News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1896-07-02
FROM GERMANY.
JENA, Germany, June 10, 1896.

losophers and poets OF Germany
have held professorships, famous !
also for the Battle of jena" which
was fought upon the hills overlook
ing the town, and in which Napoleon
with his army totally routed, in
1906, the Prussian army of Fred
erick William III, who, with his
queen-the beautiful and heroic Lou
ise-was compelled to flee for his life.
AS a result of this battle Napoleon
entered Berlin and there, with all
Germany at his feet, dictated terms |
to the subject people.
What is now the "innner city was
the old city, very limited in extent,
not more than so rods square, and
inclosed with a wall and mOat, which
remained late in the present century.
Now, in their place, are broad streets
= and promenades, with only a few
towers and gateways left to Indicate
the strength of the early fortitca-
tions.
The inner city has the narrow zig
gag streets so characteristic of the
old walled towns; many of these are
so narrow that no team can pass
through them, and not more than
two persons can walk abreast.
There are the usual market places
by the church and Rathaus, or city
hall. These are very interesting on
market days when the peasants from
the country around bring here for
sale the various farm products.
These products are mostly brought
to market in large baskets strapped
upon the backs of women, who, with
their baskets and dog carts do most
of the minor carrying trade of the
country.
The peasants of this section OF Ger
many are very poor and live misera-
bile lives in little, wretchedly dirty
villages, between which are the plots
OF ground which they cultivate, and
with whose products on their backs
the women trudge off to market in
tie neighboring city.
These villages have pleasing and
picturesque appearance when seen in
the distance from a hill or high tower.
From tower on near hill a few
days ago we could count about 80
villages nesting costly in the valleys.
When we had descended the bill and
entered some them all the poetry OF
rural life in Germany fed in moment
we were only thankful to get out
of the filthy streets into the country.
In a church which we visited in one
of these vilIages-Ziegenhain, not far
from Jena-are many relics of Saint
Boniface, who, it is claimed preached
there as a missionary more than
1900 years ago.
The two battle-felds of Leipzig and
Jena commemorate quite important
events in German history-this one
with the date of the battle of 1906
marks the place and time when Ger
many became subject to France with
Napoleon as emperor, the other with
it's battle in 1914, known as the
Battle of the Nations"-so many
were engaged in it-marks the time
when Germany threw off the yoke
Napoleon had put upon her neck
AS a result of this battle also was
Napoleon banished to Elba.
The Germans are not proud o.
their relations with Napoleon, since
he, as soon as he conquered the
people of one state, led them in battle
against their brothers, hence here as
elsewhere, a small stone only, with nc
inscription, marks the spot where ht
stood when conducting the battle o
Jena. Every city on the other hanC
has it's great war monument il
memory of the heroes and recount
ing the glories of the Franco-G German
war of 1901.
One popularity of the German
people is this, that when an act OIL
custom is once established, whether
by law or precedent, it is almost i'm
possible to have it changed. AS they
themselves admit Ii. e. some of then
admit it) it takes the Germans G
hundred years to detect an error anC
another hundred to make the cor
rection.
AS an illustration of their I'm
changability the clock in the highest
steeple has just struck the quarter
hour and now ! hear the sound of 6
horn. The clock strikes every quar-
ter hour and afterit every time night
and day, the horn is sounded. Al
old man and his wife Ct don't know
how many birds have flown from the
nest) live high up in the church
tower, above the clock; their bust
ness is to blow the horn at times
indicated. This custom has beer
handed down from untold ages past
when it was necessary to be on thu
the lookout for enemies approaching
the cities and guard aguinst fires il
the rude huts of the people, so th,
custom was established and so it il
continued; as the clock strikes tn,
Waterman (the Waterman and wifi
have alternate periods of watching
looks over the city, north, south
east and west, then blows the horn
if he should see an enemy approach
ing or fire in the city he would
touch a spring, which sets in motion
the clock-work to give an alarm OF
the great bell, then would he hang
out flag on the dangerous side
Only this morning the clock got ou
of order and gave the alarm, which
brought the citizens into the streets