Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-12-10
THE "HERR BARGN."

Cermeu the 1Imera-ODscura OF Une WOTNl
Each nationality forming part of our
heterogeneous population represents lit
tie world by itself, obeying its own social
laws and customs, and jealousy main
ing all its peculiarities. OF these nation
alties by far the most numerous, best or
ganized and most firmly combined by
common interests, recollections, tastes,
and ways of life, is the German. Stats
tics prove New York to be the third of the
great German cities of the world; and as
everybody knows, there are whole dis
tricts in the city in which knowledge of
the German language is much more neces-
sary than of the English. The character
istic feature of these districts is undoubt-
eddy the beer saloons" which are as the
stars in heaven. These establishments
scarcely ought to be designated by name
which In France is associated with re-
membranes of powdered wigs, hoops,
and Madame de Sevigne, while in America
1t is suggestive of cocktails, stale tobacco
smoke and spittoons. On entering one OF
the popular German beer houses you i'm
mediately become aware of the fact that
you are in q wirthschaft, and not in sa-
loon.
One night in passing through one Of the
quiet streets which run from Second to
Third avenue, and which some ten years
ago still enjoyed the reputation of being
up town, one particular wirthschaft,
which had not happened to notice before,
attracted my attention from its peculiarly
snug look. The narrow entrance was half
concealed by the thick foliage of a creep
ing vine, from behind which lantern,
with the inscription, al. Gorr-Wirths-
chaft," was barely visible. A small white
sign above the door exhibited the word
"Sommergarten." From inside, female
voice was heard singing an old German
song, accompanied by piano. Neither
the singer nor the instrument seemed to
be very much out of tune.
All this had a promising look so i
stepped into the establishment. The bar
room and the restaurant were deserted.
An open door led out into the back yard,
which had been converted into a summer
garden, or rather into a bower of ivy and
other creepers. Every available place in
the garden" was filed with small round
tables, and every chair at these tables
seemed at present to have already its oc-
cupant. On my entering, however, a
heet-footed waiter came flying toward me
and directed me to a small table, stu
ated behind the piano, which had hitherto
passed unobserved by the other guests.
sat down, and was just about to give
my order when the meager form of the
waiter who had welcomed me was sud
denly thrust aside by a superior force
and in his stead appeared a portly, sol
emn-looking man, clad with the most cor
rect and irreproachable elegance, dress
coat, white waistcoat, white necktie a
napkin wound round his right hand-in
word, a model of a waiter such as any
first class cafe from Delmonicos to Big
mons, might have been proud Of
you can go, Franz" this majestic man
said to the other waiter in mellow
sonorous voice; II will serve this gentle
man myself"
The combination of condescending ci
Witty and self-importance he contrived to
throw into this one word myself" was
overwhelming. In the presence of this
majestic official my original intention OF
ordering modestly zone lager" melted
away like wax. felt it would be almost
sacrilege to ask for so little of so great
being-it would be like asking Jupiter
for one of his thunderbolts to light ci-
garettel l muttered bashfully, "A pint
bottle of Rhine wine, if you please"
The great man bowed and moved away
as majestically as he had come He had
scarcely disappeared within the restaur-
crept upon me of having seen him some
where before in very different circum-
stances, where and when it was impos-
sible for me to recollect. Somehow or
other, by mysterious association of
ideas, pictures of time long past, of bet
ter and merrier days, arose in my men,
ory. saw again the boulevards of Paris,
with all their hustle at the hour when
the theatres close. felt once more about
me that atmosphere of feverish excite
ment, of restless life, which surrounds
the great Babylon of Europe. Had | seen
that man at some cafe in Paris? No, it
was not that. l could not have remem-
bered for five long and eventful years
such trifiing circumstance.
All OF sudden a name flashed upon
me, Waldheim-Count Won Waldheim-
was the man this waiter reminded me of,
and to whom he bore a most striking re-
semblance. Poor Waldheim, he was one
of the maddest vivuers of Parisl AS open
handed and generous as he was reckless
always in good spirits, he was the uni
uersal favorite of that tout Paris whose
center is the Boulevard des Italiens.
How well remember the last supper
the poor fellow gave US in the corner
room of the Cafe Anglaisl There were
four ladies in the number who, by
virtue of their beauty and their diamonds,
were the leading "stars" in that strange
hemisphere. l do believe that was the
merriest night ever passed in my life. A
sort of frenzy of childish lightheartednes
seemed to have seized on all the guests at
that funeral banquet" as Waldheim
called 1t. So uproarious were we in our
merriment that about O'Clock in the
morning sergeant de vile sent up one
of the walters to request us either to shut
the window or make less noise, as we
were disturbing the neighborhood. At
daybreak Waldheim sprang up from his
seat, filled his glass for the last time, and.
opening the balcony door, pointed to the
boulevards stretching quiet and deserted
at our feet in the dim, gray light OF
dawn.
my last toast, ladies and gentlemen
he exclaimed, lis to this great living mon,
ster of Paris, which has devoured me and
so many otheri For thee, In thy enchant-