The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-22

rapidity Is very apt to cause asphyxia or
syncope.
The Bieriunge is not the only kind of
beer duel fought among the students; al
though the others are momentarily less
harmless, much more beer is consumed.
and these wagers enter largely into the
daily existence of the reckless student
class.
l have known young students at the
university Of konigsberg, where l believe
more beer-drinking Is done than at any
other university in the German empire,
challenge one another on a summers after
noon to drinking contest of fifty large
glasses of Schiefferdecker beer. The one
who could not drink that amount before
midnight would be obliged to pay not
only the reckonings of himself and his
opponent, but also those of all the stud
ents who were present; in the event of
both consuming that amount, two or
three of the oldest fellows would be chosen
to decide the very difficult question as to
which of the two was the more intoxi-
Gated, and he would have to pay all the
debts incurred. | remember we'll one oc-
casion in 1850 when such wager was made
at the Flora in konigsberg. OF the two
participants one was native Of Llthu-
ania and the other of New Zealand.
They commenced at 4 p. m. At ii 80
p. III. each drank his iiftleth glass amidst
laundering applause; they rose quietly
from the table and showed themselves to
be As sober as they were before the duel
began. In this instance each paid his own
score and the lookers-on were compelled,
much TO their chagrin. to do the same.
One of the most notable beer battles
with which am acquainted took place at
Gottingen in 1884.
Twenty young students who gloried in
the reputation OF being great beer drink
ers and every one OF whom asserted his
ability to drink more than the other,
determined to decide the momentous
question by a Homeric beer drinking con-
test. Nothing was talked of for DAYS be-
fore but the coming combat. and several
hundred students assembled IN the large,
decorated hall to witness the great event.
punctually at y. m the twelve young fell
lows took their places at specially ar
ranged table. \ president and vice presi-
dent were elected; young student was
appointed 10 wait upon each of the con-
tes,ants, behind every one of whom stood
n cssk of beer containing about 100 large
glasses of beer; then a time keeper was
chosen for each man, whose duty IL was
to mark down the number of glasses
drunken and the time taken by his man.
The president called Siicniitm. made
short, appropriate speech, ordered a sala-
man,icr 10 I've ruhhed-an important part
of the students beer-drinking ceremony
called for song, which was sung with
that pathos and power common to the
Germans. and proclaimed the duel be-
gun. There was no riotous behavior,
song and fun abounded; and quarrel
some voices were never heard.
Every two hours the number of
glasses partaken Of by each combatant
was called out amidst the hurrahs or jeers,
as the case might be, OF those standing
around photograph OF the proceedings
was taken every three hours, aud many a
ridiculous and niirth provoking scene the
pictures portrayed. At the sixth hour
only seven were capable of drinking more;
al the ninth three; at the tenth hour only
one solitary stadent still drank copious
drauchts. The latter's record (which is
the greatest ] know of on this occasion
was seventy-eight large glasses of beer. or
about siYty-four pints-all in ten hours.
The smallest number was iifty-three.