The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-15
THE GERMAN STUDENT.
HOW HE LIVES AND WHAT HE
FINDS TO DO.
Likes Beer, Music, PIensure-Good
Clothes and Outdoor Exercise
Seem of Little Account TO Him-Is
Much Impressed with Has own Inn

CIOthes and Outdoor Exercise
Seem of Little Account to Him-Hs
Much Impressed with His own I'M
portance.
From the Boston Transcript.
This is not a final word about the Ger
man University student; it is only an at
tempt to put down some impressions Of
him in order that his brothers in America
may have some few strands which they
can weave into a comparison.
Take for a type plumpish man. whose
rosy face is almost innocent OF a razor and
who has the faintest thread of mustache
His left cheek has from one scar to a doz-
en-. He looks the picture of health, but in
reality he is fabby. His clothes? a man
once told me that the German student
was the worst dressed man in the world
1 shouldn't go that far, but it is certain
that he makes no such set for dress as
one sees among the college men in Ameri-
ca He likes coat that is easyN and
columinous, trousers. which may bag if
they like. AS to color he seems to have
peculiar leaning to various dull shades
of green. His hats are everything, from
little colored fraternity caps to crash hats
which he has worn on foot tours.
This young man comes TO the University
when he is about IS. He haF spent the
years fom to at one of the primary
schools and the next nine years in a gym
nasium or real-schule and here he has
ground at Latin, Greek, the modern
languages, mathematics, and science; the
amount he has of either depending upon
the sort of preparatory school he has at
tended and the profession which he in
tends to follow. 1 am told that, though
a man may enter the University without
Latin or Greek, he is bound to have had
French.
Having been driven pretty hard at the
gymnasium, he naturally looks on the
University as place of rest; at least he
can make 1t so IL he wishes. He goes to
lectures, or he does not go; nobody says
him ''yea" or may" In Germany, as in
America, there are grinds and loafers; only
in Germany the latter have an easier time.
There are no examinations, except the one
great final trial when he CONS up for his
doctors degree, or the other trial. when
he passes his tate's-exam" IN order to
get the privilege of serving one year in
the army instead of two. OF course, at the
beginning of a university career these are
in the far future, and there is no terrible
dean with a threat of expulsion If one does
not do ones duty every term.
hHJOTAty NOt
AS there are workers and drones, so
there are students with all sorts of in
comes; but / do not believe there is such
wide difference in this matter as in
America, and the men who must live fru-
gally are in the majority. A man knew
well in Berlin, the son of a clergyman,
had $50 a month 10 pay all his eX-
penses. There were many like him, and
there are plenty who live on less. The stu
dent rents a room for which he pays
from s. to IS a month. This includes
his morning coffee and rolls. His fire costs
about cents a day-when he has one.
In the smaller university towns L believe
the most of the students have study and
sleeping room adjoining, but In the
cities many of the men have one room
which serves for all.
And now take a day in the life Of this
follower after learning. That is a difficult
matter, for I suppose nobody is more ir-
regular In his habits. He may rise at 8;
ing, he may put off getting up till after
ing, he may put offgetting up till after
noon. Buzz take him at 8. His landlady
brings his coffee, and when he has fin
ished that he Is off for the university. He
goes to two or three lectures in the MORN
ing Some men take full notes of every
word of the professor; some jot down
phrases and write them up afterward
o'clock he dimes In company with several
bosom friends. There are students res
taurants where one can dine plentifully
for 20 cents, or even little cheaper. One
gets a soup, two kinds of meat with a
vegetable, and stewed fruit for dessert.
This is always accompanied by beer.
After dinner he plays cards for an hour
and then has coffee. Then he works or
sleeps or takes a walk, as the mood is.
we will say that supper Is at 7; it is just
as likely to be 9. If it Is at restaurant
il costs about 20 cents: but sometimes the
student buys bit at a shop and leafs
cold" and sometimes he makes sort
of running meal, eating little mere ana
little there at all sorts of places. Mo-
body could describe the fearful and Won
derful dishes which the German student
eats. He is fond of hot sausage banked
round with cabbage. In winter the breast
Of a goose is a favorite tit-bit and there
are plates of stuff for which the only
word is stuff" OF course, there Is beer
again.
we will suppose that often and often
he studies in the evening, as many no
doubt do: but he is also often at the
theater with half a dozen friends. He is
lust as eager to see Schillers Maid or
orleans" as to see a girl in tights at
variety show: but he does not want to
nav more than a mark or a mark ana
half for his entertainment. He likes good
music, and will stand three hours in a
hot gallery 10 hear a piece of Wagner.
He is a pretty good judge OF the drama,
and will crowd the house to see Shake
speare. On the other hand, this same
man will sit contentedly in smoky con-
cert hall, listen to vulgar songs and make
fres with the mattresses, who are quite
his match in such matters.
After the theater he may go home cloth
cd in his right mind, or he may make a
tour of the beer halls that he knows At
each of these he drinks; there is no limit
to his capacity and It is a matter of no
importance when or how he gets home.
Courts AdmiratiO
It is in the bigger cities of course, that
his days are of this sort. He is rarely seen
at his best In the smaller towns. There
he is thrown more on his own resources
for amusement. He begins to practice
with the duelling sword during his first
semester, and fights occur among the
"corps" students every week at some OF
the outlying villages. The duelling prac-
tice has been sufficiently written up.
There is only one thing to say about 1t
1t is idiotic.
Occasionally he holds "Commers" at
a beer hall drinks and sings and other
= H. 1@.Ny