Telegram-herald., 1890-09-01
THE SCHWABENFEST
A Gigantic Picnic Near ths Sol
diers' Home yesterday.
TIE cERAlN WlY OF HAVING FUy
Ths sesass sf the Eathsri.aa Rs-sa2etsd
80 AHsrfsaa ss1l-6sEnes. Masie,
Daaess aaa Dr.m<s DeIfxhs
a. kEaasass tFo~a

TIE iouftn aaauAi picnic or the
Grand Rapids Sensabfest. or senwAb-
envsFren. vas held yesterday on the
Mason farm, about 100 rods east OF the
North PARK railway, about midway be-
tween The junction and the Sold .ers
home. IL vas altogether magnificent
srfsr, and callei forth the very
heaFtlest enthusiasm from all visitors.
Readers or history know who the
sWAbians we're, but few observers Of
contemDOraneoas events observe closely
enough 20 know that tne descendants
OF the ancient Alleman ans have an
organization here n Grand Rapids.
To speak ot-hand, Il may be said that
the Swablans Of Grand Rapids are
simply they VINO have lived IN the
city OI Nurtemberg. south western Ger
many. Members OF the ScnNabverein.
are they Who have coEae 10 this eoun-
Try from Wurtemoarg, or the ancient
sssaoia, and who have formed this so
eiety Tor the purpose OF preserving the
dear memories or tAtneriaud.
The site OF the annual picnic was Wis
ited oy several thousand people besides
the Germans immediately interested.
The whole aitar was German through
out. lt was as different from Yankee
Blowout as lager l. different from
forty rod. SpeaSIng OF lager. il was
easy Yesterday % see why II Is that
American temperance prehibltionists
are unable o. touch the German con-
SCIENCE with their awful oratorv on the
liquor question. Lager beer Is 70 the
tiernau a temperance drink. IL NAV
be something else 10 the American, but
lt IS the Germans safeguard against IN
temperance Nothing could oe more
shock ug 20 the ". 4. l. L. mind. for
instance, than the sIg0t Of the beer that
literally iiOwed Yesterday. A shed had
been Ou.lt or ampnltaeater shape about
one hundred anu hfty feet of linear
dimension. just enough room was
provided inside the enclosure 10 handle
the beer IN kegs mounted against the
rear wall and u mugs or the counter
IN front. The handlers of this beer
never did harder day work than on
yesterday. The Jam at these counters
WAS a constant crush the whole day
long. III Baruum's ticket wagon could
be imagined 20 Do multiplied upon IL
self until il took up larger part of
the auphitheater than the menaCerie.
then this huge beer stand could be de-
scribed. Many people have gone to
Barnum's show 10 see the tickets sole. .
Many people VIII remember yesterdays
Schwabfest chiefly through recalling
the spectacle of the beer-driukers.
Yet there was not a drunken German
N al that crowd. There was some
drunkenness there, bat every mothers
son OF q hummer was q Yankee. The
reason of THIS is piaIn The German
beverage - hight enough 20 give the
infant. The German infant is actually
ted on lager beer. The beverage con-
taius some alcohol, but not enough 10
make &c dangeTOusfOr a child % drink
The infant grows 10 manhood with a
nbvsO.Ogy accustomed to and adapted
to the environment Of beev. The re-
suit - that he isplysc ally Injured TO
every effect that can be produced bv
the alcohol the stomach can hold. lie
cannot get drunk on lager for tle same
reason that tea and coffee does not
poison the American. It's difficult for
tle American mother, whose boy has
been brought home dead drunk on
lager beer, 20 imagine the Innocence OF
tne malt fermentation, but 10 Is a fact.
On the other hand. the Eughshman or
the Yankee drinks his rum by the
thimbletui and puts It away from the
children.
lie does not dare give his baby n single
drop OF the poison which he himself
has 20 take by the hail-ounce, for ne
knows tnst a smell of the cork would
knock the baby STIFF. The consequence
Is that when the baby arrives at the
TIE years of discretion" he has no
foundation upOn which TO work the
work Of sCretiou. The first thimbie-
ful of alcohol that goes into his flesh
masters him and makes druuSard Of
him In body and nlnd. lis body and
bis flesh have come into life ignorant
of the knowledge Of good and evil. and
The result - the same IS that which
happened TO Adam.
The Schwabians AZ the Mason farm,
yesterday. had arranged a program
solely with reference to German tastes
A band stand bad been erected. from
which came fine, delicious music all
day long from the Muehhng band
Ample provisions had been made for
solid refreshments. and a good and
ample lunch was served IN an impr0-
vsed pavilion, TO everybody