The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-25
Special correspondence Of TIE NArIoxaL T.sngsE
AUSTRIAN
SNAPSHOTS.
Some American Glimpses OF
Things in " Danubian
Paris
VIENNA, AUSTRIA, Aug. z, 1899


All the American war news comes to Us
from the London papers, and is generally
very satisfactory in statement and comment.
In speaking of the destruction of Cervera's
squadron the London Mail said that Spain's
dignity has been very much discOmposed,
and she is now minus nearly everything that
will float and she should be near the point
of holding out the olive-branch to Uncle
SAM
The French papers are not so satisfact DRY
reading to rs. In fact, they are so hateful
that we and many other Americans will give
Paris the go-by this season, and Partisan
shopkeepers will suffer not little, for the
American trade is highly priced by them.
We have been out to the "Ausstellung -
an exhibition of Austria's arts and indus
tries, given in honor of the 50th anniversary
OF the Emperor accession to the throne He
has had a mighty tumultuOus half-century of
it since he put on the crown OF st. Stephen
in 1S4S. and review of the progress of events
is not flattering to Austrian pride. Itwould
not be to American pride. but Austrian
pride, like the Spanish article. is different
In 1S48 he was Emperor of Austria and all
Germany. including Prussia The latter was
more titular than real, but he was Emperor
all the same. Likewise Austria owned a
large slice of italy. First, he had war with
France in which he lost large slice of Italy.
Then he had brief scrap with Prussia, in
| which his army was handled about as the
Spanish ships have been handled by the
Americans This cost him his Emperorship
of Germany, which passed over to the King
of Prussia. He also lost Venice and nearly
hot Iaft 70 J., 0S t.I, r.
Hungarians got bumptious, threatened seces-
sion, and finally compromised on a cobbled-
up Empire, which is liable to 90 to pieces at
any time. All that he has got to show for
these immense losses is that his army whipped
the Italians then everybody whips the
Italians, even the barbarous negroes in
Africa, and has gained two little bits of
the dismembered Empire of Turkey. In
spite of all this he is kindly, well-liked old
gentleman, whose personal popularity seems
to be all that is at present holding his crazy
quilt dominions together.
His portraits are everywhere, and the
"Ausstellung is wonderful affair. The
exhibits of china and glass are simply mad
dening to ladies of limited purses. You can
see in few minutes enough pretty things
that you feel that you really ought to have,
to load good-sized steamship. If you were
not bankrupted by the purchase, you Ger
tainly would be by the duties.
The shops are all very tempting, and full
Of the loveliest things. They all advertise
a clerk who "speaks good English" but
never by any chance have we been able to
find one. He has always "just gone out"
We have to manage by pointing at the thing
we want, and saying ''Das," and rendering
the number of "hellers," "kreutzers, +" and
"gulden " demanded.
In the famous old church Of st. Stephen we
saw famous old picture of Christ, with a
red, white and blue halo. The Savior wore
fore, - like old Grimes's, and his face is that
of heavy-browed, beer-drinking peasant,
without the slightest ray of spirituality.
The places / like best are the parks, where
the officers of the army congregate, and
smoke and firt with the daxen-haired frau
leins. Other men sit around, bending over
their newspapers, with their eyes close to the
sheet. Nearly everyone is near-sighted,
caused, it is said, by the wretched print of
papers and books. Nurses stroll around
with babies tied to pillows, and young women
and old women everlastingly knit and sew on
the benches. Ii by chance stranger stroils
III and sits down on one of the chairs, an old
woman with leather bag strapped from
her waist appears on the scene, apparently
from nowhere, and demands toll. All these
old women look like witches or the Fates.
And such dirty lot of humanity as one
can behold around here l never imagined in
all my born days. Baths seem unknown,
and shoes and stockings superf1uous. Women
are extensively employed as common laborers,
and carry bricks and mortar in buckets sus-
pended from yoke. They break stone for
street repairing, and do all manner of rough
work. 1 saw in the cemetery last Sunday
one woman harnessed to heavy cart while
another pushed behind, and three others
gathered up the litter and piled it into the
cart All these were barefoOted, half-naked,
and had faces as expressionless as that Of .
cigar-store sign.
1t is not bad thing to be an American
woman.
For woman to go bareheaded in Austria
is mark of servitude. If you see woman
with some sort of q head dress she is prod
uct of evolution. She is rising in the social
scale, and probably the wife of a man who
keeps small grocery or saloon. E.. J. P