Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-07-04
Queer Tentonic Customs


Queer Teutonic Customs,
The average German, especially the
younger masculine portion Of the com
munity, takes great care to have his
person that is, his hair, at ieast-yery
neat, writes correspondent from Ber-
lin to the San Francisco Chronicle In
fact, ones previously acquired notions
that the ladies have possession Of the
greater part, if not all, Of the worlds
stock OF vanity, receives a very stagger-
ing blow when he sees how very careful
the German young men are to appear at
their best On all occasions. But even
this personal vanity would not be so
bad If their toilets were not made in the
public view, for there is something dis
tasteful, to Americans at least, in seeing
any one, much less man, calmly take
out little pocket hair brush and pro-
ceed to smooth DOM his hair. Over
here, however, such things are univer-
sal and are considered to be quite the
thing. No matter what the occasion is,
or where, the HAIR. brush is a constant
and much-used companion. On enter
ing the theaters or music halls everyone
OF the young men goes to his seat, pulls
out his little brush and proceeds IN the
most m9tter offact way to arrange his
hair, referring now and then to q small
IOOkIng-glass on the back OF the brush
to admire the general effect. Even IN
the restaurants the same thirg is done
over tue soup. The result is tDat one
sees the smoothest and sleekest arranged
hair among the younger Germans. But
the effect is spoiled when one has the
thing forced upon him at all times and
on all occasions and finds himself
In a geutleman's dreasirG-room every
where he goes, just as one would not
think SO much of pretty complexion,
even if one previously knew it were ar
tificlal, If he saw the fair possessor ap-
plying the cosmetic. Il is strange how
such little things will affect one, but
they do; and one is often compelled, in
spite of himself, TO form his opinions
from little things. OF course when one
says sail younger Germans" he does
not mean every single one Of them.
For there are few, even among the
physically almost perfect Germans, who
wear their hair a la Buffalo Bill. How
ever, these are few III number and eff
Terminate in body and mind, having a
great deal of the aesthetic and poetic in
their natures. Their lilly-white hands
and pale faces offer a striking contrast
to the brawny and rudy appearance of
their more fortunate and manly broth
ers.' One cannot always account for
ones prejudices and / am free to con-
fess that cannot account for my preiu-
dice against man who parts his hair II
the middle. I have such prejudice.
And the natural result is that I find
my self prejudiced against very great
majority of the young men over here.
For nine out of every ten part their hair
III the exact, mathematical centers of
their craniums; and, not content with
this, continue the parting clear down
the back of their necks as far as the
hair reaches, carefully brushing the hair
away to each side.
The hat with us Is used as a covering
for the head, and is not removed except
under extraordinary circumstances, such
as salutlng lady, entering a room, and
the like. One would not think of rails
ing his hat to his intimate gentlemen
friends every time be meets them on the
street. But the Germans take it as a
great breach of etiquette, if not decid-
ed personal insult, If you pass them
with simple "Good- morning, or
elbow are you ?" You must raise your
hat and make a decidedly low bow.
This would be a little announcement, if
nothing worse, # you were only acquaint-
ed with a few gentlemen. But when one
walks down the street and meets forty Or
fifty gentlemen in the course of an
hours stroll, and is compelled to go
through the same hat-raisIng formula
to each and every one of them, the thing
becomes a little monOtonous.
The same effusiveness prevades all
classes of society, and one sees old men
and boys saluting each other in the same
manner. But one can see even more
touching sights than this If he haunts
the railroad stations and watches the de-
partures and arrivals. In America kiss
ing of friends and acquaintance is left
to be monopolized almost entirely by
ladies; but over here the men take their
share of the good things-if good things
it may be called-and kiss and hug each
other on occasion in way that is truly
affecting. You will see two friends
standing on the platform at the railway
station, one OF them going of on jour
ney of perhaps six hours duration.
They stand there, hand in hand, talking
very rapidly, and regrett1og the stern
necessitv which compels them 10 part.
The conductor calls All aboard! The
two friends throw themselves into each
others arms: kiss each other, first on
one cheek, and then on the other; pat
each other on the back; kiss again; give
each other final bear-like hug and re-
sounding smack and tear themselves
apart-one to take his station at the car
window, wave his handkerchief, and
strain his eyes for one last look, and the
other to stand on the platform and do
the same.