The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-24
HOLIDAYS IN GERMANY.
Pleasant Life Led by the People Of Ber-
un-Days of Relaxation.


un-Days Of Relaxation.
Somehow life in Europe seems more
like holiday than in America-even
among the $50 caIled) working classes.
In the first place there are so many
church festivals that often it interferes
sadly with an unfortunate foreigner who
has planned to finish his business within
a certain limit of time. He will often
find it necessary to consult the calendar
and see whether some saint has not got
ten ahead of him. We lost two days in
Amsterdam, one in Berlin and nearly
another in Moscow; but fortunately the
latter was in honor of some one whom
they did not venerate specially, and we
saved it, Then, too, the Saturday half
holiday seems to be very general, and the
length of each working day is much
shorter than with us. There is great
deal more to make holiday attractive in
Europe than in America. If the govern
ments seem to be hard on their subjects
in some things, they have at least made
great provisions for their happiness in
this respect. In America our Fourth of
July and Christmas and New Years, as
think, are three of the most tiresome
days in the year to get through. We
have so few such days that we are at a
loss as to how to dispose of ourselves and
kill the time.
But here every one seems to appreciate
them with all the eagerness of an Amer
lean boy, and perhaps on the whole they
accomplish as much, enjoy life more and
live longer. Here, for instance, in Berlin
is large park within easy walking dis
lance. 1t is entirely free and there are
no restrictions of any Importance. There
are fountains and ponds and statuary and
beautiful flowers, and room enough in it
for all the l, 100000 inhabitants to have
good time. Then adjoining are the
large geological gardens, well stocked
with animals and birds, and with every
improvement that one could think Of to
make them a pleasant place of resort.
Here every Tuesday, Thursday and Sat-
urday afternoon from to O'Clock two
of the finest military bands give open
air concerts of the very choicest music.
There is but trifing admission fee, and
hundreds of families mothers
and children out together and
take their dinners at the fine restaurant
connected with the gardens, or it may be
bring their own provisions with them.
And so they have the very incest kind of
a time. and all the while the air filled with
such delicious music as was heard during
the centennial year, when one of the
German emperor's military bands visited
the United States. There is no intoxica-
ton. The best of good order prevails.
All go home early, and who will say that
they are not prepared to do better days
work on the morrow than they would
have done without these few hours of re-
taxation
The .'Unter den Linden in it's day was
doubtless fine street, but of late years
the magnificent old trees have died out
and been replaced by small ones, so that
aside from the buildings which line it it is
no finer than our Madison avenue Gas
killed out the trees, they say; and now
the street is to be lighted by electricity,
and the wires and being laid under
ground. St. Petersburg's finest street.
1.-THE Nevsky Prospect, is also lighted
by electric wires LAID under ground.
Berlin, and in fact all Germany, seems
to be- enjoying wonderful era of pros
perity. The city has more than doubled
in population since 1870 Splendid new
buildings are going up on every street.
The manufactures are crowded to their
their utmost limit. Their exports even
to the United States are second only to
those OF England, and the most of this
trade has been of recent growth.
Berlin possesses many attractions to an
American, SO much so that great num-
Der are making it their home. They are
such go ahead sort of people that they
seem quite like our own countrymen.
Then there are many advantages to be
enjoyed in the study of music, painting,
architecture, and the arts and sciences
generally, such as are found Ia few Eu-
ropean cities. One likes it at first sight
and the feeling continues to grow upon
him and he leaves it with regret. -Henry
M. Wright's Berlin Letter in Detroit Free
Press.