The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-03-31
A PEEP INTO BERLIN.
RIxooRF, ThE wHlTEcHAPEL OF THE
GERMAN CAPITAL.

There Arc No slums, and Everything.
IL Bright and Clean and Under Pc.
lice Control In the Quarter Where
the Working People Live.
Nothing in Berlin so much impresses
me as Rixdorf, the Whitechapel Of the
German capital.
You know the east end>of London
the sitting courts, the grimy alleys, the
roaring taverns, the tattered children,
the suffocating reek Of frying fish and
the groups Of gossiping slatterns at
every gloomy doorstep. Now let me
show how another European city
houses it's working classes. Come with
me into the "slums" of Berlin.
From the center Of the city, with it's
splendid houses and it's ceaseless shops,
an electric tram carries one swiftly to
Rixdorf, district connected by every
possible means with every quarter of
the city, however fashionable or mag
nificent. And when you reach it you
scarcely know that you have left the
fashionable and magnificent quarters
at all, for on every side Of you are spa
cious streets, with trees planted at the
curb, and Oh the other hand tall white
palaces rising up with solid dignity to-
ward a clear sky; huge houses, bright
and speckless, with wide doorways,
many shining windows and iron rallied
balconies. where creepers Irvine and
children play; splendid and noble
houses, such as you would look for
with difficulty in almost any quarter
of London. 1t is here that the work.
ing classes Of Berlin live out their care
full, thrifty and laborious lives.
The jerry builder does not exist in
Berlin. AS soon as land falls vacant it
is purchased by companies Of recog-
nized repute, often by banking houses,
and only such streets are planned
which meet all the requirements of
sanitation and art. The houses are
built, and the working classes enter
them, the we'll off renting the ground
and first floors, the poorer folk mount
ing to the floors above. From the door,
step to the fan light in the roof every
thing is clean and orderly.
l have had the pleasure Of entering
some of these flats and talking to their
owners. 1 found the interiors no whit
less pleasing than the magnifcence of
the facades. Here, for instance, is the
home Of man who keeps a little
greengrocer's shop in his front room.
On the walls are shelves bright with
polished china and tin. A stove filled
with hot bricks diffuses pleasant
warmth and shines in all it's tiles with
the labors Of the housewife. A table
spread with neat cloth occupies the
center Of the room and is set out with
the frugal tea Of the little family. The
grandmother, with warm shawl over
her shoulders, sits in a high backed
chair beaming at her visitors. The
good housewife, radiantly clean, hangs
over the back Of the chair, nodding a
sympathetic head at every twist of the
conversation. Big and burly, leaning
against the wall, with his cap in his
hand, his arms folded across his deep
chest, is the master Of the household
an ex-seaman, with shining dark eyes.
black hair and a red face. <
The big boar hound which pulls the
vegetable cart through the streets
presses his full weight against the
legs Of the English visitor and drives
him slowly and resolutely to the WALL
where he holds him prisoner till the
master, laughing, and the housewife,
apologizing, call him off. We learn
from these good people that they have
their hard times and that it is often
difficult to dress the children as they
could wish, but nevertheless they
never go short Of food-no, no; that
does not happen in Berlin. AS for
work-why, life would be poor thing
without it, and there is usually an
hour or two in the evening when they
can go and hear music at the cafe. Oh,
yes; they are comfortable enough, and
Berlin is pretty good as cities go. But
the country-ah, that's fine, that is!
But everywhere, even in this order
~ quarter Of the city, there is evidence
Of what the Berliners hate and resent
more than anything else-'the control"
"Look! said my guide, a working
man, as we mounted the stairs of one
Of these Rixdorf palaces. His hand
pointed to door on the first floor, and
l saw to my amazement that it was a
police Office. eyes," he said bitterly,
"they live with us; even in our houses!
The control; always the control!' I
asked to be allowed to enter. and. hay-
ing magic name on my lips as an in
PRODUCTION, I was permitted to inspect
the place. The police greeted me in a
pleasant fashion, taking their cigars
from their mouths and pausing in their
games to give me information. AS we
passed out and stood for moment
looking at the photographs and descrip-
tons of missing citizens on the wall
told my guide that the police seemed
to me agreeable enough.
'They are all right" he said, "but
they are only the strings. The people
l