The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-13
GERMAN D LIFE.
O ILHAYs DEToTED 10 DWELLING
DRINKING.

those who have had the opportunity to glance
at the matter nrst-hand. are firm in the impress
elon that German student life is one OF the few
things In the world that have not had the
romance knocked out Of them In the progress
Of a material age. They think principally oil
gAudy caps and ribbons. OF the clashing steel oil
the Mensur. OF boisterous son and friendly
drinking bouts; and they are aided in calling
the picture TO mind By the German comic
papers.
That IL but one side OF German student life,
andi II Ia really q very small side. The exstenoe
OF most German students while going through
tho university Ia one Of the most perfect ex-
amples OF the humdrum extant; II II more than
~prosaic. It Is. In many cases. pathetic. Few
people in this world are as poor % tho average
German student, and fewer still would ind II
possible TO exist II they were.
The show student-the student whom every
body secs and who In set down a. q sample Of
the whole body-is always q member Of q stu
dent CORPS. These corps are many In number,
representing at each university all parts Of the
empire. They are something akin to the Greek
letter societies OF American colleges, but they
are much moro In evidence and cover moro
ground. Each has as insignia q distinctive
combination OF colors. and these are displayed
by means OF n cap and a silk ribbon which Is
WIN Via ia eSASNo NlO pANSo~ NhOAS A.
also a gaudy uniform. but the public sees II
but rarely: the cap and ribbon are worn always
proudly and arrogantly.
Most people-excepting always young women
under 1S-aro not fond Of the corps students.
At the same time they are the flower OF German
youth. The nero fact that they are corps stu
dents tells that they belong to families Of
means. for II is. according to the German stan-
dard. an expensive thing to belong to a corps.
To the ordinary observer, not going into the
In this fact an incentive to a young man to join
a CORPS, because, the Germans are, of all
RFSsSsp, ssc tasE yh Incentive len y Fan * s dissdpGtlSn t meet sss
a soar on the cheek. because that Is, In after
life; slsS 4 mark Of class Il sh0wS that the the
ySersilty "a" a corps man It is Interesting for a
fr q the p 90 es@sf * a scar q G"t On t tRs lefs aRSsE,
II he be DESTROYS OF making an impression. will
edge around 80 that It may be observed Of al!
beholders, Most Frenehmen wearing q bit OF
red or violet ribbon in the buttonhole have the
absolutely Of different clay from the ordinary
student, who outnumb ers him. at, the same
time m0 . three e 90 one nn,v They have I.st1 nothing b in com IN
corps man looks down upon him from o lofty
height the ordinary man knows. and does
does not often question the equity Of the dis
tinction OF GLASS. His veneration for rank,
SSBBsG'4 9Ss t GF 1n eiSssss Of s IL 8esd IN n the 1 e 2;
only on the benches Of the lecture room there
the ordinary, student ~effaces, himself. as II in
Attention t to the sr man enfe At Els u eIbo% Ha{ than n9 Il f1 he
were a krug Of nat beer.
ferent paths. lead existences dramatically OPP
posed. and rarely. i ever. meet In some Of
more difficult matter. the drawing OF the abso-
lutte, line Ia naturally not 90 marked. but in
%stricter. It is, moreover. not merely a mater
OF selection the rich student enters the uni
corps. OF partaking OF the moro or less riotous
pleasures CONSEQUENT. of minGling only with
bis class: the poor student. on the other hand.
has no definite idea other than to serape
means at his disposal and to get his degree.
q w When At the e sorPsf = student It de6t,Ss o% me- t to town his
his frst experience Of freedom from pa parental
1 ness { g sn anS ne Si Gnn hafafl s d Ssis n IN his esp ess' To-
study or to TO- attend any great number Of Lectures
f Rs T It a pteT ara ME Re G rents can a d SapS OF oRl
well-furnished rooms in a good quarter,
some clothes more fashionable, than those ne
was used TO at home. gets a huge walking
ready. Then comes the corps. When ne has
succeeded In insuring his responsibility by
s ssnts ga int . that i ss w man1 81 g SCAR sSsn. Sem %Ssv s s1.
e e51s,i sytesa Sa y aaI impaaea,I SsH tRs 1eS gu e riyas
seated in a cafe. There Is an exchange O eards
and much iormality. Then q AeaistT is ar
A MPnsur Is against the law in most univer-
ties wink hard. Nevertheless. as the duel
student. without the zest Of lawbreaking, It
usually takes place under tho greatest stress
good sdff bs room 81 a 'S and pient ;n o7' S.ses4r.' 4 fhs Tsn Is =
ing, game, It 10 npscientlfc, and not even
tween the, contestants as to size or dexterity is
not thought OF. The floor of the room in which
absorb the gore. and there is always a doctor or
medical student II attendanee. The contestants,
swathed and padded so that nothing can be hurt
with a sharp edge. They are placed two feet
or, so apart. and the director o, the business
they do. Hammer and tones. The object OF the
game is to lay upon the check; and the duel
eeive the desired slash. A stranger to Ger
man customs might think that q man would be
proud Of having fought . duel out q which he
Idea. there is no honor In escaping scratchiess.
and no evidence Of skill either. The scar is de-
is greatly oyermatched. his face 10 slashed into
mincemeat before he succeeds in favoring the
m To 9 noss so him With a bs1 tbS sPot. o,,ov,n,
their first encounter is the proudest In their
lives. They parade the streets with their heads
done up In baudages, and make the frequentera
OF the Gales miserable with tho all-pervadinG
odor OF the iodoform with which their wounds
are dressed. .Iodoform, however. 10 only used
leave a correspondingly satisfactory scar-that
Is. one which cannot be mistaken by the public
for any other kind OF scar. When, on the oon-
trary. the cut is one Of those indefinite, vulgar
little affairs which might come from falling on
the maternal scissors In infancy. IL 10 not an
practice to have IL dressed with
coarse salt, In order that it may be irritated
and leave an enlarged scar. 1t is, perhaps. q
painful procedure; but the corps student has
plenty Of courage In q good cause.
The MenstE Is the most important event OF
and 1t takes place ~oitener. In plain English, Il
Is merely a ,beer:drinkinR bout. the immediate
effect OF which IL TO render the legs unfit as q
means. Of locomotion. and tho after result oil
which Is that condition known a. next morn
Ing" In. some parts Of tho world, and, in Ger
many" KatzenJammer." To any one not par.
taking. the hnetpe Is even more uninterestinR
than tho Mensur. There 10 song; but few poo
pie care to bear tho singing ofa promiscuous
Gan be satisfied almost anywhere, There 10,
however. fun for the students-and that Is why
throng to the Rneipe,
When q corps student 10 not occupied with one
or the other Of these two great events OF the
oorpe, he still has plenty to do without attend