Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-07-31
HEIDELBERG. GERMANY.

is one of the best indications of wider
progress and culture among peoples.
1t mingles and modifes the single ten
dency of every nations thought into
one large swerving current which is
Intensely strengthened by the accumu-
lation and variety of thought forces.
Every people is apt to become civilized
and progress according to its environ
ments and opportunities. The different
excellences become combined and very
much better mankind and human
happiness. A great many hundred
years ago we hear of travellers going
through different countries to learn
the sciences and arts. 1t is said that
more than 5000 years ago Herodasus
travelled in Egypt and wrotei its history.
Thucydides also from Greece learned
from the schools of Egypt and the
celebrated Greek philosopher Pythago-
rus learned while travelling in the Nile
land, how to teach Geometry. This
knowledge was then carried by travel
to Rome by such men as Aristotle,
Plato and Socrates and by the Romans
all through Europe. The conveniences
for travel shows a nations genius to
progress. The most convenient and
rapid methods are found in the U. S.
After that comes England but it has
poor system for baggage and that
creates anxiety for the traveller. A
person is also put in a small coup with
no suitable conveniences for natural
accidents on long journeys. In Ger
many the method of travel is about
the same as in England except baggage
is very expensive. 1t has three classes
of passengers. Its hotel accomoda-
tons is not pleasant. The ordinary
hotel generally means bare room
without light, fire, soap or towels. You
order what you wish to eat. The
stove is generally large stone oven
and they charge you 20 pfennig or S
cents to make single fire in it. An
oil lamp is rare in those rooms. The
bed room is heavily furnished with
quaint heavy gilt edged furniture.
The cost is relatively the same as in
America. Russia is still less progress
sive. Third class travel is nearly two
cents a mile. In the interior Of
Russia travel is not pleasant. All the
hotels give them generally is bare
room with bare iron bedsted. The
traveller in the interior of this country
carries his mattress, sheets, pillows, etc
in pack. Then he carries in another
pack his candles, tea, sugar, and food
It is rather comical relative to candles
as the landlord will furnish you with
two candles every night whether you
burn any or not and so charge it in the
final bill. Many travellers simply
preserve the candles and carry the
unused ones home in the satchel Fires
are troublesome, at times, to obtain
and expensive unless it is between the
18th of Nov. and the 18th of April
when fires continually burn, but at
other times they are put out after
'curfew" fashion or at sunset. The
stoves generally are built in the wall,
some s or 10 feet high and are called
such hard name that your humble
servant can neither spell or pronounce
it. Russia is unpleasantly strict on
anything foreign. No drugs are allow
ed to pass its frontier and you cannot
buy any drugs without physicians
prescription. A travellers pockets
are well searched as is all his baggage,
and duty is charged thereon All news
papers undergo official inspection and
anything unpleasant to his official eye
is blackened or blotted out. In one
thing Russia (with Italy) is in advance
of the q. S. and that lies in the wise
provision of allowing no patent medi-
cines to exist within it's borders. The
ladies need a remark The highest
class Of ladies smoke in Russia. You
can see them smoking on the streets.
They gossip some but the German
lady can excel in that. Society is
costly in Russia as so many presents
are made and dress is fashionable.
Norway is very much frequented by
travellers as it is more barren country.
Much travelling is done there by a
horse and cart in which traveller sits
ahead of the owner and drives the
horse. The Norwegians are generally
very honorable as is shown by the idea
that in many places no locks or keys
are employed. The honor of the
German and Norwegian people is high
ly commemorate as is indicated by
trusting foreigners so freely with bills.
France and its society and morals will
speak for themselves; suffice 30 say if
any immortality exists the Frenchman
is very critical about it and knows it
originated outside of France and was
taken to Paris by travel. A few cities
in Eurore are generally visited hv ali