The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-19
in THE SUBURBS
OF BERLIN.
Malaria an Evil the DWellers Have
to Contend With.
the Great German Capital Is Not SO Well Sur.
rounded as London or New York-A Re-
lief From the Smells of the City.


city house, in comparison, is at best but a
lodging.
One cannot wonder that those seeking a
life OF study should as well seek the coun-
Try. Professors may spend the evenings
lecturing in town, but at noon many of
them are glad to escape to some peaceful
cottage in the suburbs, where they accom-
pllsh the real work of their lives, as they
could aot elsewhere. This has been true of
some of the most famous among the
professors at the University of Ber-
lin. Many are the pious pilgrimages
made to the country seat of the Hum
boldts at Tegel. AT Charlottenburg one finds
the home of Mommsen; at Lichterfelde, that
of Pfeiderer, at Steglitz; that of Paulsen. 1t
is rather more dlgnifed peace, or peaceful
dignity, as you like, that these men enjoy,
than that of their coaborers living up four
or five flights in some huge apartment house
amid city din and dirt But that is not the
worst Above all, no matter how immacu-
late you be at the top of the house. there is
the faint odor all the way up of
YOUR NEIGHBoR's MONDAY CABBAGE
To take off the edge from attic philosophy
and poetry.
Berlin is by no means so suburbanly IA
vored as are Paris and London, Boston and
-fCN IL VIM 1lllS NHSl Sdluy plain GOES DOt
offef the charming hiil-SlteS which lie within
easy distance OF the cities above mentioned.
However there are great pieces of water all
about made by the forming of the Spree
and the Havel into many lakes. The Ber-
liners are therefore tempted to take water
outWardly, II they don't inwardly. Bathing
Is nevertheless not so popular a paStime
as might be expected, partly because the
waters on the west side of the city are too
stlll TO give all the purity demanded. In
TACT, at times there is such a deathly still
ness and lack of current that some parts of
Potsdam and Wannsee are decidedly ma
larlal. To this unwholesome influence
however, the Germans seem fortunately
lar less susceptible than ourselves. Poor
and rich alike often dwell the year round
where one bit sensitive to malaria
would not pass the night. Most of the
suburbs hereabouts. though, are entirely
free. from that enemy to health. Wann-
see is
OF ALL THE BERLIN SUBURBS
The most fashionable and perhaps the
most attractive. 1t is entirely given over to
villa life, like young Newport, but, alas
without such mvigorating air The great
Havel lies still and simmering, and the at
mOsphere is, therefore, not free from I'M
wholesomeness. The houses are superb,
however; the grounds eXquIsitiveiy kept;
the views superb. Near by are
Schlachtensee and Neubabelsberg, while
domes and spires of Potsdam, a place
which may offer some attractions to the royal
family as residence, but certainly offers
none to those not born H0henZnllem More
northerly from Berlin lie Spandark and
Tegel. South, there are the pleasant towns
of Lichterfeld and Zehlendorf and Steglitz,
best of all. East, there are the less fashion
able suburbs of Sadowa, koepenck, and
Friedrichshagen. AT the latter place, how
ever, there are certain c0mpensatlonS for the
loss of fashion.
Perhaps the strongest inducement after
all TO suburban resident near the capital
is found in the frequency and comfort of
the railway accommodations. One may
leave town from any one OF half dozen
stations by the convenient stadtbahn which
bisects Berlin. The system Of suburban
trains is one apart from that devoted only
to city traffic. The first-named trains. or
the vororiznege, as they are called. run on
the tracks given up to expresses, and only
stop at the principal City stations. Hence
great saving of time. Tickets, however, are
GOOD both for town or suburban trains.
Thus one may advantage ones self of the
city between time trains. Long time
tickets are available for any train and at
any lime, so that one may quite live on the
rai' If one choose. The vast majority ride
third class, and many even fourth class If
one go second class he frequently has more
than one place; sometimes the whole COM
parment to himself. Few frst-class car
riages are run.
One thing is Immediately noted in regard
to the suburbs of Berlin. Like the capital,
so they are genuinely modern. Some are
even older than Berlin. but that is not saw
ing much. No venerable views crown the
very, very few heights hereabouts, nor is
there much of that delightful mellowness
which makes the indefinable charms of
lands longer ago settled and civilized than
this sandy waste. But even the Swiss and
the Norwegian learn to regard with appre-
citation these long lines of field and forest
and lake, while even those cherishing more
picturesque homes on the Rhine or in Bava-
ria have also not deSpised this less romantic
vicinity.
Outlying all Berlin are the great sunny
fields glowing with grain or
GREEN WITH CLOVER.
1t is remarkable how quickly the city man
gets interested in country crops, and with
what sympathy lie follows every change of
weather as favoring the farmer Even if
one do but sleep out of town, he will be apt
to notice the progress of the crops along the
way to and fro. Even this hasty observer,
how he pites the plowman.
If the rain or the drought last too long how
he hopes the hay will be gotten in before the
storm breaks how lie watches the steadily
following grain, how glad is he Of every
sprig of green that may bring some profit to
the poor folk. Why, he even gets up posi-
tive affection for the peoples and nastur-
tiums by the guards houses at the way sta
tons! L say 1t enlivens a man to know,
though ever so little, not only country
pleasures but country pursuits and labors.
"One touch of nature makes the whole world
kin"
Ii, instead of living in the genuine coun-
try. one prefer small place in the neigh
borhood OF the metropolis, it must be admit
ted that the great charm of this latter
method Is, hibemically speaking, not TO live
in the small place. That is to say, to live
on the border OF it. Tie front door of your
house gives out on the village street. Very
well. But above all, let the back door give
out on the wide, open country. In that case
you XIII TWO birds with one stone. In any
event IT Is an attempt at uniting the practi-
cal with the ideal. 1t often succeeds.
Sill there have been cases known where
pastoral village life became quite spoiled by
the barking OF next-door neighbours dog all
night or the miauwingo of his cats. Even the
festive mosquito has been known to have
created quite as much eommotion among
city guests as these larger specimens of the
animal Kingdom could accomplish. But
even granted the occasional existence of these
evils, they exist in cities as well, and
there along with a crowd of others from
which the country is exempt. How about
the car rafting Ger the stony street. as an
element Of repoSe? How about the Shrek
ing crowd at the corner grogshop, how
about the various steam whistles and bells
all over the place, how about the awful, I'M
escapable heat and its deadening effect on
both The physical and mental status? Par
boiled inside and out, flesh and spirit, and
people actually remain in town when they
could go to the countryl Why they do so
is mystery. 1t is enc of the incompre-
henslbe things that men should prefer exist
ence to life. : Friedrichshagen Letter TO
the Cleveland Leader.