davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

This is the simple motive of the drama
which is enacted every summer in the large
hall of the Town Hall Building. The set
ting of the stage is OF the most primitive
kind, for the play itself takes place in the
very self-same historical spot where 1t
originated centuries ago. The first scene
closes with the prayer OF the BuTgomaster,
who is compelled to remain at his post,
while the Senators and citizens repair to st.
Jacobs Church close by to invoke the
grace of God for their work of defense The
self-same bells ring through the air, ana the
selfsame organ peals forth its prayer
yonder in the sacred edltce while we SIT IN
the audience and listen to the chimes which
the middle ages once heard. Later on
lilly with his generals enters through the
same door, through which we, the specta-
tors, have come to go to our seats. These
purely external circumstances lend to the
drama striklngly realistic character
which the famous "Aleininger" have never
very good indeed, and deserves great
praise. On the days on which the
play takes place the entire city as
sumes a historical garb; the gateways
and the City Hall arc occupied by lans-
quenets. forming double guards. and out
side the gate the camp is pitched. The par
Elephants of the play gather together Tor an
imposing cOrtege, in the center OF which
the Goddess, or PatroneSs, of Rothenburg
appears. lilly with his troops Is in the
march, the counSelorS and the s0idatesca,
armed with all the known arms of that ace.
follow, accompanied by the provost. the
suffers and even the henchman, WITH troop
ers, batteries and baggage--wagons. The
whole melts into picture Of superb color
ing and medieval lie, to which the en-
chantment later on lends an appropriate
background.
On such days crowds Of people from near
and far gather in the old ''Iauber City" to
witness the annual renaissance Of the his
torical drama and indulge in "reminiscences
of the middle ages and the Thirty ears
War Artists come from everywhere to
gather rich ideas from the picturesque
scenes when the pale moonlight floods the
quiet streets and sits in state upon the tall
gables of the houses, the battlements of the
City Hall and the imposing patrlclan homes
round about, girdling here pretty Jut-win-
dow, there a mighty portal or handsome
arch with a wreath of molten silver, or
bathing in the crystal spray which bubbles
continuously from the shining snout OF yon-
der fountain. Then the purple flower of
romance and poetry bursts into full bloom
in the midst of our stern, sober age OF real
ism and negation; it seems as if the giis-
tening windows, with their round. pewter
lined panes. must open upon some lovely,
girlish head behind the fragrant flowers
which frame the easement.
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24
The Remarkable Play That Is
Annually Presented at
ROthenburg.
A QUEER OLD GERMAN CITY.
Its Wonderful Sights and Pictur-
esque Corners-A Drama That
Depicts Exciting Incidents of
the Thirty-Years' War - A
Realistic Mirror of Medieval
ife-

T%lVERY year on Whitsuntide Monday,
Fay: writes a correspondent Of the St.
IN Louis POst-Dispatch from Rothen-
burg on the Tauber, the play of the "Meis-
tertrunk" takes place in this wonderful
little city, which down to the present age
has retained the genuine, unaltered archi-
tectural frame .or the "staffage" OF its me-
deval drama, which. like the passion
Play" of Oberammergau. dates back many
centuries-one picturing the story of a suf-
fering God, the other narrating tale of the
miseries TO which mankind fell heir during
the "thirty-years,wa The Illusion which
holds our senses captive is perfect one.
These are the genuine walls and bas-
tons and gateways. lined and armed
with arquebusiers, cuirassers from
Pappenheim's Regiment, pike-men and
lansquenets; in the squares and
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

with balconies and windows, is de-
lightfully characteristic fragment OF
street picture. Between the outer and the
inner "kliugenthop stands the church oil
ST. Wolfgang, a small but exceedingly
graceful edifice of that superb Gothic style
which later era developed, from-1473 to
1883 While we admire the facade we no
tlce with surprise upon drawing near that
one of the longitudinal walls of the church
forms part Of the town bulwarks ana is
provided with barbacans, accessible from
the interior of the church, being quite
considerable portion of the walls which
guard the city. This encircling wall, erected
more than five centuries ago and preserved
in its original shape, is not the least among
the vast number of historical monuments
which have saved this small town OF " Nit
telfranken" from the fate of becoming
forgotten country village.
One Of the prime adornments OF the pretty
valley of the Tauber is the so-called "kais-
er's Stuhl," (EmperOTs chair or ToDpler's
Castle, the summer residence of the famous
Burgomaster who erected it in 1888, as is
attested by the Gothic lettering above the
entrance A stroll around the town along
the walls from the 'Spital thor" (Hospice
gate, to the ''old bureh" is full Of untold
enjoyment, delighting the eye with its
wealth of landscape pictures. The city
forms an irregular square, to which sort
of hood has been added and occupies a
nigh plateau, which precipitates to the west
toward the bed of the Tanber. On It's high
est elevation stands the "Burgh." the erec-
ton of which dates way back to the middle
ages. But few remnants Of this erstwhile
Roman castle have been preserved in the
st. Basius Chapel, which is now called
"Old Burgh."
With the wealthy Frederick-the " Ro-
thenburger child" as he was called-the
history of the city of Rothenburg begins,
which originated in an addition to the burg
itself, consisting of several small houses In
which the wOrkmen lived who were en-
custom OF the Hohenstaufen, Duke Fred
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

height. and then suddenly shoots up into
mountain nearly 1000 feet high and falls
into the sea. Here stand the m0nasteries,
which have succeeded to the Furnishing
cities of ancient times, and where Christian
worship has replaced that Of the heather
Jupiter. In the middle ages the promon-
tory was completely covered by mOnas.
teries and hermitages, and about twenty of
them remain, or remained until the disas-
trous fire, associated in the form Of q re-
public.
The time Of the first establishment of
hermitageS on this romantic spot is uncer-
tain, but there is evidence to show the ex-
istence of hermts on the mountain for over
1000 years, document of the Emperor
Basil in $50 testifying to the fact. One con-
vent was restored" 900 years ago, but the
account that credits Constantine with the
establishment of the religious houses may
be myth. AT any rate for thousand
years the monks of Mount Athos have pos
sessed the Holy Mountain in quiet and
safety only broken by the Latin conquerors
of Constantinople. who pilIaged the monas-
teries in the thirteen century. Their glory
was more than restored to them by the
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

mania, however. was a severe blow. and
their fortunes did not recover for some
years afterward. The severest blow in
flicted by the Turkish conquest, however,
was the suppression of learning and of the
liberal arts in the East. The monks have
suffered with their neighbors from. that
cause and the monasteries, while rich in
manuscripts and in memorials of past cru
dition. did not preserve the learning which
their archbishops, monks, epitropOi and
prohogoumenoi were famous for in Byzan-
tine times.
Mount Athos is a vast mass of gneis and
slate, with high peak of white limestone
cleaning in the clear sunshine of the Egean
Sea. The great forests of oaks, chestnuts
and immense pines, now burned, clothed its
sides to within thousand feet of the sum-
nit, and above them rose the mighty conical
peak. In these forests grew the abundant
aromatic herbs from which the monks pre-
pared oils. perfumery and incense, and
among them, on the rocky cliffs and on the
shores at the foot Of the mountains, stood
the monasteries, the chief of which were
Vatopedi, Pantocratoros, Iveron, the Lavra,
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

bastions the soldiers are camped. just as
when the army Of the Liga had taken pos
session of the stubborn, solid "burgh" after
a tedious march and aggrayating siege.
The dice are rolling over the drum-tops;
with a tremendous swing of the fist the
trump-card falls to the ground; the air re-
sounds with burlesQue songs and merry
laughter; the soldiers carry on friendly
skirmishing with pretty girls-in short, the
whole affords picture more lively and de-
luslve than the ablest brush Of the greatest
artist could fasten upon canvas.
BE- But l viii refer TO the play later on, and
tell you first of Rothenburg itself, and the
wonderful sights which the old free city
presents. You may go the length and
breadth Of the German Empire and you Will
not find another town where, from every
open square, from every street and byway,
from every church and every housetop,
from every picturesque corner in some
charming portal past centuries stare with
palpable genuineneSS into the living pres
ent, so that Rothenburg is justly com.
pared with Pompeii, the famous city OF
antiquity. He who has stood on the "Markt-
patZ'' during a soft, warm summer
night will never forget the power
full impressions received then, and
that experience is repeated over and
over again in the broad flood OF
the golden daylight. We have before, us
the stately STRUCTURE O1 TIE 4tdtHduS' III
the style of the Renaissance with its lmpos-
ing rustic colonnade supporting hover
laien terrace; It's large side portal, It's
III ghty turrets, the tallest Of which carries
IL -tilis day an airy beethoven, from which
even now, as in bygOne times, the town
musicians send down their HARMONIOUS
greeting on Sundays and great holidays. IL
las taken several centuries to complete this
splendid structure, and the Gothic and the
Renaissance have combined in one pictur-
esQue. tuueful whole. No wonder that
MANY great personages of that age should
dwell within its walls In 1916 the
''Rathaus" lodged Emperor Charles V, aud
Rudolf of Hapsburg, Adolf OF Nassau,
Charles " and Christian l of Denmark
were among its guests.
A beautiful ornament Of the square Is the
Hertrichbrunnen, from whose richly carved
basin column rises crowned with the
statue of ST. George, the dragon slayer.
Back of the "RAthaus" or City Hall we
come upon st. jacobs Church, that world
renowned master work OF the Gothic
style of architecture. The cornerstone OF
this church was laid on st. JACOB Gay,
1873, and a century elapsed before the
mighty structure was completed. The
superb, artistic UrnamentatlOn of the lEte-
rOr harmOniZes fully with its imposing out
ward appearance. No less an authority than
Iuebke said Of lis high altar that 1t repre-
seuts one of the greatest master WORKS OF
the art Of wood carving in a highly devel-
oped, genuine plastic style" he art MS
tOrian Sighart speaks with equal enthusiasm
Of the painting of its chancel windows.
Through an arch underneath the church,
lust about where the organ loft
is situated, we come into the killing
engasse," fol which the "klingen-
thor" provides a picturesque finish. rms
narrow 'gasse," with its houses adorned
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

Kerasia, St. Paufs. Zographon, Chiliandari.
Xenophon, Simopetra, Coutloumoussi,
Russico, st. Dionysius and Aero.
the beauty of these monasteries and
their noble surroundings is impossible.
The monastery of st. Paul is built between
the mountain range and deep ravlne. IN
winter the bed of mountain torrent, which
deScends from the very top OF the mountain
to the sea. The forests are massed against
the thick battlemented walls, and with its
rows of balconies and overhanging rooms
and great tower it looks like weird and
majestic conception of Dore. Simopetra, as
a reference to the cut will show, perches
boldly on the very point of lofty and lso-
lated crag at height of between 900 and
1000 feet above the sea. Says recent trav-
eIer, Athelstan Riley:
AS you stand on the little quay, which Is
defended by an ancient fortress. the monas-
tery towers right above your head, standing
out against the sky, only connected with
the mountain by an aqueduct, consisting OF
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24
ELo0UENCE.

In the jeweled night when the world is asleep
Gods beacons of light are shining;
Silver stars and their beams,
Fairy moon aud her gleams
Sweet little watchers of angels,
And the earth in her majesty reigning.
In this seltsame night when the world is In Dreams
The trembling stars are they speaking?
They speak, aye, they speak,
Yet faint heart ask Inc not:
In my knowledge I'd tell thee.
And their hidden charms thou'dst be seeking.
Way back in the age, when the day was as night
Jehovah in glory was ruling;
Light he said, let there be light"
And true there light;
Prophetic words of Master;
was blooming.
How sweety the stars In their eloquence mute
Can speak OF the living and dying;
A tale of love of woe,
or strife of peace.
The Lords silent teller of deeds,
Till the heart in its fullnesS is grievlng.
Then look to nights Jewels for lessons OF love,
II thy heart and thy soul are sick with repining;
Their beams speak of peace.
Their light tells of Him
He who made us all
And our hearts with joy to God resignlng.
San Francisco. dug. IL 1890. ALMA ALDEN.
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

erick was an elaborate host and an eXtrava-
CANT sovereign, and from that time dates
the ruin of the Roman castle, which was
afierward turned into the St. Basius
Chanel. In the year 1172 the 50 Rrthenburg"
received from Emperor Frederick the fright
of precincts" but she was not made a
free city until May 5, 1874, when Rudolf
Won Rapsburg signed the document to that
effect. After that the city developed rap
idlv and was soon provided with town
walls. Here, as everywhere, this was con-
sidered the first duty Of its citizens. Every
man who desired to settle in the place was
compelled TO pay tax Of 8 guden toward
the expense of fortifying the city, but it was
centuries before these walls and fOrtitica-
tions reached the completion in which We
behold them to-day.
Another very interesting sight is the
double bridge" and the little church of
"Kobelzell." Let us go back through the
charming "Burgthor." Before US lies the
"Herren strasse," whose houses were and
are for the most part to-day the manor-seats
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24
JOAN OF ARC
Juror.
The French Government Creates
Another Jour de Fete.
Monseigneur Pagis, the Bishop of Vsrdun, and
What He Has Done for the Memory Of
the Maid of Orleans
Special Correspondence of THE. SUNDAY CALL.

HgARIS, Aug. 8, 1S9o.-The French Gov
10 eminent has made law that gives
NS*N to the school-children as holiday
May Sth, the anniversary Of the day Joan Of
Arc saved the city of Orleans. The French
people. with their usual exaggeration, now
devote all, monuments and churches, to the
memory of the Maid of Orleans, and an En-
glish paper may be pardoned for timidly
asking the question:: Would not this
money spent upon Joan of Arc do more
good were it devoted to the alienation of
suffering and povertyp" The dispute, or
discussion rather, is still going on. One
party says: Joan belongs TO the church.
See her standard" The Free-thinkers re-
ply: "She is the daughter of free thought.
Witness her stake"
Why can they not say, "She belongs to
Francel Witness her work p
But whatever form be taken by Joan of
Arc, she remains the most touching, the
most mysterious incarnation of feminine
heroism. History can never extricate her
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

of the patrician families of Rothenburg. On
the right hand SIDE CT this street stands the
Franciscan Church, whose architectural
fame cOnnoisseurs have spread near ana far.
and which is made still more interesting by
the tomb of Dietrich Won Berlichingen, the
father of GOetz Won Berlichingen, whom
Goethe's master pen has ImmortaliZed.
No more charming spot can be found than
the Hospice-court," with its ever-chang-
ing variety of attractive corners, pictur-
esQue caves and cosy byways. Look at
"HegeIeiter's" house, fair sample, brlm-
full of medieval romance. Here lived dur
ing the time of the imperial administration
the two "Hegereiters," which means hedge
riders, whose duty it was to guard the
thick, almost impenetrable, hedge, which
surrounded all the lands that belonged
within the jurisdiction Of ROthenburg.
The historical purport of the play itself,
briefly told, is as follows: a few weeks
after the retreat of the Swedish Colonel,
Uslar, toward the end of the month of Dc
tober, 1851, the imperial army advanced
upon the city, occupied the fields and gar
dens, surrounding the same. and began
firing upon the walls; the ''burghers" de-
Tended themselves vigorously, and were not
over anxious as to the outcome, because it
was thought that the attack was only the
exploits OF a small attachment OF the i'm
perial troops. But it was lilly himself,
the terror-bringing General of the
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

Liga, who advanced upon Rothenburg
with his whole army, and the town
prepared for the worst should he effect an
entrance. The heavy batteries soon played
upon the walls, a portion of which had
fallen during the day, and when on the
evening of the third day The powder tower
exploded further resistance was abandoned
and Rothenburg raised the white flag of
surrender. The members of the Council
had gathered in the "Rathaus awaiting
their doom for the gallant fight and resist
ance they had made. The BurgOmaster
himself was directed to bring the hench-
man. In the meantime the great General
with his marshals was rendered the - i'm
perial drink" The gigantic bumper, which
held more than seven pints Of wine, aroused
Tilly's attention, and, as if in jest, he asked
if one of the trembling Senators could
empty the bumper at a draught, promising
the city complete pardon as a reward for
the feat. Burgomaster Nusch performed
the gallant deed and thus became the
savior of his native city. The chronicles of
that day confirm the historical fact by tbs.
quaint remark, "and it did him no harm."
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24

two rows of thirteen or fourteen arches.
With great labor terraced garden has been
scO0ped out of the rock and built up below
the aoueduct, much of the earth having
been brought thitheI, and in ii the monks
grow their fruit and vegetables, the produce
being hauled up by means Of a basket and
pulley. On this side the walls come down
almost to the garden, and here is the en-
trance to the monastery, but on the other
sides the rock is steep and rugged; the
walls rise from it straight and bare, pierced
at intervals by small windows and then
wooden balconies begin, bracketed out from
the wall one above the other, 0verhanglng
the precipice. In one place there are no
less than seven of these balconies. Usually,
however, there are from two to four.
1t takes three-Quarters of an hour for the
mules to climb up to the monastery, whose
inmates are warned of the approach OF
strangers by speaking trumpet from the
little quay. These two monasteries-Simo-
petra and st. Pauls-are perhaps the most
beautiful in situation on the island.
Each monastery, however, had its own
beauties, its own history, paintings, archi-
tectural curiostties, legends, customs, fres-
one of the most renowned monasteries,
stands near the sea on tie southeastern
corner Of the prom0ntory; Its little port is
guarded by small castle with massive
stone tower, used in ola days as protec-
tion against pirates. The convent is built
on a height and is surrounded by high and
strong walls, with battlemented towers,
several of which still remain. Its entrance
is defended by several iron doors; passing
through these, and a domed porch, the
interior is gained, and the stranger
stands in a huldled mass of build
ings Of all sizes and shapes, full of courts,
churches, trees, fountains and every i'm
aginable detail Of the picturesque. The
Phlale is the chief fountain and has a
marble basin and fountain of gilt metal.
There are nineteen churches within the
walls and five without. The Catholicon
possesses remarkable brazen doors. some
beautiful reliquaries, the head of st. Basil
and the LETT hand Of ST. Chrysostom. a
miracle-working icon and valuable Ii
brary. There are about 10 monks in the
monastery. The Vatopedi relics are more
interesting and the treasures of ST. PauPs
are more valuable; the Lavra, however,
may serve as type of the rest. The life of
the monks is quiet and pious. The convent
life is comfortable; the food is plentiful.
consisting largely of fish and vegetables,
but the cooking is done with oil in a way to
which Western palateS are unaccustomed.
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24
GEMS IN VERSE.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL
HOPE.

Ut on the sea. out on the sea, In storm,
u Lightning flashing and cutting like swords
the inky black sky,
Down in the trough of the sea, then III tea
by waves mountain high,
Rides ship alone In the tempest, destruction Is
nigh,
Down with the anchor" the captains cry.
Like tired bird a bird with Its wings at rest.
Swinging at anchor on watery waste, under brlghb
ening sky
The stately ship rides like flags OF gold on the
three masts high
Sunbeams gayly futter, winds whisper "the havens
Nigh"
Anchored steadfast and sure" the glad cry.
Out on the sea- on the troSbled sea of life.
Lightning flashing and cutting like swords the inky
black sky,
Down in the depths ofwoe dashed by the cruel waves
SO high,
Drifting along gladness far away, despair so Nigh
" Hope, the souls anchor our captains cry.
august, 1880. GRACE HIBBAnD.
The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24
WOMEN AS FARMERS.
Pushing Their Way Into All Kinds of
Pursuits.

Pushing Their way Into All Kinds OF
Pursuits.
Horace G. Wadlin, Chief of the Bureau
of Statistics of Labor Of Massachusetts,
has published q pamphlet concerning the
employment of women in that State,
where the female population outnumbers
the male. He says the 1896 women
employed in all gainful pursuits in 1875
formed 21.33 per cent OF the total female
population; the 300,999 employed in 1885
constituted 1882 per cent. Comparing the
increase in female population in 1885 over
1875 with the increase in the number of
women engaged in gainful pursuits in 1885
over 1875, ii appears that while the increase
in population was 1859 per cent, the in
crease in the number of women employed
in gainful pursuits was 6i.56 per cent.
Mr.. Wadlin draws these conclusions
from his Investigations: "a woman has
made an entrance into industry and has
increased her hold upon old branches OF
occupation aud forced her way into many
new ones; as she is now being educated
to take more active part in all branches
of employment, and as she has tasted
the pleasures OF independence by being
able to support herself and others, one is
forced to conclude that woman's position
in industry is secure and will be perma-
nent Every occupation, except those call
ing for too much outdoor exposure or too
much muscular labor, is open to woman,
and if she has not already secured footing
therein the next census will show that she
has found the way."-Philadelphia Record.