Tombstone epitaph., 1890-07-12
THE GERMAN CAPITAL.
Modern Berlin Is Scarcely Sur
 passed by Paris.
A City of Much Magnificence and Wonder ful CIeanIincss-Electric Lights Made Things of Beauty - The Tele-
 phonic Services

Berlin in 1877 was a city of much mag nifcence, but 1t was in the transition state due to it's recent ntassumption of inn perial honors which many defects man fest to the visitor, in shape of wretched pavements of cobble-stone, bad drain age system, accompanied by high death rate, inconvenient methods of local transit and other reminders of the more provincial days before the great empire sprang into existence. Berlin is to-day, writes correspondent of the Mexican Financier, one of the most splendid capitals of Europe, hardly sur passed even by Paris in grandeur, and with it's population of 1,5O0,OO0, is the second city of the continent in size and the first in industrial rank. It is growing with pace of Chicago, and every year beholds enormous areas of the sur rounding sand-piains covered densely with the new houses of the expanding city. Here, in the ''sand-box of Ger many" amid the barren plains of the old Mark Brandenburg, the cradle of the Hohenzollern might, the tireless energy and persistence of the Prussians have built up the chief city of the most pow erful empire of Europe.
 The principal streets of Berlin are nearly all paved with asphalt, and they are such marvels of cleanliness and smoothness that one feels the same re- spect for them as for nice drawing room, and scruples to litter them even with scrap of paper. The most fre- quented ones are literally washed and scrubbed every night. After being wet down a few men or boys proceed along the road, pushing before them pieces of board set diagonally on a pole, with strip of rubber on the lower side. The mud is thus transferred from the course of one man to another and finally left in the gutter, whence it is removed. The consequent freedom of the city from dust is very marked. The smooth ness of the pavement affords immense relief in diminishing the confusing noise and jar of the streets. Waking early in the morning at hotel in the center of the business section one per ceives no rattiing of wagons, only the chatter of the horses hoofs, so that it seems as if cavalry regiments were con- tinually passing. The smooth streets have also made cycling very popular, and tricycles are extensively used for business purposes. The broad side walks are laid with Tagging in the cen ter, and between that and the curbstone are paved with small, mosaic-like stones that form a smooth sur face, and are easily removed and re- placed. Beneath this space are laid the gas pipes, telegraph and electric-light wires, pneumatic tubes, etc., so that in laying or repairing these the street pavement is not disturbed. The wires of the arc lights, as well as of the in- candescent, are all carried underground. and in Berlin there are not to be seen the unsightly poles that so disfgure the streets ill Mexican cities. Only the tel ephone wires are carried overhead, run ming over the roofs of the buildings, and these are now being put underground in cables as far as possible.
 In Berlin the wires have been carried underground from the start, and no diff ficulty has been experienced. Instead of adding new ugliness to the streets the arc lights of Berlin are things of beauty, an artistic establishment to the city. Unter den Linden is probably the most brilliantly and beautifully-il- luminated street in the world. Along each side and down the center the arc lights are set even more closely to- gether than ordinary gas lamps, and the effect at night is that of great strings of white, gleaming pearls.
 The telephone service is admirable, as is testified by the public appreciation, there being over 10000 instruments in use in Berlin. There are no private tel ephone companies in Germany, the tel ephone, like the telegraph, being branch of the postal service. The price for telephone service is low, the annual charge for an instrument being 12O marks or something less than $50. The long-distance service between the prin- cipal cities of the empire is being rapid ly introduced. A telegram received for a person who has telephone is at once delivered orally from the central office, and the written message then forwarded by the local post. Likewise telegram is transmitted by the sender to the tele- graph office by telephone. The tele- phones in use are manufactured by Sic mems & Ha.ske, the great electricians, and are said to be great improvement upon the Bell patent, upon which they are based.
 The efficiency of the German postal service with it's branches of telegraph, telephone, pneumatic tube and parcel post, is sufficient reply to the assertion that the convenience of the public can not be so well met as by private corpora tions having control of the various means of intercourse.
 Where William Penn Is Buried.