Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1884-01-24
From Germany.
CAssK1, GERNANr. Dec. 2s, 1885.

CAssEI, GERMANY, Dec. 26, 1883.
Editors Banner:
Christmas has passed off here so quietly
thSt from all external appearances no on
would have suspected any unusual occasion
unless indeed, from the extraordinary stillnes
which pervaded the city, and from the fac
that all places of business were closed durin,
part Of the day. Christmas is perhaps NOR
universally celebrated here than in Americu
but in an altogether different spirit. Their
Is no firing of guns or other explosives of an,
sort; no crowds of intoxicated and fun-seek
ing men on the streets; the fre-cracker ant
the sky-rocket seem to be totally unknown
and there Is a notable lack Of other ear-pierc
ing cOntrivances, through which JonnC
America is want TO vent his surcharged en-
thusiasm on this occasion.
On the other hand everybody after LAYING
by supply of choice beer and the best eata
bles his means will afford, retires home anC
celebrates Christmas as quietly rs he would
his birthday with his family.
did not see an intoxicated man in the
whole city. On the other hand everybody
seemed to be universally sober.
l had no little occasion TO wonder at the
small amount of drunkenness | have seer
here, considering the fact that liquor is cheap
and its sale perfectly free. Though total alb
sence is totally unknown in this country and
every German, big or little, male or female
drinks more or less liquor, vet it must be said
for the sobriety of the German people-per-
haps some of It should be credited to the
purity Of their liquors-that there l. infinite
ly less drunkenness here than in America,
where there is n strong public sentiment
against the use of intexicants, and where q
thousand restrictions are thrown around
their sale.
When a German does happen to get
drunk, It very rarely assumes a malignant or
combative type. II is more apt to be q jol-
ly, good-natured sort of drunk. Occasion
ally, from my room, can hear one or more
ofthem jogging down the street singing with
all their might, but interfering with nobody.
The police pay no attention TO them and
they wend their way through the city, filling
the evening air with their melodies.
attended services Christmas day tn the
English Episcopal Chapel here, where per
haps, one hundred and fifty persons were
congregated. was somewhat surprised TO
find so many English speaking people here.
There must be several hundred in the city.
Besides these there are hundreds of Germans
who have learned enough English in the
schools (it istaught here in all the higher
schools) to be able to mangle with the Ian
guage. Ny principal amusement is listening to
their ludicrous efforts TO exercise themselves
i'll English. / was talking the other
day with one of these, who had been
to America and whospoke on the
whole IVORY good English. During our
conversation very old and decrep-
it man passed by. He asked me to guess how
old this man was. would nothave been
astonished to hear that he was centenArian.
But not wishing to spoil the surprise he had
in store for me, replied: @0h, about seven-
ty years" "Why," he replied, that is tine
oldest man in Cassel; he is forty-nine years
old" 1 said nothing, but began to think
that Cassel was very unhealthy place OF
the Germans must be very short-lived peo-
pie. Suddenly his mistake occurred to me.
He meant ninety-four instead of forty-nine
Germans say four and ninety for ninety-four,
hence the mistake was quite natural.
Iquestion whether you have had as mild
weather in Texas during Christmas as we
here; the Thermometer registered a. We
have had good sleighing and skating, but
once and then only for few DAYS; the win
ter has been extraordinarily mild But what
the weather has failed in cold it has provided
in rain. l have not seen three absolutely
rainless days since my arrival; while the sun
is seen so seldom that he has become we'll
nigh stranger.
The German crown prince has returned
from his tour to Spain and Italy. The record
of his pereginstions constituted the chief and
almost the only item Of news in our papers
while he was absent. He was received with
much ado both in Spain and Rome. @Not
only" says our leading morning paper, "as
the proxy of the German empire, but also as
the representative of the monarchical idea
which is founded upon the fear of of God
and the noblest humanity.
FRANK KIErER, Jr.