The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-03-06

make, seated about one of the deck tables with a
formidable array OF bottles in front them-bottles
of Rhine wine, which Herr and Frau and all die
hetne kinder drink as if it part and parcel of
their daily food. What would a trip on the
Rhine be to good old German without goodly
supply of the native wine? The Rhine wine
which in this country would cost one dollar and a
quarter a bottle may be purchased on these boats
| for twenty-five cents; while l noticed that the
wine.list had on it brands of California wines
which were priced at triple the amount we pay
| for them in this country.
But its dollars to doughnuts that you won't see
| Il Frenchman aboar this boat. For over in Paris
on the Place de Concorde, where there are statues
i representing the eight large cities of France old
Strassburg is always draped in mourning for the
lost Alsace, and the Frenchman's heart is sad
when he thinks of the treaty of 1871. And you
may rest assured that he bears no goodwill Tor
the fat gentleman who lives along the Rhine.
1 noticed few things as passed along the
Rhine which may be matters of transient interest
to few. At Cologne they have peculiar "bridge
of boats - The Rhine, formed as it is from the
glaciers and melting snow from the mountains of
southern Germany. very often rises and quite
frequently overflows its banks. bridge then,
would have to be quite high above the natural
flow of the river to be out OF the water at flood
time. At Cologne they have solved this problem
by erecting bridge of movable boats. A mum.
Der of boats-row- boats such as fishermen use at
the shore in which to carry out the net-are fhs
tened together with bow and stern parallel to the
current of the river, and over these, extending
from shore to shore, is laid flooring of heavy
plank. As the river rises, the boats rise and as
the water falls at certain periods, the boats nat
urally seek the level of the water. An opening
may be made in this bridge at any time-any
number, or all, of the boats being swung down
stream, thus allowing steamer to pass through.
This may be done with great rapi1ity, consuming
much less time than is taken in opening the
''draw" of one of our ordinary river bridges
Across from Coblentz is the castle of Ehren-
breitstein, the Gibralter of the Rhine" This is
formidable looking affair, towering over the
sleepy and peaceful town. Some of his Imperial
Majesty's troops were quartered in this castle,
and it was here early on an August morning, that
first saw the manoeuvres of the German soldiery
body of these chaps, who are said to be so we'll
drilled by men who know much about the
game of war, marched down from the CASTLE
through the town. and along the river to the
place where they were being drilled in military
tactics relating to river work. Later in the day
we passed these men and they were surely being
put through some strenuous exercise. Some were
being taught to row, the boats being stationary;
while others were made to build pontoon bridges
| on the Rhine for short distance, then tear them
down and quickly move to another place. The
thing which impressed you was the severe disci-
pline, the rigid order, and the business like
arrangement of the whole affair. The men
worked more like automatons than real live
thinking men, We couldn't help wondering how
| these machine-made soldiers would behave in
case their leaders were picked off early in an
engagement: they seem to have command for
every movement, and do not execute movement
without the proper word from the proper person.
The officers are rather intelligent looking men,
very brusque in manner, and typical Germans in
appearance. But the compulsory military regu-
lation of Germany brings about peculiar social
condition. the men serve in the army in times
of peace. while the women are left at home to
cradle the wheat