The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-09
GERMANY IN NEW YORK.
Democratic Resort where Young ana
Old Enjoy Themselves.

Democratic Resort where Young ana
Old Enjoy Themselves.
Julian Ralph, in New York Mail and Ex-
press
1 know as picturesque bit OF German
New York as there is and / will picture
IL for the reader, that he may understand
more OF what goes on among the Germans
than he could know without being thrown
a great deal with them. The street is
walled by row OF tall tenements on either
side In the Easements Of the tenements
are beer saloons, pork shops, thread and
needle shops, cobhlers' and tailors places.
small groceries and the usual delicatessen
handling. One larger and finer resort than
all the others is a wine saloon, whose pro-
prietor rents the entire building and has
cut it up into lodgerooms, a dancing han,
bowling alleys, billiard room and what
the Germans call a ier-garten-Decause
there are some hopeless. dying, russet-col-
ored ''evergreens' stood about in IL in tubs
Hidden away behind some Of the tene-
ments is q rather large factory which en-
ploys a considerable number or German
workmen. who put on many airs and are
much envied because they work IN this
factory for an old-fashiOned German firm,
which is as democratic as the Declaration
of Independence. Bosses and men are
nearly all from the Palatinate. They chat
on terms Of equality during Work hours,
they belong TO the same fatherland So
cieties, they have a schuetZen club or their
own and all meet after work hours and on
holidays in the wine saloon and its ball
room, bowling alley and other adJuncts.
Everybody is Fritz and Jake and
Henry" to everybody else, all the wives
know one another, and il there is baby
born or a body buried the festivities or the
lamentations are Joined in by all. Ger
man is the common tongue OF al.
and, though all can speak more
or less English. it sounds like
drunken and a crippled language IN their
mouths Their secret fraternity lodges,
their schuetZen club. their connection with
other Rhenish lotteries in other parts or
town keep them busy with nighttime rev.
elry on most nights of each winter. Dane
ing is their Misunderstanding and beer drink
ing bowling and pinochle. Unlike US %
other blood who leave hilarity behind US as
we grow old, these Germans never tire OF
it. Unlike US who separate the lambs from
the old sheep, these Germans Keep togeIner
until they die. Grandpa Steffens dances
with little Mime Muller, Mother Muller
dances with young Master Schneider-the
ages are all mixed up, or, rather they are
all leveled wherever fun is 10 be had, and
nothing strange is thought Of man OF
eighty keeping up his part in the summer
tests and winter dances along with his
partners youngest niece and his own
grandchildren of both sexes.
DoVou think OF what L am picturingg We
scarcely know of a democracy so genulns
to keep rich bosses living In brOtnerhooa
with their workmen. And where among Us
of English stock will you find garter and
baby gammer and maiden taking the same
pleasures together in perfect indifference 70
a gulf Of fifty or sixty years disparity IN
their ages? Democracy which is 10 say
equality, is so rare that we call IL dream
and so pleasing that we dub IL poetic What
about a family life that nothing disturbs,
whose burdens and toys are distributed
evenly under all conditions2 And what Of
fraternity so perfect that bosses and ap-
prentices dance at each others weddings
l tell you, proud you may be OF a May
flower pedigree, you have much TO learn OF
your German neighbors. You should al
most hang your heads in their presence
when you think OF the virtues. both rugged
and poetic, which they brought with them
from the fatherland.