The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-16
IN AND ABOUT BERLIN.
Mankato, May 9, 1902.


Inasmuch as you will not release me
of my promise to give to your readers
something about Berlin, etc., will
have to submit to the inevitable even
at this date.
On our way to Berlin we stopped
over at Leipzig, city of about the
size of Munich, but less imposing. At
Leipzig, is quartered the supreme
court of the German empire. 1t has a
fine university and is known the
world over as musical center and as
the greatest center for book trade. It
has a large number of magnificent
buildings devoted to the latter. The
book business is to Leipzig what the
breweries and art galleries are to
Munich.
Berlin is probably the grandest city
of Europe. Vienna does not compare
with it, One is impressed everywhere
by the grandness of its conception
(plan of arrangement, the quality
and cleanliness of it's thoroughfares, the
substantially and ornamental designs
of its buildings, bridges, etc. What
ever is built there is done 80 in a more
substantial manner and at the same
time pleasing to the eye (ornamentaD.
The streets are mostly asphalt and
are kept scrupulously clean-even of
N q u,cbovc opd bootblaoLs Sroo ,o.oo
of the streets are found on every
corner. The illumination is the best
we saw. Berlin has many straight
wide streets, several miles long.
There are no alleys and no "sky-
scrapers'', none of the buildings being
over five stories high. We visited the
capitol (Reichstagsgebaride) which is
grand building, good for centuries.
Berlin is noted for its large numbers
of statues and monuments. Then to,
nowhere did we see so many nice
churches, the newer ones being built
of friedrich; by employing different
shades nice effect is obtained. The
finest church we saw, however, was
st. Patrick Cathedral in New York
City. Berlin has 10 public market
halls of modern construction, which
are great convenience to the people
and marked improvement over the
former open street markets. The
city has an excellent street Car system,
a..uniform..fee of 10 pfenig (21s cents
being charged. A few horsecars are
still being employed. The buses are
away ahead of those of Vienna. The
elevated road (steam acco mmodates an
immense traffic. A new electric line
has recently been opened, which, like
the city steam railway of Vienna,
runs partly above, partly upon and
partly below the surface, accommoda
ting itself to the existing conditions.
All the railroad stations are of recent
construction and an ornament to the
city.
Berlin is great educational center.
Every branch of science, art, industry
commerce, etc., being largely repre-
sented no matter what one may wish
to learn, to investigate or to practice
it can be found there. The clinics
afford an immense opportunity and
material for instruction. The univer
sity is one of the largest and best o.
, Europe. Hand in hand with its I'm
excelled facilities for teaching go it
many and rich museums, galleries
collectins.
The city is we'll supplied. with beau
tiful parks, places of amusements, etc
The grandest place we saw i
Sanssouci, of Potsdam, near Berlin
the summer residence of the emperor
These buildings, parks, gardens
etc., cannot be described but must b
: seen to be appreciated.
One of the many attractions of Der
lin is the royal family. They gen
orally observe regular hours for walk
ing or driving, usually between 2 AM
4p. m. They nearly always take tn
same route and hence visitors hav
an opportunity to see them. Man
post themselves along "Under de-
Linden "Brandenburger Thor" o
"Thiergarten. The demporer look
? rather pale and wears serious ex
preston, while the empress has yer
3 amiable, winning countenance. Th
t crown prince is very pleasant youn
man, we'll liked.
q The Berliners almost adore Primo
9 Henry of Prussia although he doe
: not reside there. Great interest We
{ manifested in his trip to the Unite
: states and genuine joy and satisfa'
ton exhibited over the hearty wei
= come and most kind attentions accord
: ed him everywhere. There is SINGER
desire in Germany for the closest an
most friendly relations with tn
country, and it was the general opir
ion that this incident would have
i beneficial and lasting effect
3 strengthening and maintaining sue
relations.
We spent three very pleasant an
profitable months in Berlin. The wiz
: ter was very mild. Had great des
" of rain in January. The spring We
backward, March being sscold and wei
We returned home via Hamburg, th
great commercial city of Germany
, The sea voyage in the early spring
s not a thing of great pleasure, the al
q mosphere being too cold. We had tw