The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-28

the palaces. and where there is more room
| than the royal folks know what to do
| with, still the narrow bed prevails.
| | was shown where several royal
/ and imperial and historical personages,
| men ana women, have slept, and they
were subjected 10 the narrow bed.
| In an investigation carried on at
| Potsdam, | saw but one double bed, and
| the guide said NAPOLEON slept there one
| night in 1906. The beds upon which
| royalties have died have been of the mar
! row pattern. The Emperor William died
| in one of these beds, according TO engrav-
! ings at the time. and he surely deserved all
/ the comforts 4 faithful old man should
| have. Frederick the Great. however, died
| in chair drawn up to an open window on
q fine day, looking out upon beautiful
park. There is reason to fear the living
emperor of Germany is a believer in the
narrow bed. His favorite apartments at
| Potsdam. very simply and handsomely
furnished, contain no other beds, and L
presume there is no hope of a reformation.
L have just heard from mutual friend
that he recently bought some bedsteads in
England. That implies broad-gauge
blankets. quits and sheets. But this is so
revolutionary it is almos' alarming.
Our European cousins, of all nations, so
far as L am acquainted with them. per-
sistently subject themselves TO a strange
privation, that is a perpetual SURPRISE in
the matter of light in their houses. They
may brighten the streets and shops with
peculiar splendors, but ID is the custom to
dwell in comparative darkness at home.
OF course, this is not universal but it is
| prevalent. Why, two candles are an illum-
ination and an extravaganza | called
upon American friends. 1t was Just in
that hour when solid midnight sets in
here Is o'clock; and when, in response to
ring, the heavy iron door opened
with a soft click, there was revealed
few steps, and beyond them was
darkness. | did not know on what
story my friends dwelt, having only the
number of the house. After striking sew
eral matches it appeared that those sought
did not dwell on the first or second floors
More matches were struck. and at last the
name appeared. There was nothing to say
about so strange an adventure. IL is the
way OF the town. One has to get the hang
OF dark stairways, or stay in first-class
hotels. A friend related similar expert
ence. He was making call in q fashion,
able quarter, and after lighting his way to
the fourth story of a large house.
and he counted the steps-there were
l03 of them-he entered an apartment
that was brilliantly lighted, and found
charming circle of ladies in lovely evening
costumes. He expected some exclamation
v,
steps, but it was not regarded as remark
able in any respect. The people upon
whom he was calling were Americans
with supertluity of money and abroad
for personal repose and educational facili-
ties. The people are used to the climbing
OF stairs, and regard it as form of neces-
sary exercise. a residence is not a house.
! but series OF apartments, connected and
separated from others. There is a com
mon stairway, and it is guarded by a
porter, who watches the one front door,
/ behind which, at various elevations.
are half dozen well-established
families. There are probably four
floors with room for family, per-
haps two OF them on each floor. You come
to an iron and glass door, say fifteen feet
high, and ring a bell. You are at once
under inspection from the lodge of the in
visible porter, and If he regards YOU as
eligible he pulls lever or turns a crank.
and the spring-iatch is Withdrawn. Then
you ascend to the floor where your friends
are at home, and ring another bell. and
you can enter private hall, though often
on tins hall there are several parties who
merely know each other as neighbors
Tins Is the way to concentrate population
and encourage architecture. / know a
young man who has not been in Berlin
long and has fancy for counting the
steps he climbs TO see his friends The
number of steps ranges from fifty-three to
III. The average height of eligible apart
ments Is about seventy steps There are
| line accommodations in abundance at the
height OF 10 steps.
The Germans picked up the old Roman
| ways OF preparing food, and have grated
| upon It notions of their own. Other folks
| think they spoil much that is good with
| their queer cooking, but it must be admit
! ted they do have correct notions of the
| value OF salads and the excellence OF
| sweets. II they managed the sours as we'll
! as the sweets, the general result would be
| improvement. The meats displayed in the
| Germad markets are of the best quality,
especially the beef; but they use a larger
| portion OF veal than we do-that is thew
| take their beef younger than we particu-
| larry relish it. They have a good deal of
| game, many birds and a large supply of
( rabbits and hares. There is no
| lack of fish, and the German lob
| ster may be recommended. The German
| system OF courses runs very readily into
| elaborate and elegant dinners. The
| American idea of beginning the day with
square meal is not as severely discoun-
! tenanced in Germany as in France, but
/ coffee, with bread and butter, and two
| sott-boiled eggs, are the regular breakfast ::
| and With this start, of course, luncheon is
! oil Importance. Breakfasting in bedrooms
! Is the style that goes, but | believe in a
/ change of air before coffee. and that it is
| almost as refreshing as washing the face
| The big dogs Of Berlin are feature, and
/ you hear their music nearly as often as
! that OF your neighbors' pianos. 1t is some
! comfort that the dogs of Berlin are big
! ones. and pity that such line fellows
/ have to so always muzzled. The Berlin
! big dogs are decorative. | have not seen
! them hitched to carts as in Belgium and
! some of the Rhcnsh cities.
/