River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-12-15
LAWS oBEYED IN GERMANY
Where the Smallest mira ction Is Met
with Swift and Severe Dis
cipline.


an excellent law it is-that nobody
may scatter paper about the street,
says writer in London M. A. 4. An
English military friend told me that
one day in Dresden, unacqua1nted
with this rule, he tore a long letter he
had been reading into some 90 frag-
ments and threw them behind him.
A policeman stopped him and ex-
planned to him quite politely the liw
upon the subject. My military friend
agreed that it was very good law,
thanked the man for his information,
aud said that in the future he would
bear it in mind.
That. as the policeman pointed out.
would make things right enough for
the future, but meanwhile it was
necessary to deal with the past-with
the so or so pieces of paper lying scat
tered about the road and pavement.
My military friend, with a pleasant
laugh, confessed he did not see what
was to be done.
The policeman, more imaginative,
saw way out. 1t was that my mill
pick up those so scraps of paper.
He is an English general on the re-
tired list and of imposing appearance,
his manner on occasion is naughty.
He did not see himself on his hands
and knees in the chief street of Ores
den, in the middle of the afternoon,
picking up paper.
hiYnc a
mitted that the situat On was awk-
ward. If the English ger eral could not
accept it there happened to be an al
tentative. It was that the English
general should accompany the police
man through the streets followed by
the usual crowd to the nearest prison,
some three miles off,
The general suggested hiring a boy
to pick up the paper. The policeman
referred to the wording of the law
and found that this would not be per-
mitted.
81 thought the matter OUT my
friend told me, Imagining all the pos
siDle alternatives, including that ci
knocking the fellow down and making
bolt, and came to the conclusion that
his first suggestion would on the whole
result in the least discomfort.
"But I had no idea that picking up
small scraps of thin paper off greasy
stones was the business that I found
it. 1t took me nearly ten minutes and
afforded amusement, calculate, to
over 1000 people. But it is a good
law, mind you. All 1 wish is that
had known it beforehand"
On one occasion 1 accompanied All
American lady to a German opera
house. The taking off Of hats in the
German Schauspielhaus is obligatory,
and would it were so in England.
But the American lady is accustomed
to disregard rules made by mere man.
She explained to the doorkeeper that
she was going to wear her hat. He on
his side explained to her that she was
not. They were both bit short with
one another.
I took the opportunity to turn aside
and buy programme. The fewer peo-
pie there are mixed up in an argu-
ment, always think, the better.
My companion explained quite
frankly to the door porter that it did
not matter what he said, she was not
going to take any notice of him.
He did not look talkative man at
any time, and maybe this announce
ment further discouraged him. In any
case he made no attempt to answer
All he did was to stand in the cen
ter Of the doorway with far-away
look in his eyes.
The doorway was some four feet
wide, he was about three feet six
across and weighed about 20 stone. AS
l explained, I was busy buying a pro-
gramme, and when returned my
friend had her hat in her hand and
was digging pins into It. I think she
was trying to make believe it was the
heart Of the doorkeeper.