The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
MUNICH'S JOY In ITS CAFES.
HALF ITS SOCIAL LIFE SPENT AT
LITTLE ROUND FABLES.

resses and Their Admirers-A Notable
Scarcity OF Coffee in Coffee Saloons,
MUNICH. Feb. s.-were there Statistics on
the subject. aud II 10 about the only subject in
Germany upon which there are no sstatistics,
they would make a surprislng showing;
lacking them. the guess might beshazarded
that one person In four OF the adult populntion
OF Munich Is between 4 and o O'Clock in tho
afternoon and for two hours again.in the even
ing behind the doors OF one ofsthe places In
which are found little round tables. with
something TO eat or drink on them. These
places are so-called cafes. which'are nearly nj
ways also restaurants; restaurants proper.
breweries. and the great mass OF small beer
saloons grouped under the general title OF
Wirthschdften. The police declare that on
Sundays and holidays the average Is not likely
to be lees than 30 per cent. Of the adult popu-
lation and 30 per cent. OF the children. and that
Seems n low estimate. Certain IL Ia that the
combined seating capacity OF all these places
exceeds the number Of inhabitants.
The cafe life OF South Germany covers con.
siderably more than half the social life. nere.
rs in France. there is no family life such as
that known to the Auglo-Saxons. Most fami-
lies live in apartments more or.less limited as
to size. and exceedingly limited as TO conven-
fences. They are hot and uncomfortable In
summer and cold and cherries In winter
particularly the latter. because both nations
seem to consider warmth and comfort In win
ter sinful. except when they.hndthem in cafes.
Social customs have something to do with II.
In Bavaria afternoon or evening calls are held
20 be outlandish and impairment: the proper
hour for visits Is In the neighborhood OF noon
or preferably before. and they are extremely
formal. Afternoon receptions UT evening par
ties are almost unknown. except among those
OF the nobility who have lived in other lands.
II the average. everyday South German de-
sires to meet his friends he does not invite
them 90 his house, thus burjening himself
with their entertainment. but arranges to meet
them at a cafe: each takes his family along.
and the evening is spent with the perfect and
agreeable understanding that everything is on
the basis Of the Dutch treat.
The time for the principal meal OF the day in
Munich Is in the early afternoon. and rarely il
any one invited to this meal unless he is a rela-
tive or a person to be conciliated. The Ba-
varian does not understand the dinner party.
From dinner time till 9 o'clock is the time for
meeting friends. business or social. In cafes.
The opera and the theatres begin OF from u
70 Z O'Clock and are over early. After that
comes another visit to the cafes for sausage
and beer. and then bed. By these social
schemes the Bavarian. who is not often rich.
makes the cafe. which is warm. we'll lighted.
and gay, serve as his drawing room he has to
burn no fuel after his early dinner hour and
his gas bills are inconsequential. The :ami-
lies In this most prudent OF German cities
who do not take these thing &c into considera-
ton are rated as very well to do indeed.
When a stranger enters a Munich cafe for
the first time. il he Is unfamiliar with the pc
culiarities Of the institution. he Is always sur
prised at the makeup OF the gathering he finds
there. Thus he will.remark that a goodly pro-
portion OF the men are .staid men OF affairs
who have deserted their counting rooms In
the busiest hours Of the afternoon in order to
spend an hour or SO over coffee and a game OF
cards: the business goes ON or does not go on.
that is as 1t may be. but the coffee and cards
understand why it is that he can transact bust
ness. in bank or in commercial house. ~satisfac-
would be willing to MI9rego the afternoon al.
AFFAIRS in America with Watering mouths. but
when they learn something Of the hours aud
Is not only incomprehensible. but horeless,
that ACHE the b shs S,s't e e es siyf N the fer aites%o to t ara
not all. nor.even mostly. men. but that In the
eseniy ANA diSide o. Pfl In soma sn' in ssSsi t ehs RlSSffss
are often almost solely occupied by women.
Ke6eeiatschen-or KaGeelranschen. which. Is
potter. They are a peculiar national i%nstitu-
e saS '. Of son ns bseS'n said % he SAID aSi that ntsn these
Or n!I than they Sec eouid Be p 611iRit up ie but as German iasll
women have not tho temerity to med1le With
rank Of domesticities the dovornment has not
yet Itself felt called: upon. to SUPPRESS thom.
dorm HIa; Soma a. Is rarely IDLE, sHe' Often Brings
her c6 Uniting; div S;sn%.s od b ION It. and %b WEsp s;t she
noon. The mrye@ntbsenTqs' o Of a * Kle saS h" are usually Sns1fy
elderly but not always 80; often young girls
are present under 2 matsonly wing: They
sugar and water'during. thor stay In tho cafe.
With the aeeompanimen Of a doughnut or a
ing six. or seven cents per capita-ineluding a
Sip Of half a cent to the waitress. Thus they
which is again Offset by letting the fire go out
The mass'of regular cafe. patrons: however, Is
aompo sed Of two classes Of men students. who
have not yat made up their minds to take uni.
mIddis.assd and elderly psnsioned %offieials
whom a paternal Government retires In the
REIadane s6 81 iisS "a %af IS Ssy far g q Is a ss snsGe.
asmoralizlne than that 81 Chine or q France;
and Internationally. but still: majesttcally. in a
harness composed entirely Of red tape. know,
IL tbs pa6iis service. His ambitions aueIled BY
the, knowledge. that the end Of his Journey is
an American errand hoy might be proud; ~,
j neb6 p0nblODeTh 10TH tHo hEOunu WIN ~
the group found In every German cafe; they
are called the Stamm0dste. That would be
translated in America. somewhat freely. per-
hans. as chair warmers. They appear usu-
ally at 2 or > O'Clock in the afternoon and re-
main. until supper time, when--su.per being
usually procurable in all the cafes-they mys-
teriously disappear. During their sojourn
they have read a score or so OF newspapers sup:
piled BY the cate. and have drunk one cup OF
eofse. or one glass Of beer. supplementary
many OF water, Most cafes are proud OF their
stammEaste. But they are not profitable.
The students In the cafls spend their time
playing yards. In Germany IL is something VI
a athletic game. whatever The variety, End
profitable. either. although no drinks enough
beer 70 remoye him from the undesirable side
! mild gamble. and q man may easily lose as
much as y, or3O cents in an afternoon with,
poker was introduced into the empire. but
The reckless Young Germans took TO 10 so RAD
!urously that IL had. to be suppressed. The
proper oflciale-a whole board Of them-yere
'ndncted into the lntricacies Of the game by a
complainant Anne iran, and, after duo dell,ber-
alton, they unanimously declared It 70, ba u