The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-02-14
Rambles About Europe.


TRAVELS IN GERMANY. DESCRIPTION OF
SIGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS OF IT'S PEOPLE.
HEIDLEBERG'S UNIVERSITY.
Prof. L. G. Bateman in Elmra Sunday Tele-
gram.
Heidelberg. as it IS well known, is the
seat of the greatest university of learning
in the world and is justly celebrated for
the many noted scholars who have adorn-
ed its professional chairs. There are
about ] 900 students in its various class
es, who are collected from ali quarters of
the globe. These young men are for the
most part good looking, stalwart fellows,
and give one the impression that they
take life easily, although not peacefully,
aS many Of them bear marks in the shape
of ugly scars about their faces indicative
of the existence of a great deal Of quar-
relling among them, combined with lax
er notions of discipline than would be toll
Grated by American academic authori-
ties. The students are divided into five
different corps, distinguished by the color
Of their caps and by badges; and between
these different corps there exists strong
feeling Of Jealousy. which is continually
leading them into
TROUBLE AND DUELS
The extent to which this barbarous
practice of dueling is carried among the
students is astonishing and was told
that it was encouraged by the college
authorities and the government, on the
ground that it increases a warlike and
martial spirit among the Young men, that
is so necessary for the people of a mill
tary nation A short distance from the
university buildings is the bridge which
crosses the Neckar, and leads to the in
closure of the dueling ground, to which
strangers are rarely admitted. In these
"atfars of honor the combatants have
their surgeons, seconds, etc, and seldom
quit the ground until one or the other of
them receives a cash in the face which
generally terminates the encounter.
Through the courtesy of a student whose
acquaintance | had formed, was Invited
to witness one Of these duels during my
stay in Heidelberg. One of the com oat-
ants was stalwart young fellow, wear
ing the green color, which is the distin-
gushing mark of the students from West
phala the other one was decorated in
white which showed that he was a Prus-
=
feeling and enmity between these colors,
it was known that the encounter would
be both
DETERMINED AND BLOODY.
The men were so Swathed, and ban
daged, and padded out, as to present the
appearance of Egyptian mummies. Cross
ing the room from different directions,
they paused for a single moment to eX-
change the courteses usual on such oc-
casions, and then their blades flashed
through the air. They were both expert
sWordsmen, and for some time victory
seemed to hang in the balance. At last
the superior quickness of the PruSsian
decided the contest, for with lightning
like blow he struck down his opponents
guard, and then by a slight turn Of the
wrist nearly severed his nose from his
face. Immediately the surgeons We're on
hand to patch up the dstigured member
as well as medical science would permit.
During the operation, noticed some of
the students were holding a consultation
in another part of the room. \ moment
later one Of them crossed over to where
was standing and politely handed me
glittering rapier with the request that
should try my skill with any person in
| the room that | might select. | told him
that | was newspaper writer and that
in my country all of my profession We're
practical duelists, and, in encounters of
this kind, rarely let up until they had
SLAUGHTERED THEIR OPPONENT.
While | should be most happy to crafty
his desire, | feared that in the excite
ment of the moment | should ceave him
in twain under the impression that he
was rival writer who had called me a
liar, thief, and the murderer of my grand
mother. He assured me that such
chances as he would be obliged to take
in fighting me were incident to the life Of
a Heidelberg duelist, and his honor, and
college standing, would not permit him
TO withdraw from the contest of the kind
simply because his life was in imminent
peril. At last we arrived at compro-
mise by acknowledging that was feeling
very Sickly that afternoon, and also had
serious conscientious scruples about fight
ing duel at that hour of the day.
Promising him that | would send an aid
around to arrange duel which should
be fought at midnight, | bowed myself
out, well pleased to think that could es-
cape without having the mans blood on
my hands.
The principal object of historical in
terest in Heidelberg is, of course, the cas-
tie. 1t is stupendous pile, the
LARGEST IN GERMANY,
and if we except the Moorish Alhambra
in Spain, the finest ruined castle in the
world. This extraordinary structure,
reared by many hands in the course OF
many centuries, is most wonderful
mingling'of palace and fortress. Its open
and desolate chambers and arches on
every side show that the mailed hand of
time and war have detaced and over
thrown that which the cunning hand of
art was engaged for six centuries in rails
ing aud adorning. Rising high on the
summit of preclpitOus ledge directly in
the rear, or rather at one end of the city,
it must have been well nigh impregnable
during the middle ages. The battle
ments and ledge in front must rise to a
height of 300 feet, while in the rear it
gradually slopes off into beautiful forest
once filled with fountains and adorned
with the noblest works of art. The walls
of the terraces are now covered with a
thick foliage of ivy and brambles, while
from their summit you can easily throw a
stone upon the
ROOFS OF THE TOWN,
so close do they lie beneath. One of the
first things you will notice is the diversi-
fed architecture of the castle itself
Gothic arches, Byzantine domes, Moorish
pillars and Renaissance sculptures are all
commngled in the most weird and fan
tastic shapes. In inches on the wall
stand rows of knights in full armor, now
broken and dismembered, but once rep
resenting the chieftains of feudal chival-
ry, as well as the heroes of Jewish his
tory and classic fable. You enter the
moss grown, desolate chambers and on
| ui Il dol nd l1,t11