Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-09-24

The city of Copenhagen, in which
Prof. Rasmus B. Anderson and family
spent four years while the former was
minister to Denmark, has become of
renewed interest to Madisonians
through the appointment of Prof. John
! C. Freeman as consul to the Danish
capital. Pleasant indeed are the mem
cries of a week spent by the writer in
this famous city.
Copenhagen is city of absorbing
interest to the student of northern
civilization, art and letters. AS Lon
don sums up and exemplifies all the
glory and tradition of Britain, so does
Copenhagen that of the north, Of which
it is the fashionable and intellectual
capital. 1t is quite cosmopolitan
city also, for ships of all nations call
at it's broad docks and the streams of
travel from Berlin to Stockholm and
st. Petersburg pass through it. But in
it's theaters, playhouses and beer gar
dens, of which it has any number, is it's
cosmopolitanism made perhaps most
manifest. Here French, Italian and
Spanish soubrettes dance, and sing in
their native tongues, while German,
English and American actors share in
] the honors with native players.
It is a city of many great natural
beauties, with large and glorious shady
parks admirably kept and rich with
fountains and statuary. Perhaps in
no European city is more free music
Of the highest excellence heard, for
Copenhagen though the head of small
kingdom is yet rich and proud capital
and generous patron of the arts.
Free afternoon concerts are given in
the parks; they are the nightly attrac-
tons of the great hotels and restau-
| rants, and the features of the theaters
i and beer gardens. If surfeit of good
music is possible it can be had in Co
penhagen.
Rich in picture galleries and libra
ries, too, it is yet it's sculpture and
museums of antiquities that make the
Danish capital most interesting to the
student. Here in one majestic wilder
ness of beauty are the collected works
81
Thorwaldsen, and the most complete
collection of prehistoric antiquities,
the classification of which was first re-
duced to a science by DenmarSs stu
dents.
If the tourist approaches Copenhagen
by sea from the north he may touch
at the picturesque fortified town of
Helsingborg (Elsinore) where trad1-
ton says Hamlet lies buried. Already
the Swedish coast is plainly discern
ible to the left. If the day be bright a
picture of surprising loveliness is pre-
scented in the hundreds of flashing sails
upon the Baltic and the scores of little
islands crowned with white fortresses
!. and lighthouses. Here in the roads
off Elsinore it was that Lord Nelson
, won his famous victory in 1901,
when their naughty powers to vex,
He engaged the Danish decks,
And with twenty floating wrecks
Crowned the frayi"
Nearing the city one sees first sur
mounting it all the great dome of Mar
morskirke, blazing like a globe of
FURNISHED gold. Clustered about it
are spires of churches famed in history
; and song.
Copenhagen is a city of 100000 souls
or more. It is situated on lowlying
ground and has several pretty and i'm
portant suburbs. It's name-a corrup-
ton from KaupmannahOfn merchants
harbor) suggests it's origin and de-
velopment Like most old European
cities, it has undergone siege and sack,
fire and pestilence. 1t is protected by
the citadel of Frederikshavn and sew
eral minor forts The older part of
the city near the docks contains mar
row brick-paved or asphalted streets
with modest red-tiled buildings of
varied and often quaint architecture.
TO the west and north lie the modern
! portions of the city with broader
thoroughfares, street cars. fine stores
and residences. In the old city are
many public squares of much interest.
The more notable are the Amalienborg
or Frederick's place, handsome octa-
gon formed of four palaces of uniform
size and design and having in it's CEN
ter an equestrian statue Of Frederik ";
Kongen's Nytory, the kings new mar
ket, an irregular square, the largest in
the city and containing a huge eques-
trian statue of Christian ", the Gam
meltorv and Nytorv, old and new mar
kets, and the Slotsplads on which
stands the ruins Of Christiansborg pal
ace, and the exchange and the chan
Gerry buildings.
A visit to some of the more famous
buildings will be of interest. What
northern student has not heard of the
famous round tower? It stands nearly
opposite the postof1ce in the heart Of
the old city. 1t is lis feet high and
was built by Christian " as an astro-
nomical observatory. The ascent to
the top is made by broad, winding,
brick-paved walk within, so broad as
| to admit of Peter the Great riding