Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-05-10
A PEEP INTO BERLIN
GlxDORF, THE WHlTECHAPeL OF THE
GERMAN CAPITAL.

There Are No Slums, and Everything
Is Bright and Clean and Under Pc
lice Control In the Quarter Wher,
the Working People Live.
Nothing in Berlin so much impresse
me as Rixdorf, the Whitechapel Of tn,
German capital.
You know the east end Of London
the sitting courts, the grimy alleys, thu
roaring taverns, the tattekd children
the suffocating reek of frying fish ant
the groups Of gossiping slatterns al
every gloomy doorstep. Now let me
show how another European city
houses its working classes. Come with
me into the "slums" Of Berlin.
From the center of the city, with its
splendid houses and its ceaseless shops
an electric tram carries one swiftly to
Rixdorf, a 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 on the other hand tall white
palaces rising up with solid dignity to-
ward 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 1t
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 well 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.
1 have had the pleasure Of entering
some Of these fats and talking to their
owners. l found the interiors no whit
less pleasing than the magnificence Of
the facades. Here, for instance, is the
home Of man who keeps a little
shop in his front room.
On the walls are shelves bright with
polished china and tin. A stove filled
with hot bricks diffuses a pleasant
warmth and shines in all its 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 a 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
head at every twist of the
Big and burly, leaning |
against the wall, with his cap In his |
land. his arms folded across his deep |
hest, is the master Of the household
IN ex-seaman. with shining dark eyes.
lack hair and red face.
The big boar hound which pulls the
'egetable cart through the streets
'resses his full weight against the
egs Of the English visitor and drives
i'm slowly and resolutely to the wall,
There he holds him prisoner till the
Master, laughing, and the housewife,
call him Off. We learn
rom these good people that they have
heir hard times and that it is often
ifficult to dress the children as they
ould wish, but nevertheless they
ever 20 short of food-no, no; that
oes not happen in Berlin. AS for
'ork-why, life would be poor thing
'itlout it, and there is usually an
our or two in the evening when they
IN 20 and hear music at the cafe. Oh.
es; they are comfortable enough, and
erlin is pretty good as cities go. But
re country-ah. that's fine, that is!
BIT everywhere, even in this order
quarter Of the city, there is evidence
what the Berlners hate and resent
ore than anything else-"the control" 4
Look" said my guide, a working
an. as we mounted the stairs of one
these RiXdorf palaces. His hand
,inted to a door on the first floor, anc
saw to my amaZement that it was a !
'lice Office. Yes" he said bitterly,
hey live with us: even In our houses |
ne CONTROL always the controlw |
ked to be allowed to enter. and. hav- o
g magic name on my lips as an in !
l was permitted to inspect t
e place. The police greeted me in q e
easant fashion. taking their cigars
ON their mouths and pausing in their [
mes to give me information. AS we
ssed out and stood for a moment I
)lling at the photographs and descrip- a
ms of missing citizens OH the wall ] i
d my guide that the police seemed Il
me agreeable enough. 4
They are all right" he said, "but n
ey are only the strings The people u
10 pull the strings-ah, those are the s
yils! You should see them! Oh, my t
avens, you shouldw t
But saw no brutalizing evidence Of b
0 control in my wanderings. I en- I
red little beer houses, comfortable t
ices, with tables and chairs and mu- a
going cheerfully through the even 0
:. and saw no check upon the enjoy
mt Of the people. They have their d
or gardens In Rixdorf, their music p
lis and their places for lectures and ia
cialist meetings. They walk through q
, broad streets and pay calls at each IL
ier's houses and crowd to the Tenn Il
.hofer field to see the great military W
Jews. 1t seemed to me that they "
, in happy circumstances. a.
Sow. / saw during all my wander 81
"a through RiXdorf one half drunken 4