The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-04-05
ne wURsTEL-PAAlER.
A Pleasure Resort That Is Distinctively
German.

Pleasure Resort That Is Distinctively
German.
The Nobel-Prater in spite of its
Viennese character, bears the stamp
peculiar TO the gathering-place of the
classes dirigeantes in all large cities.
Characteristic of Vienna in a far higher
degree is the Wurstel- Prater, the gath
ering-place of those whom Richard
Wagner would call the less cultured,
and unhappily also the less prosperous
classes We will pass by the buxom
servant maids who here, upon the
green grass under the old trees, re-
ceive the court of military Don Juans
from the corporal DOWN., while the
children with noisy laughter play their
innocent games. Such scenes are to
be found iu all cities. Neither will we
linger in the company of the flea train
ers, bearded women, red-nosed
prophets, faded somnam bulists, female
serpent-charmers and lion-tamers in
( threadbare velvet women with fish
tails, ladies with hairy necks and
mustache which would not i'll become
a drum-maj jor-all these belong to the
/ international brotherhood of rowing
! jugglers who are distributed over the
/ entire earth. Nor are we inclined to
place the theater in the Wurstel-Prater
in the first rank of Viennese special
ties" although plays are there per-
formed which deal in a language per-
fectly well adapted to the mode of
thought of the lower strata of the
Viennese population.
What particularly deserves considera-
ton as a distinct Viennese feature is,
for instance, the swings in which girls
with glowing cheeks aud q wild grace of
motion shout and scream merrily, while
stalwart fellows in shirt sleeves, urged
on by their encouraging cries, hurl
them high into the air, The spirited,
feet-footed dance on the green, under
the open sky, deserves to be seen, for
here all types, in all sorts of costumes
(only none that are elegantly, form
picturesque tout ensemble. So also it is
entertaining to hear the ladies' band in
the restaurants play Viennese tunes. 1t
is advisable, however, in order to gain
an insight into the harmless and genial
manifestations of the Viennese popular
! character to take a seat under the
leafy chestnuts in certain parts of the
park, and participate in the lively
drama which is there being enacted.
To be sure, one must in order TO COM
prehend the pleasure of an old Viennese
in these scenes, try to share sympa-
thetically his old Viennese sentiment.
A stranger is not unlikely to find fault
with the large-aowered and not always
immaculate table-cloths, the not
altogether stainless napkins, the plain
ascribing all the shortcomings to
a defective sense of comfort. He
will conclude, perhaps, that little
sausage and cheese from dealer in
"delicatessen," or broad veal-cutlet
(Wiener SchnitzeD procured from the
waiter, or a couple of small sausages
with vinegar(of the kind which in Vienna
are called Frankfurters, and in Frank
furt Wieners), constitute too frugal a
meal according to his notion. He may
insinuate, too, that the dishes presented
excel more by the generous abundance
of their quantity than by the fineness
of art displayed in their preparation.
Granted. But just in this simplicity
there is an inexpressible charm to the
native, who has brought with him a
generous dose of health, good cheer,
pleasure in living, and, above all, a
good appetite, and has the faculty to
laugh heartily at a stupid witticism.
He bravely admires the juPglers on the
stage in their faded tights, and he is
particularly well disposed toward the
musicians who perform the Viennese
yodel, or melodious Vennese ballads
in soft and soothing strains. If the old
Viennese, to boot, has consumed his
fair share of excellent beer, then he Is
filed with blissful sense of oblivion
of all the world, which finds vent in
saying; 'Sell my coat; l am in
heaven. William Singer, in Harper's
MAGAZINE.