The Washington times., 1901-10-13
Old BERLIN IN SUMMER.
Tha Beer Gardens to Which all
Glasses Resort.
Quaint Musical RivaIry-sProsit,
kamernd.o "wohI Sein,v and
other Familiar ExpressioDs-An
Ensy-Going German Municipality.

The large cities of Europe, said mar
lately returned to his native country aftel
many years spent abroad, know how tC
care for their people through the hot sea
son. and how to make life bearabie to tbs
thousands who are cooped up between
brick and mortar walls six days of the
week. Berlin, for instance, is asleep or
a hot summer Sunday. Hardly soul
save the fat. drowsy policemen and the
lazy cabmen. is on the streets, The city's
curtains are drawn; its shutters are closed
fast; the doors are shut and bolted. Here
and there an old porter is lounging on the
bench outside of his lodge door, .eternally
smoking his long pipe.
Large numbers have left the city homes
for the summer. Whole families, their
servant girls, their numerous trunks and
valises, hat boxes. feather beds, umbrel-
las, baby cabs and bicycles are packed
into and on top of the cabs (whose ca.
pacity, unlike their comfort, knows nc
limit5) en- route for the seaside.
The stay-at-homes find their recreation
in the summer gardens. In Berlin a gar
den means anything from dingy narrow
courts, with a centre flower pot. where a
''cool blonde or glass of beer, served by
the fat host himself, can be had for II
among the venerable forest trees and fra
grant flowers.
Johann" says the round, jovial host
of the low-class "kneipe,' as the warm
days and nights approach; Johann,
carry the garden out The flower pots
and boxes. the green tables and chairs are
brought forth from the cellar to take
their last summers places in the court or
before the house; the faded last year S
Sign is again displayed on a prominent
nail or hook. and the garden" is tnrown
open to the public
OF the better. high-class resorts KrolTs
garden ranks foremost. Situated in the
Thiergarten, away from the noise and
hurry Of the streets, and easily reached,
it forms the rendezvous of all whose
means, but not time. allow them to in
dulge in a certain extravaganza.
Here, in the cool, quiet inches and Sc
cret spots that the many pushes. shrubs.
plants. and flower figures form, in a quiet
twilight that the numerous colored lamps
afford. sits the busy ran of the world
with his family or friends, and they sip
their wine after an elaborate dinner
Here sit the officers. kept at home 1y
military duties, in their tight dress suits
with padded breasts and squared should
ers, discussing his Majesty's latest speech
or orders, or the good fortune of ''kam-
Grad" who has made a wealthy match
and can now live on good terms with
his creditors again. Unlike those who
are so unfortunate as to be plain citizens,
they drink often and deeply, and accom-
pany each round with a merry ringing OF
the glasses, and "wohl seiE" or ''prosit.
kamerad.'
At one Of the larger tables is a gather
ing of young men, who-although they
are neither decorated with their little
caps nor their colors-are Immediately
recognized as students from their man
ner of drinking. The sport of the Ger
man student is drinking, drinking, drink
ing: and as soon as he holds a pot of
beer in his hand he observes many laws
of beer etiquette that Immediately stamp
him, and are extremely interesting to the
uninitiated.
student never drinks alone, but is
either drank to" by or drinks to-
neighbor. He raises his glass with the
words, ''I'll go you half" or "a whole"
or an "Achtungsschulck." The one ad-
dressed answers, Il am with you." or,
IN follow you;" and both drink accord
ingIy. Oftentimes they drink in concert,
and the presiding student commands "a
whole" to the health of the Kaiser, or
Fuerst Bismarck. or some one else. The
glasses are drained and upset on the
thumbnail. to show that not drop miss
ed its calling
The students are ever welcome gueests,
for 1t keeps one "Kellner" busy serving
the foaming beverage to the crowd, that
by and by becomes more boisterous than
is in keeping with the dignity of the
place.
Not far from this select spot, quite
within earshot OF 1t. on the border of the
Thiergarten and the banks of the Spree
are the "Zelten" (tents), gardens of the
popular type, that are all over Berlin in
any available spot. The "Zelten," that
have long ago lost all resemblance to
what their name signifies, are of historic
and form a striking example of
the tenacity with which a people. and
particularly the German people, cling to
an old custom, and of the power that the
spot, where the custom originated, has to
draw them to it, despite the discomforts
and disa greeable circumstances connected
with it.
During the reign of Frederick the Great
an old woman was granted the privilege
by that grand sovereign TO sell refresh
ments of various kinds during the sum
mer months in that part of the Thier-
garten which was then in a very wild
state and covered several times the area
that it does today. To protect her wares
from the effects OF the rain and the sun
the old woman spread a canvas roof over
them. and Immediately the place was Civ
en- the name. "Das Zelt."
One day, the story goes. the woman and
her husband had a quarrel. which termi-
mated in the husband finding himself out
of job. To show his unamiabIe spouse
that his head was as level as hers he
sought and gained permission of the
King to start "Zelt" on his own hook.
and so "nas Zelt' became Die Zelten"
Both places thrived, and as their popular
ty grew from year to year. and the peo-
pie manifested a desire TO continue their
walks in that part of the Thiergarten
during the winter season. when the raw
weather put an end to their outdoor re-
galements. the proprietors hit upon the
idea Of erecting substantial buildings for
their guests. The project, however, fail
ed TO meet the Kings favor, and so the
real tents had quite long reign.
Some years later the great King, who
was fond of indulging his subjects and
Who could be won by a single well-placed
word where the best address failed, grant
I'd the permission, and the guests could
be under canvas" the year
round.
BY and by Othe.' enterprising spirits,
seeing the success Of the undertaking. put
up like buildings in the neighborhood,
and although these new aditions had
never had an inch of canvas about them. !
adopted the name for their establish
mrnts and now .tZelfen,, were added