Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-03-16
aRRnAN STUDENT CUSTOMS.

one hears most ABOUT are peer
drinking and dueling, and the I'M
preston has gone abroad that these
are the chief occupations of the
German student. II must be con.
fessed that there Ia u certain basis
of truth for this impression. but IL
would be unjust to allow the impli-
cation that a German university liz
not also a lace for hard work. Ev-
cry student, before he can satisfy
the requirements for degree, must
have done n great deal of very hard
work, and many students. especially
the foreigners and Jews (who, by
the way, are regarded as foreiguers)
do this work from the very begin
ming. But the ajority of native
students, unless prevented by ex-
IRENE poverty. prefer to spend a
year or two as students of "life" be-
fore pretending to do anything &C.
rious with books. The rules of the
university recognize and permit
this, and public sentiment almost
demands il. One who takes his
university duties too seriously at
first is dubbed a "Philister," a term
which might fairly be translated
respectable citizen" but which in
wolves feeling of reproach quite
inexpressible to the usual Ameri-
can understanding.
If the student joins any of the
students societies las, if he has any
social position or ambitions, he
probably will, it may be taken as
settled that he is in no danger of
becoming a "Philister." Most of
the societies require their members
to attend the regular"Kneipe" twice
week, and expect them to attend
at least one additional one. The
programme of the "Kneipe" is al.
ways in three parts, a "Geschaft-
licher Theiw or business meeting,
Observation-Disclosures Theil." or lit.
erary programme, varying accord
ing to the character of the society,
and "gemutlichcr Theil." There
is no English translation for the
word "gemutlich,' but part of it's
meaning can perhaps be inferred
from a description of typical
"Kneipe."
The meetings, like all meetings
for any purpose in Germany, are
always held in a drinking place.
Ut would be misleading TO use the
American word, Saloon" for any
thing Germany The systematic
beer drinking begins with the close
of the literary programme, and all
members are required to continue
it until midnight. twill be readily
understood that by that time they
generally prefer to continue it
longer. There is presiding officer
who "keeps the ball rolling and
sees to the enforcement of the rules
during the first half of the evening.
He sees to il that there are enough
speeches and songs for variety, and
that many toasts are pro-
posed and drunk. The rules are in
geniously constructed to enforce
the largest possible consumption of
beer. Each person is required to
drink a swallow at least every five
"beer minutes" three minutes by
the clock and each swallow must
be at least a quarter of pint. Each
person must respond distinctly in
words whenever his health is pro-
posed, and return the compliment
within five beer minutes. For the
slightest infractiOn of this or any
of the other rules he is put OH the
blackboard as "B. "" and is ineli.
gible to further beer honors until
he has redeemed himself by pub
licly and formally drinking half
pint at one swallow. Anyone who
drinks to him during this period is
himself "B. "" and must redeem
himself in the same way. Any old
member may at any time call on a
younger member to drink any pre-
scribed quantity, on the condition,
of course, that he drink the same
quantity himself. Any member
may challenge another to a beer
duel by calling him "Bierjunge."
Seconds are appointed who pro-
cure "good and equal weapons" i. e.
two pint glasses even full of beer.
At given signal the antagonists
seize the glasses, drain them at
swallow, and the winner is he who
first brings his empty glass to the
table and retains breath enough to
say "Bierjunge." BY long practice
they acquire the faculty of holding
the 9sophagus open and pouring
the beer directly into the stomach
without any motion of swallowing.
An expert beer duelist will swallow
his pint of beer almost as rapidly
as It could be poured on the floor.
These are only few of the COM
plicated rules to be observed. OF
course II is impossible to comply
with them all-in fact their main
object is to get themselves violated,
so as to exact the penalty. Before
the evening is out the violations be-
come so many and so complicated
that the presiding officer is no
longer competent to handle them.
and "Biergerich" or beer court is