Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-09-09
FROM OVER THE OCEAN.
More about Wagner-Sights In Nurem-
berg and Munich.

! aug. 10, 1881.
/ Just what l wrote you about Bsyreuth
! | have forgotten, but | will go on just the
4 same. Wagner's grave is one OF the first
sights tas they express itl, but we were
/ told that no one is allowed to visit it un-
til after the festspiel FESTIVAL per
+ formsncesl had begun.
We were greatly disappointed to hear
this, but we didn't give up. We got ec-
quainted with Herr who turned out to
be an old servant of Wagner. He looked
f exactly like the pictures you see OF Wag-
ner. He said he was going to America
this winter.
t As soon as We expressed a wish to see
i the grave, he ordered the gardener to
+ take us there. We were led around back
+ OF the house; near the back door OF the
villa we saw the grave of the famous
+ composer. 1t is quite simple affair
/ large white marble slab, overgrown with
j ivy, and fenced in by an iron railing, so
as to prevent strangers from carrying
away the ivy, | suppose. succeeded in
capturing few leaves, however, and have
pressed them.
!
rooms Wagner used to occupy were closed
now. He told us one OF his dogs lies
buried at the foot of HIS grave, and his
othertwo near by. Wasn't it Frederick the
Great, OF Prussia, who wanted his dogs
buried near him?
The villa is very pretty, made after
designs by Wagner himself, with long
row OF grand old trees in front. We had
the pleasure of walking down this
avenue; not everyone is allowed to do
that The villa is called "Nilla Vain
fried; don't know what it means.
BY the way, l suppose ought not to
say 81 don't know. The Germans have
funny notions. One day in the geogrs-
ply class Fri. Willrich asked me ques-
ton. l didn't know, so l said so, at
which the class began TO giggle, whic h
embarrassed me very much. Later found
out what caused the giggling. Another
teacher whom | told about it said; al
you didn't know, you should have kept
silent. ! don't know What should do II
one of my pupils should say 'lch weiss
NIGHT II don't know when asked him a
question:
Well to go on Listzs grave is in a
small. pretty chapel, quite alone IN a
churebysrd, which seems to me to be a
more suitable place than Wagner's in a
back yard. a lovely silver wreath was
shown Us inside the chapel. 1t was sent
by some Russian society. On one OF the
large ribbons Of a wreath We read: From
Mrs. -, Beacon str, Boston, The
chapel is literally packed with wreaths.
The Cafe kuustierheim we found very
interesting, the walls being decorated
with photographs, large and small, OF the
different artists who have sung at Bay
reuth. Among them were your friends
Wachter and Malten. Nearly all the
pictures are signed. We were sorry to
leave Bayreuth, especially as Parsifsl was
to he given within week.
Nuremberg was so interesting that
We almost forgot to wish ourselves back
in Bayreutn listening to Parsifal. We ar
rived while shooting festival was going
on, and the town did look lovely. II
understand correctly, members OF this
shooting society from all over Germany
assemble here and shoot. An old Ger
man frau told us that she worked in a
factory where American flags are made
1t seems queer that some Of our own flags
sold in America are made way over here
in Nuremberg.
Among the most interesting things We
found were Durers house, and the old
castle; from the latter We got fine view
OF the city, which is unlike any other
city we had visited-the moats around II,
and the many old watch-towers.
The oldest building in Nuremberg
is he tive-cornered tower, and the Iron
Maiden" in this tower is sonnet hing
quite out ofthe ordinary. This 'maiden'
i large hollow female figure, made OF
iron, and WAS used in the time OF the
Inquisition for killing people in the most
bar barous manner. Inside are about six
teen sharp spikes. The unfortunate one
condemned to death was placed inside
then when it was closed the spikes were
forced into the body. They kindly ar
ranged two spikes for the eyes. When
no more cries for help were heard, the
body was let down into the water below.
From the castle We could see Durer :
house; il looked interesting, so we visit
ed that next. Durer. you know, was a
famous painter. We have often heard
that his wife was Jealous. | guess it must
be true, for we saw the door in which was
small opening through which he had to
look at his models. In the ceiling of his
studio is another opening through which
his wife would watch him as he painted
Anyhow this is what they told us.
We were also told that Durer bought
this house in 1892, and i, was an old one
then. The rooms don't look so very old
and worn out, but the kitchen does de-
cidedly. In the second story is gallery
of comics of his MorEs and few orig.