaria is Kiss
! ingen. This is watering place of renowp
| which attracts many visitors. The water;
are bottled and sent all over the worlC
on account of their curative qualities.
A GLIMPSE OF BOHEMIA.
As the Austrian frontier is close at hand
and as that country, which has still pop
ulation of ten millions of Germans, hai
played, until lately, prominent part il
the history of Germany, l shall in my
next say something about its beautiful cap
| ital. Besides, Vienna may be considered
a German CITY in every respect in language
manners and customs. The opinion il
often expressed by travellers, who have via
tied the capitals of Europe, that Vienna
is the finest and most pleasant city aftel
Paris. On the way to Vienna one may
travel through Bohemia, that old ant
strange country, the name of whose inhab
itants is SO generally used to indicate row
ing character. Singularly enough the adop
ton of the name Bohemian" used il
this sense, seems unaccountable. as nc
roaming disposition is discernible in the
Bohemians, who stick with tenacity to thei
native soil. Bohemia has population o
about five millions, of which two.thirdI
belong to the Slavic race and one. third tx
the German. 1t is bordered on all sides by
mountain ranges its valleys are not very
productive, and the country in genera
shows but little improvements. Prague
it's capital, lies on the river Moldan and il
the heart of the country.