Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1889-09-26
LETTER FROM EUROPE.
FRANKFORT, GERMANY,
September 10, 1889.


American newspaper man and author, not
or,lv ave me an entry 90 his own box Tor
mv.eifand friends, but entertained me at
dinner which will always remain as one oil
NV nlea.ant recOllectiOns of Paris, because
IL was an elegant American dinner ne
showed me other kindnesses that need net
be mentioned, aud almost templeo me %
STAY in France beyond my allotted t'lhg 1,., l
could not help feeling proud OF the via
West show of Col. Cody, because IL l. 80
thoroughly genuine. His Indians are real
Indians; his cowboys real cowboys; ana
his buekiug horses such "a none out COW
bovs dare 10 mount. Twice every day since
he tQth of Nav it has exhibited to thous-
onds of SPECTATORS, and at every exhibition
,be seats are still crowded. Perhaps not
| the least amusing part of the entertainment
| +. the opeaing address and announcement
oftbe program from time 20 time, by one OF
INA cowhOvs whose entire knoWledge OF
French Is confined % the words he utterS'
Il, aha recommendation of which he has Oeen
csrsflliv trained by French masters When
| I bopgbt nv tickets for Strasburg iouhd
| h,J ~ on IA the German embassy IN Paris
,nJ have my passport rised, as they call IL
pa cootribute twelve and bali francs
80 dollars and a half-to the German treas
n-v one of the most reluctant expenses !
have incurred in ak my travels. when /
r,,cbed the German border 1 had not only
M SHOW nv passport, for the only time since
la,ving home but 10 pass my baggage thro
d., custom house. i had done this IN Eng
land a free-trade country, aud ~ France q
bigb tariff country, but in both eases II nas
been mere formality, and my yallse was
cbalked without question. suppose
would have been the same thing III entering
Germany. but the inspector caught signt VI
little box containing pm cushion repre-
senting the Eiiel tower, and ol announcer az
NE trinket had bought as memehto oil the
Paris Exposition. This was TOO much Tor
his anti French feeling, and these things
were solemnly taken over TO the appraiser
a tariff tax of niuety-fve piennigs was duly
assessed upon them, and / shall bring home
with me the itemized and receipted account
oftbe German empire, for It's paymen' Al
Strasburr found a large corps OF the Ger
man army encamped, and many things %
show the attitude of scarcely disguised nos
ulItv with which France ard Germany yet
co,fr,nt each other. The town itself is no
red chiefly for its cathedral and us wonder
I'M clock which visited and heard strike
rba hour of noon. with the Growing OF the
cock. and tbe procession OF the disciples be
fora the Saviour. aad oh the other mechan-
...,l wonders so familiar % young readers.
n. a. SIGHTS could be more interesting 10 q
man from new country than that of Str,1s
hnr, from tbe tower of the Cathedral The
old houses with their gables facing the
streets. and their steep. tiled roofs, 80 hiSh
10 times that | counted i've rows OF dormer
windows in them, all speak OF remote PaSt'
while the peculiar aud becoming mead
lre.ses of the Alsatian peasant women WI"
.bronged the market place, with their gar
dem products aud iruit, made the scene Ell
ireIy novel 10 me. From StsasbgTg tray
sled next 20 Heidelberg, famous Tor is Uni
rer.itv that celebrated its five hundredth
anniversary I'm 1856. and also for the ruin
,f its castle on the Hill above the town.
had spent day 40 Cambridge aud several
laws al Oxford, England, and was curious
ro see a celebrated German University. !
na.,sd 10. however. several times in looking
,rit and finally found myself wandering
rbroueh the halls of Club House, under
me impres,ion that was in the University,
tIfbourh was sorelv puzzled 40 the lnscrlp-
tive of good living rather than of hard study.
When. however. found the real building
it was. much 20 nay disappointment, Closed
tltho' its size, Indifferent architecture, anu
lltogether uuattractlve appearance eatiriieu
me of what / had half an idea before, tina
IA great German University consists oi
rreat teachers. not Of massive buildings ana
fine architecture. and who can say that men
are not urea er than bricks and mortar Ii
would REQUIRE the pencil of master artist
rather than the pen of a haltlng writer, 20
oicture the beauties of the old Castle OF
Heidelberg. 10 Is now in ruins, although J
SAW 10 decorated with Hacs AID numberless |
colored lanterns in preparation for a great |
rete on the birth day of the Grand Duke oil |
Baden / have felt after seeing the park at
Hatfield House. the residence of the Mar
quis of Salisbury, the prime minister OF
England. with It's rows OF iime trees, under |
one of which Queen Elizabeth heard the |
new, of her accession. that / desired to see |
mo- more parks, but TO carry that picture ln |
nv memory forever. 80 as 90 palaces, after |
I visited Fontainebleu in France, pass |
ing from room To- room ON which successive |
Izin,,, or enperors had lavished all the deco |
ratious which money could provide or the |
most cha,teued taste approve, and now l |
ieel that as typical castle and palace OF |
the old Germauic times and contests / wish |
nothing better or more picturesque than the |
ruins of the Heidelberger Schloss, perched !
above the town and commanding the beau |
tfal valley of the Neckar aud that of the |
Rhine In the distance From Heidelberg |
after STAY that / would gladly have pro
.onged. If had mer Iy been looking for a |
pleasant rest. / turned toward this historic |
city tbe centre of So much wealth and cul |
lure. formerly one of the old free cities OF !
Germany. but for more than twenty years /
past q part of Prussia. I stopped of for "a /
while 40 Darmstadt 90 strGi. shout It's streets /
and see some of the pictures collected IN /
lis gallery. Ii Is one of the thriving small |
er cite, of Germany In the midst of a rich |
agricultural region a0oluding in hop yards. |
" hi.e waiting Tor my train Z dropped into |
q restaurant 60 get lunch. Not wanting /
"a substantial meal, l WAS somewhat at "a /
loss what 90 call for and finally hit upon an /
expedient that solved the difficulty in q |
yerv satisfactory way. Wheg the waiter.
AN intelligent. good-natured looking young !
man. came Co get my order ! mustered all
my German and told him that was a stran-
ger from far country and did not know eX-
actly what To- call for but wanted not much
and that thoroughly German. ! then told
him that the mayor of my town Der Ober-
q % 60. t-.- from, his country and