Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-09-30
TIGHT LITTLE GERMAN TOWN
Where Everything smncks of the
FatherIand and American
Influences Go Slow.

typical German city within few hours
ride Of New York-a city where the mayor,
the city clerk and all of the city officials.
including the nine members of the common
council, are Germans. city where the Off
ciai business of the municipality is con
Quoted in the German tongue and where
the records are written in German, may
seem an anomaly in this day when the Eng
lish language has spread in America along
with American enterprise and habits. Yet
here is Egg Harbor in the very midst of all
the commercial hubbub, just as II was fifty
years ago-with the exception that It, too.
has partaken OF the thrift and the enter
prise around tia tight little German town
'-ss German to many intents and purposes
as If it were settled in the very heart of the
kaiser's vast domain.
There are German settlements and towns
in the United States-lots Of them. But
this unique city of Egg Harbor stands out
alono in it's class as the only city in the
country that was started with the avowed
intention of forming a home for Germans,
where they could follow the customs Of tho
fatherland. speak the language OF the
fatherland and bring around them in this
new land across the sea the same Influences
religious and secular-that made the old
land so dear to them. This they started
out to do; and this they did. And 1t is for
this reason that these good German neigh
bors of ours will begin next Saturday the
celebration OF their golden jubilee-the
founding Of the city. II you go through the
quaint old town during the four days Of the
celebration you will see that you are not
only In the midst Of a community OF Ger
mans of the old school. as regards the daily
, habits of life. but Of the old ideals as we'll
You will be greeted by the old-tme hearty
welcomes that betake of genuine good
cheer. There you will ind the buerger-
| meisters and der herren and die frauen and
die schOenen frauleins all gracious, all cor
| dial as in the days OF Herr Grimm You
will find the hillsides planted with the vines
as they are along the banks OF the beloved
Rhine You will see the wine cellars stocked
with the product OF these vines You will
note the growing vegetables in the NEEDLESS
beds. You will gaze with admiration on
those noncomparable old-fashioned Ger
man flower gardens and praise the thrift
ness that keeps each house OF this literal
| Spotless Town clothed in fresh paint and
cleanliness while you will be lost in won.
der at the righteousness Of the naples and
chestnuts and elms that arch the broad
streets and avenues from one end to the
other.
In brief. this is the little German towr
that for half century has protected ths
language and the customs OF the father
land. But in the new generation that Il
coming 20 the front the "Americanizing'
influences are being made apparent anC
there Is a tendency TO break away from
the old lines. A dozen years ago PRACTICAL,
nothing but German was spoken in tn,
town. Now one must speak both German
and English 20 be in touch with the Ilttl,
world inside and the great world without
Thus far no street cars have run through
the thoroughfares. but the one-time quie
OF the place Il today broken In upon by tn,