The morning call., 1891-01-11
HAMBURG, The
MAGNIFICENT.
One Of the Finest Modern Cities Of the
Old World.
Its Picturesque Aspect at the Close Of q Win
ter's Day-Charms Of Alster Lake-The
Thiergarten and Owl Tower

Hamburg has always been distinguished
in the commercial world. Its prestige in
Europe comes next to that of London. Liv-
erpool and Glasgow, for a magnificent har-
Dor and wide railway connections give it
advantages not. enjoyed by any other city
on the Continent. But it has no grand mu-
seums, no ancient ruins, no intimate asso-
citation with the stirring events or the dash
ing heroes of history, and therefore has lain
quite cut of the track of the sightseeing
and wander-hunting Traveller, writes
special correspondent of the Boston Herald.
Lately, however, since vagary of fash
ion takes many people into Europe by way
of Germany, and the enterprsing Hamburg
American line has added fast new ships to
its old equipment, every week sees batch
of tourists landed in its handsome streets,
and Hamburg is at length beginning to be
appreciated at its true value as one of the
finest modern cities of the Old World. A
great IRE in 1912 wiped out all the remains
of its medieval greatneSS-fOr Charlemagne
is supposed to have built a castle and
church here as long ago as S11-and, cleansed
and purified, it rose from the ashes In nine
teenth-century spendor
The proper time to make an effective
debut in Hamburg is by moonlight, or, if
that is net possible, in the early dusk of a
winters day. Then the drive across the
town is something perfectly fascinating. A
quaint. rafting droschky takes one slowly
along through winding ways and narrow
lanes where a few lofty old houses of the
seventeenth century are huddIed together
in picturesque confusion, and then
suddenly turns corner into the jung
fernstieg. when the Binnen-Alster the
joy and pride of every true Hamburger,
bursts upon one in all its loveliness.
The Alster is large sheet Of water
right in the very heart of the city.
Surrounding it are handsome hotels
and private dwellings, and promenade,
planted on either side with thrifty trees.
At night this turns into fairy scene. All
the tall buildings are a-twinkle with lights
from top to bottom. And across the water
come and 90 Innumerable little boats with
gayly colored lanterns hanging at their
bows. Sometimes the boatmen sing as they
row, singing we'll, too, for there was never
q German born into the Vaterland without
good ear and true love for music, and
one night, ObliYous of the icy wind that
blew in, we lowered by the window, looking
out uTon the moonlit Alster and listening
to the Lorelel floating up softly as one Pail
nurus after another caught the refrain, and
tossed it fl ON loaf to boat
In summer the lake is popular resort.
while often i'll the coolest winter weather ice
forms over its surface, and
HUNDREDS OF SKATERS
In the variegated dress, which one welcomes
as a delightful feature of foreign life, fly TO
and fro. verybody skates in Germany, old
and young. Not particularly we'll perhaps,
and certainly not gracefully, like russians
and Americans, but with Il hearty ,enjoy-
ment that does one good to see. 1t is not
unusual TO see whole family trooping out
on the ice-father, mother and half dozen
rosy-cheeked boys and girls, with skates
Which look as II they came out of the ark
piiouetting about in high giee. Mt that
the Dew-faShl0ned skates have not appeared
on tins side OF the ocean. though AcmeS
and Nlnslow clamps are familiar names to
the schoolbOys Of Hamburg and Berlin, as
they are to the little urchinS of New York
ana Boston, and. moreover, they are a great
deal cheaper here for some unexplained rea-
son.
To go back to the charms of Hamburg
one must not forget the fine geological gar
den only few minutes walk from the AL
ster and the JungfernstieG, about which all
the principal attractions of the city appear
to have gathered. The smaller towns IN
Germany set up zoo as soon as they have
attained growth visible to the naked eve
Perhaps 1t is considered the proper founda-
ton for future greatness. At any rate the
youthful Russians lack no opportunity to
become acquainted Intimately with the
habits OF most of the animals known to civil
lied man. The Thiergarten here in Ham
burg is really superior 10 the common run
The arrangement Of the animals was super
intended by an animal artist well known in
Germany-by name BTehm-and the grounds
laid out by celebrated landscape gardener
JurgenS of Ottensen. Even in winter the
general effect is picturesque and pretty in
the extreme
To the newly arrived tourist who yearns
for ruins, the principal object
IN THE zoo Is AN OLD TOWER,
Curiously built in imitation of tumble
down SchlOss. Tie walls are rough-hewn
stone, loosely cemented, Over-grOwn with
ivy and clinging vines. There are battle
mentS and turretS enough to satisfy the most
frenZied yearner, and where the grated win
dOwS would be in the round towers the owl
cages are placed. From behind the bars in the
dusk the great shining owl-eyes look out in
an uncanny, weird way, which fascnates
the children. German children delight in
the fantastic and supernatural. They are fed
in fairy tales full of gnomes and dwarfs, COB
Inns and mixes. Nothing can shake their firm
belief in the existence of these wonders
at the age of 3, has ceased to believe even in
Santa Claus, the simple innocence of his
German companions stands out in ludicrous
contrast.
A little New Yorker stood by HE Owl
Tower one afternoon, side by side with
German laddie just from school, with his
books in n satchel slung over his shoulders
and several yards of wooden scalf round his
throat They looked at the owls with very
different feelings-the beautifully dressed
little dandy from Fifth avenue interested in
studying the feathers, the feet, the slow pom
derouS manner of the bird he knew was
Minerals, ard the budding uhlan thinking
only of the strange, solemn light in those
blinking eyes, and wondering whether an en-
chanted prince had been beWtched by some
OF Grmm's witches and shut up there in
the old tower. 1t was such national study
that the American bystanders could not
help laughing when the two youngsters at
length turned about and surveyed each other
with critical gaze. More than an ocean
separated them. One represented the Sim
plicity and credulity of an old world which
likes to believe in all the supersttions and
decisions of bygone age, the other alert,
inquisitive, shrewd, and preferring the
fairy tales of science to those of Grimm and
Andersen.
Besides the owls, they have fine elephant
house, where, alasi the glory of the departed
Jumbo is not equaed, bears den and
cages full IF eopards, tigers and lions In
one of the latter three little cubs, like so
many yellow kittens, are attracting a great
deal of attention. A kangaroo, with n little
one in its pocket, delighted the children
again, and as for the monkeys, they were
enough to prove any number Of Darwnian
theories.
Hamburg boasts q museum with hand
full of pictures by old masters, though not
old masters Of greatest renown, and some
fair specimens Of the modern German and
English school. TOthose who are anticipate
ing the more splendid museums at Berlin
and Dresden. it is hardly worth while to
spend much time in Hamburg's feeble imi-
tation. One will do much better to
WANDER ABOUT AMONG THE SHOPS.
Which are always fascinating. The photo.
graphs are especially distracting, so beauti-
fully taken are they, so well mounted aud
OF such an infinite variety of subjects The
reproductions of the great paintings in every
conceivable style, shape and size tempt the
pfennigs out of the pockets of many travel
ers. Photographs are expensive souvenirs
of European wanderings, but there is moth
ing more enjoyable. Prices are pretty much
the same all over Germany. The difference is at