The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-28

were perfectly amazed at the distances.
They had supposed Chicago near New
York. Then American wages seemed al
most incredible. The son at hrme has
good place in the Natural history museum
and gets Sl5 month. He was fifteen years
a soldier and got besides board and
clothes. 80 cents every ten days
for wages. The German papers
represent the Indians as ready
to scalp all the American citizens
and our friends were much disappointed
when they heard how few and row harm
less the poor braves were. Wetalked over
the woman question, of course. They
were amazed TO see an American papa
devote himself to his baby. OF course this
led said father to exalt his position.
what" exclaimed the ladies, throwing
up their hands in horror. ''Ir America
will the father warm the milk at night?"
The answer was he was a lucky man to
get off that easv. The ladies declared they
would go to America, where women never
worked, but were waited on and idolized
by the men. Then it took all the German
vocabu airy the American woman possr ssed
entirely regardless OF genders and lenses
to explain American husbands were not
quite angels-though near them at times,
and wives did not sit with folded hands
except in novels. We left thinking Ger
m N h"me life very pleasant and wonder
ing why so many lett their native land.
The answer Is, simply for money. A
young chemist of our acquaintance is what
is called clerk eXtrodiuary," and yet he
gets only s. a week. Good servant girls
get 3 aud So a month. The best cooks
sometimes as high as So a month. They
are treated like slaves, eating rye bread,
and never the luXuries the family have.
Many sleep in little closets over the pantry
"a low, dark, cold room, reached by a
step-iadder from the kitchen below.
1t is quite annoying at first TO have
to fee every body for everything,
but it is custom of the country. About
8 cents does very well. Even the street
car conductors expect it, and supplement-
their wages of less than 5000 a year that
way. The walters often depend on that
as their only means of support. Ameri-
cans are all supposed to be rich and they
are bled on every occasion. If you say Il
have little money" the answer Is, You
must be rich or you could not come so
far. Only very rich people can travel"
But unless You have bill to settle with
them the Germans are all one could ask.
There are - any strange customs, but the
meanest is that the drivers have the right
of way. If you are run over you are ar
arrested and fined for stopp NJ the wheels
of progress. I makes me think OF a father
who was down a deep vel. There was
no curb around it, ami every mou ent he
expected two or three children to tumb. e
in on him.
"The first child that falls in this well
shall have a good whipping" he shouted.
This made the children so indignant
they stepped back, and while they were
consulting upon this cruel threat the
father was able to get out. So viii e think
ing of the mean regulation you keep out
of the way of the horses, for it would be
hard enough to have broken leg with
out paving the city for the privi-
lege. New Years day is a great time
here. Everybody takes the day off. The
American ladies have reception at the
house of the pastor of the American
church. The German methodists have a
reception at their church, supper seven
cents. New Years night the policemen
withdraw from the streets and riot rules
as it does after an American election. 1t
is to the boy here what Halloween is in
America. The Germans have family re-
unions and give parties. and 1t seems to
add to the occasion to know that they
will have hard time to get home. The
tin horn is the favorite musical instru-
ment, and no doubt each reader of this
paper has lately used up several.
MYRA GOODWIN PLAUTZ.