The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-28
THE PRUSSIAN VENDS.
The Country and Customs of 6
Curious People.
THREE DAYS IN sPREEwALD.
- Immature Holland in Germany
'endist Dinser-A Bare-Legged
Venus, Queer Canal Lite.

nav 1ORk, November l5.-Iu III
heart OF Germany, about sixty mile
south of Berlin, lives one of the mos
curious people Of Europe. Subject t
the German government. dealing en-
tirely with Germans in all their bushes
relations, they are widely differen
from them in manners, customs an,
dress. Their country is out of the lin,
OF tourist travel. It is accessible only n,
the country road and canal. Few travel
ers know Of il, and it came to nv
knowledge through one of my German
lady acqua:ntances. Frau Won Shack
cultured lady, who comes of the best
families OF Germany, directed me 10 il.
We were strolling by the shops of Inter
Den Linden in the direction OF Der
Thier-garten and had Just passed Will
helm Strasse, where Bismarck lives.
when We saw q tall, strapping, good
looking nurse, girl, wearing one OF the
most Curious costumes 1 had ever seen.
her skirts were short, heri arms were
bare. She had 3 gayly decorated shawl
thrown about her shoulders. and her
hair was covered with a shawl or large
handkerchief so tied that the ends stuck
out on each side OF her head like horns.
As L turned To look at her Frau Won
Shack said: ''She is a Yend. They
make the best nurses in the world, and
We have no better Servants in Germany
than they are"
WHO are they?" asked 1. a-
| The Nends, replied the madam
I ssaTa a branch N thu Rrraazsar, Il, II
races. They are one IF the old races of
Europe, and they once owned a great
part OF Germany. During the Fifth
century they were as far advanced as
the Saxons. and for q long time they
were one OF the great peoples of early
Germany. They got along well enough
with the Saxons as long as both were
heathens. But as sooR as the Saxons
became converted to Christianity a re-
Iglous war began. The Vends stuck TO
their own heather religion, but inch by
inch Christianity conquered and they
became swallowed up in the German
people. One part, however, has little
changed, and this part lies within rail |
road ride OF two hours from Berlin. The |
country Is known as the Spreewald, or |
the forest OF the Spree River. The land
was originally marshy. The Nends |
were crowded into IL. They cut canals |
through the marshes and turned them |
into farms. The Germans, OF course.
conquered them. and they own the land |
all about them but this has not changed /
their character. They pay taxes To Ger
many and they serve as German sold
ieTs. Outside OF this they have little
connection with us, and they are as
much q different people from US as if
they lived TWO hours ride from Moscow
instead of Berlin. They have a different
Language from the Germans and the
Bible Is printed in IL. The country is a
one and you cannot do bet
ter than visit il. You will 20 about in
boats and will for the time jump into
another world"
The day following this talk a slow
train bore me past the windmilis and II
market gardens out of Berlin, past Pots
dam, the summer residence of the Ger
man kings. and on 10 Netschan, ! little
station about sixty miles away. From S
here / w;hked i've miles over q. country {
road to Burg, which is one of the CAPT s
tails OF IhIs Nendish nation. The air I
was braCing, the road was as solid as '
marble. Tree from dust and lined with 8
shade trees. A country walk in Ger
many Is lar different from one IN '
America. One finds a restaurant at
every two or three miles, and so many 9
people walk in Europe that he is sure of I
company of some kind. The larks sang I
iEeetly this morning, and the yellow
,rain mixed with the beautiful blue
Kaiser Blumen) was roll I
ng like the waves of the sea as / walked Z
Ilong in company with two handsmerk- f
bursche, or journeymen travellers. {
Jolly fellows may be met with in v
my place on any country road in Ger v
many. They. are young men who having o
earned their trades, walk about over Y
europe, paying their way by practlcing Il
hem as they go along. G
After they have made their grand v
our they are ready to settle down Tor II
ood. These young fellows carry staff p
4 one hand and have knapsacks upon a
heir backs. Ralph Keller, noted cor o.
of the past, disguised as one c.
( them, made the tour OF Europe for Il
Isl III currency He pronounced this IL
lass OF travellers the lOllieSt he met any b
here and l find them very intelligent c.
Is we walked together We chatted OF tie pi
itferences Of America and Germany. Ia
hey were amused at my description OF a
.merican fences and thought the "
ages received b. American laborers 81
ere fortunes. There are no fences in II
ermany. The cattle are kept in their Ill
.a6ies and the crops grow side b. side bi
it'll only imagi mary boundaries. The m
eople live in villages, and the houses are al
OF scattered over the farms as in q
merica. gr
Three miles an hour is considered the SD
Terage speed for an European pedes ca
ian, and in an hour and half we had tn
cached Burg. After dinner of kalos- a
raten and glass of beer. / found a
an who could speak German and who lif
,nsented 70 row me through the cOun- pa
V az the rate OF 81 q day. He pro- go
ired a kahn, or one Of the boats which IA
e exclusively used in this country. II ju
q long. narrow. fat bottomed affair he
bout eight inches deep. Into this he 60
rev some hay and told me to lie as
JTn 81 my ease. Then standing up he yO
Ished The oOst along with q pole. pi
,dgirg around corners and passing II
her boats with ali the skill of a Nene- TO
an goEdoiier Horses are almost IS qu
KNOW n the Sp-seEslt as in Venice, az