The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-21
From the CornhiA Magazine.

der.
From the Co,7thjh Magazine
Germany, il truth, is the native land of
beer, and nowhere in the world is it treated
with such special honor. In Germany the
drinking of beer is not, as with us, a mere
means of carnal refreshment, but, particu-
larly among the students of the universities,
is elevated to the dignity of a cult, famil-
iarity with whose ritual is deemed ar es-
sential branch of liberal education. We
| remember to have seen, appended to a re-
| cipe of NJ. Francatelhs for some specially
seductive beverage, the recommendation
Stir and drink devoutly." This is pre-
cisely the mental attitude of the German
| student in relation to beer. He drinks ode
| voutly;' indeed, it might almost be said,
parodying the familiar Oriental phrase, that
| in Germany there is no God but beer, and
the student is his prophet"
The art and mystery of German beer
| drinking is too important matter to be left
to the uncertainty of oral tradition. 1t has
a literature of its own, consisting of BieI.
! Comments, or Codes of Beer Etiquette
Many of the leading universities have beer
codes of their own, their practice varying
| in sundry minor particulars. The Bier
| Comment of the Senior University, Hell
| delberg, at this moment lies before us. 1t
| has reached twelfth edition, bearing date
| 1878. We note that it has been revised by
successive Commissions" in 1929, 1910,
lS4S and 1855, respectively, and may there
fore be takea to repI esent tue very latest
and completest phase of beer wisdom. 1t
bears on its title page, by way of motto,
quotation from Leasing:
Zu vel kann man wohl trinken,
DOch trSnkt man ME genug,
signifying in the vernacular-
Too much man may drink,
But ne'er can drink enough
The code is divided into ten chapters, and
these again into l02 sections or paragraphs.
On opening it the reader is struck by GU
riouS omission. Paragraphs l to 10 are left
completely blank, so that the code actually
begins with paragraph II. There is an oc-
cult reason for this Paragraph II is the
keynote of the whole affair, and in all prop
erly drawn beer codes, however they may
vary in ether particulars, paragraph II is
the same In the Heidelberg code, though
still nominally retaing its ancient number,
it is practically made paragraph l by sup
pressing all earlier sections. Every German
student is expected to have paragraph II
indelibly inscribed on tn tablets of his
memory. and, lest he should be tempted to
forget it, its outward symbol, sec. H. is fire.
quenty engraved on the front Of his beer
tankard. It is a very short paragraph,
consisting of three words only, but they are
pregnant with meaning-"E s wird fortge-
soften" "Still must we swill on" is perhaps
the nearest English equivalent; the sentence
implying the duty of the faithful not merely
to drink, but to drink Like beast IA gross
libel on beasts, by the way, and to keep on
drinking. The reader will, in the course of
this paper, have the opportunity of satisfy
ing himself that paragraph II is by no
means allowed to remain dead letter.
meeting of students for purposes of
drink and song is known as a Kneipe, a
word primarily signifying tavern or pot
house The kneip-table, or society of drink
ers, consists of President, Batrschen, or
senior students, and Juniors, technically
known as foxes, these being students who
have not vet completed their first year of
study. The latttr are regarded as being
mere babes and stockings in relation TO
beer. and are forbidden, under suudry pen
alties of a berry nature, to take the initia-
tive, or indeed any prominent part, in the
mysterious ceremonies to be hereafter de-
scribed. In order, however, the better t.
impress the novices with the beauty and
dignity of beer, the duty OF ''chalking
down" the pames and sentences Of offenders
on the blackboard to that end provided is
intr.usted to the foxes. Sometimes the
President calls on fox by name to perform
this duty If otherwise, all the foxes pres
ent are reSpOnSlDie LOT lJS que uSCuaTBeS
and if it is not fulfilled within five minutes
thew become themselves liable to fine.
The President has the general conduct of
the proceedings. With him rest the choice
of the songs to be sung, the maintenance of
order and the punishment of any offence
against the laws of beer. Such offences are
SO numerous that it must be difficult for
even the most experienced not TO be caught
tripping occasionally. A single section of
the code par 80 enumerates twenty-seven
cases of liability to fine (of course to be
paid in beer, while section 9S indicates
twelve more in which the offender is liable
to the awful punishment of "beer excom- |
municationn [BierUerschiss, or the loss of
his 'beer honor" (Bierehre, while there are
even cases, 'in the lowest deip lower |
deep in which the offender sec. 99l is liable |
both TO accommodation and fine.
The wretch who has lost his beer honor is |
indeed ia pitiful case. Being declared under |
fine ban by the President, he is forthwith |
sschalked down. by beer-honorable fox, |
as already described, with the oppro rious
title Bierschisser, on the blackboard, the |
nillorv of weak-lrneed drinkers. From this /
ignoninious position he can only extricate |
himself by ''fighting out, after the man
ner 10 be hereafter explained. Meanwhile
he can take no part in the musical oliver