Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-12-13

of Denmark: Copenhagen mas a great
deal Of which it may rightly be very
proud. Though it does not progress as
rapidly as some of the other capitals
of Europe, there are improvements to
be noted every year, and with a little
more money and little more time it
is to be expected that a number of re-
pairs can be made of which the city
still stands bitterly in need. 1t is now
reckoned to have about $4,000 inhab-
itants. This, however, does not in
joining, yet separate city of Freder-
icksburg, and some other less impor-
tant suburbs. A little enterprise in
the matter of annexation would give
Copenhagen a considerably greater
population. The city, like nearly all
others, has it's new part and it's old
part, the latter affOrding space for
most of the business houses, the mar
kets, the wharves, and the sailors
quarters. The Danes have been great
mariners for many hundred years, and
this element of the population is
strongly represented in Copenhagen
Though many of the districts in which
these people used to reside have been
rooted out, there are still some streets
life. The streets are not so we'll
cleaned as in Berlin. They are rather
narrow in the older sections, and
paved with stones, seldom with as
phalt. They are often crooked and
winding. The pavementS are also fire.
quently Of rough stones set with a long
granite curb upon which persons are
there is a second line of granite of this
kind, so that pedestrians going in op-
posite directions, may pass each other
This produces that style Of promenade
known as Indian file, and is indeed
much like that enchanting pastime of
walking on a railroad rail.
The markets here, as elsewhere in
Europe, are an interesting sight. They
are a mirror of the peasant life, and
for a while in the morning on certain
days of the week a piece of the coun-
try seems to be brought in and spread
out to the view of the people of the
town. These markets, as usual, are
in the open air, in the public squares,
and the amount of produce which is
heaped up here for sale, and the ex-
cellent quality of it, show much in re-
gard to the tastes and diet of the peo-
pie. Fruit is exhibited in Copenhagen
at this time of the year in piles whose
dimensions would be hard to compute.
This is for sale by women who have
driven in or come in by boat from the
surrounding country. They all wear
white Shaker bonnets, land sometimes
also have brightly colored petticoats
to distinguish them from the towns
people. They carry only small bas-
kets on their backs, and these for only
short distances. The men who come
with them, and often the women them
selves, wear wooden shoes. These are
Of extraordinary size, in this district
and come down on a pavement with
the echo of a piece of artillery. This
is tie kind of shoe which a man can
wear all his life and then bequeath to
his children. In case they should give
out, it is only necessary to cut down
a new tree. They appear to be ex-
tremely unhaEdy for small children.
They are not only very heavy, but
are difficult to keep on. To run or to
lift the foot high would be to lose
them, and this, though perhaps more
comforta BILE at the time, would later
lead to bad complications at home.
There is a fish market, too, at Oopen-
hagen. The fish women of Denmark
are a species of their own. They diff
fer usually on account of their great
size and their ruddy faces, which have
come from being out for long time on
the water. To measure the girth of
some of these women wuld take a sur
veying chain and a book of logarithms.
Much of their goods is still alive in
troughs and watertanks, into which
they reach to supply their customers.
Eels are particularly numerous. These
animals are fished out, guillotined,
skinned, and put in a customers bas-
ket ready for the frying-pan, in
quicker time than it takes to tell It,
The fish come MP canal by boat di-
rectly into the middle of the city.
By a view Of the city from the har-
Dor or from some point little in the
distance, one is impressed with the ap-
pearance of its towers and domes
The most beautiful perhaps, is that of
the so-called Marble church on the
Bredgade. This dome is in diameter
only a few feet smaller than st. Peters
| in Rome II is a historic building. AL
though begun over $50 years ago, it
was consecrated only few days since.
1t was started by a Danish king in
1749 in honor of the 3OOth anniversary
of the royal house Of Oldenburg. After
over half a million dollars had been
spent by French architect, war COM
PEELED the work to stop, and until r.
cent years it was not resumed. In
1875 the Danish ministry sold the ruins
| to wealthy banker, Who was also an
| officer of the government in the treas
/ ury department. for $4,000. This. ii
! was said. was too cheap. and it led II
! considerable scandal. After an H.
/ vestigaton the ministry. however. was
| acquitted of blame, and the wealthy
| purchaser has ever since been carry.
| Ing on the repairs ut his own cost
| The decorations are now about com
| pleted.
The most curiouS of the towers OF
Copenhagen. perhaps, Surmounts the
new exchange building. This is a fine
group of buildings in red brick, with
! ~ Tod 70. in Il