The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-29
Christmas pay In vendom.

The most satisfied looking man IN all
Wichita Christmas day was Ernest
Rembeck II was a cure for the blues
TO see him as he sat behind the counter in
his South Main street restaurant with
his thoughts fixed in the far away some
where. Ernest had fed about 100 people
on hen turkeys and was digesting well
deserved slice OF the white meat him
self when q reporter for the Eagle drop
ped in to wish the veteran merry
Christmas.
II VIII be hardly necessary 20 tell Wich-
tia people who Ernst IS for at
least ten years yet. for a few can have
forgotten the man who. for a decade. was
as much OF a fixture on the corner Of
Main and Douglas as the Kansas Nat
ional bank or the Boston store. He
directed the street cars in all stages Of
their rise, decline and fan. previous 70
the completion OF the present system.
and nobody has ever lived who has seen
him out OF humor or impatient. Clouds
passed over the face Of the sun. moon,
Venus. Jupiter and Mars. but never did
a cloud. or speok OF a cloud. pass over
the summer face OF Ernst Rembeck.
when was the merriest Christmas 7
ever had2' repeated Ernst. marshanng
some fifty odd ChristEaasses up before
him and reviewing them. He counted
'em of with his fore finger and finally
burst out laughing. He had It cock sure
and laughed some more. i must have
been a hot Christmas from the way the
dimples chased one another over his face
and the light OF a guiless soul shone In
his eve.
1T was a merry Christmas we had IN
Vendome thirty years ago" said Ernst
and he laughed again, What do you
think; those Frenehmen never heard %
liverNurst nor bologna
Carl Frederick. the Red Prince was
commanding Us when we took Vendome.
was in the cavalry patrol that first
went into the city. We were hungry and
made for the butcher shops 20 get some
liverwurst. They never heard OF T..
Give US some bologna. then. They shook
their head again. Wen. we did the next
best thing. we caught some pigs and
made our own liverwurst.
THAT day we were quartered IN a fine
chauteu-a sort OF a residence castle be-
longing 20 a wealthy man. He left some
wine after him. but we couldn't drink e:
it was awful" and as Ernst said this ne
frowned. the first frown he was ever
known 20 frown in Wichita 1T was so
sour" he said
we wanted 20 roast our pigs AMI went
IN search Of kindling wood One II the
boys were coming away with me and our
arms were full OF wood. The earth cavcd
IN under the les OF my comrade and n
touched something hard re put bis
hand down into It and pulled Up q fine
bottle Of wine by the neck. We found
that the proprietor. seelEg that Vendome
was about 20 fall buried hts good wine
and left the poor wine 50 as % fool the
German soldiers. We had a great feast
with the wiue and the roast piEa and
we danced and sang and had great FUN
all day. We taught our French pria-
oners how 90 make iiverwurst and boiog-
Ia and now you can hud 'esn All over
France. They never saw beer ln Ven
dom until We came There. They learned
10 drink IL from us and now * is more
commonly used than wine"
Ernst was one OK the bravest soldiers
IN that great army of the F8thcrIand
and had several nne medals given him
IN recognition Tor Gauautry on the fed
81 battle. no one can know or anpre-
ciate the real German character unirza
he knows men Ike Ernst Rembeck. Capt.
Brihn and a few others Of the genuine
German stock