The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-10-17
DUELING AMONG STUDENTS.
HOW THEY SLASH EACH OTHER WITH
KEEN-EDeED SWORDS.

tnined Only by Hard Fighting and SOmes
times nc the Cost of Life.
4 letter from Gottingen, Germany,
says The "Landwehr is one of a
half-dozen restaurants to which Got
fingers walk out pleasant afternoons,
the gentlemen to drink beer and to
smoke, the ladies to sip coffee and
knit; all to gossip But what gives it
notoriety is the fact that the students
fight their "mensurs there. 1t is
perhaps a mile from town, on the
main highway of all the region. To
day a corps from the university at
Freiburg and another from Keil were
pitted against each other there. There
were three students on each side.
Two Of the combats came off this morn
ing, and went out this afternoon to
see the third. AS we approach within
few hundred yards of the restaurant
we see near the road a sentinel whom
the students have posted. 1t some
times occurs that the "pedels" Gin
some respects a kind of university
police) come down upon the combat
| ants. The sentinePs business is to
give warning of their approach, where
upon the belligerents vanish from the
scene. But such interruptions are not
frequent. Neither the universities
nor the government make any serious
attempts to suppress these combats.
On the one side Of tie road is the
inn proper; on the other side is low,
long unattractive house. in which oc-
cur the " mensurs."
Entering an ante-room a sevant
cakes in our cards. AS we wait there
is heard within the clash Of steel. The
combat is in progress. Being invited
in, we take seats in the gallery among
| thirty or forty other spectators, mostly
students. The room below, forty feet
long by twenty broad, is furnished
with few plain tables and chairs. AT
one end is counter from which beer
and luncheon are served; at the other
are wash-basins, towels, mirrors, etc.
Here a student is. coat off, busy
dressing the wounds of a combatant.
In another part of the room another
student is similarly employed. Sitting
or standing, more or less in groups,
are some forty stu lents. They are
members of the corps" They ia k,
Jest, laugh in undertones. Some smoke.
Healths drunk back and forth are ac-
knowledged by bowing and the raising
Cf caps. In the faces of these men are
many scars; old, just healed, yet in
bandages. One poor fellow in partic-
ular has, we judge, a "sore head.
Bandages 50 Dearly envelop it that IA
little of his face alone is visible.
tnio .if oil
with a coolness bordering on indiffer-
ence. There is among the students
themselves not particle of excite
ment. But the combat meanwhile is
going vigorously on. In the center of
the room are Chalks on the flocr, two
lines, about three feet apart. The
combatants stand on these. Each
wears pair of stout metallic spectacle
frames, as protection for the eyes.
Around their necks are folded cloths,
by way of protection. Thick, padded
aprons, which extend to the knees,
make their breast secure from random
strokes. They wear bucksIin gloves
on their right hands. These gloves
have sleeves which extend to the
shoulders, which are thiclIly padded
The left arm hangs inactive, and is
out of danger. The weapon is the
"schlager," a straight, narrow, sharp,
elastic blade of steel, about forty inches
long. Its handle is provided with a
frame which completely protects the
hand.
The strokes are dealt from the wrist
out; the rest of the arm is held mo-
; tionless and stiff. The combatants do
not move during the making of passes
/ out of their tracks. The seconds, like
wise provided with "schlagers," stand
2 at the left of the prime pals.
Sic liegen aus (they are ready,
5 cries the one. Los, the other, At
this word the combatants fall slash
ing. Halts are called after cry five
/ or six passes the seconds catch with
their schlagers any blows that may
fall after the halt is commanded. The
= wounds are examined, the needles "
are counted by the judges, whereupon
a few more passes are made. Pauses
of several minutes duration were fire.
quently requested by the seconds and
3 obtained. During these stops, no matter
7 how short, the arms of the combatants
= were supported by some one. BY
4 needles" is meant the number of
stitches Necessary to close up the
wounds. The larger the number of
needles inf ted the greater the glory.
: 4 "mensur" is ,ontnued until the
Y time agreed upon is filled, or until one
= of the cOmbatants is disabled Only
e the time during which pa ses are being
: made is taken in.o account. In this
t sense a mensur lasts from fifteen to
= twenty minutes.
/. The object Of the antagonists is to
inAict on one another the largest pos
Q sble numb,r Of "neelle How well
1 they succeeded is shown ly the locks
, of hair which are md de to fly as well