The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-26

the ocean even European passenger
car seemed comfortable.
Hamburg is quite a city-second in
size in Germany only to Berlin. II
has an interesting history of its own,
for it never really had king and the
emperor of Germany is largely orna-
mental so far as it is concerned
About the beginning of the ninth cen
fury Charlemagne, who was conquer
ing Europe and spreading Christianity,
built a fort here as an outpost against
the heather and put in general ana
a bishop who were to work together-
In those good old days missionaries
went out in armies and when they
captured heather the choice was given
of death or baptism. Most of the
heather wisely took baptism and with
it the right to go on and conquer ana
baptize other heather. The bishop Of
Hamburg turned out to be good
proselyter and the town grew rapidly
Just why it was called Hamburg L can
not find out, as it was before the days
of Hamburger steaks and the develop
ment of pork into ham had not then
reached a prosperous state But there
is nothing in a name. There is no
ham in hamburger. On account of its
harbor the people were merchants and
traders, and when the empire OF
Charlemagne had broken up and that
Dart fell into the jurisdiction of the
counts of HoIstein, the wealthy town of
Hamburg bought many privileges
When a count wanted money for war
or for fun he could get it from Ham
burg but he had. to decker. So HAM
burg secured self-government and
about the thirteenth century when
the rest of Europe had gone broke
crusading Hamburg and number of
other North German cities which had
bought their freedom formed a loose
federation known as the Hanseatic
-, To-
tinued to be a republic, governed by
a city council chosen by the votes of
the wealthy and aristocratic citizens
When the Reformation came Ham
burg went Protestant, perhaps be-
cause the best customers were Prot
estants, but during the religious wars
in Germany when Christians were
killing each other for the love of God,
the Hamburgers attended to business,
contributed cash to the Protestant
side, but refused to fight Hamburg
has always shown the characteristic
of looking out for Hamburg first
Napoleon annexed the city to the
French empire but when Napoleon
assets were distributed by the admin
istrators Hamburg went back to be-
ing a German republic, belonging to
the German federation. When the
German empire was formed in 1871
Hamburg became a member as an
independent state. The imperial gov
eminent has really not as much power
in Hamburg as our government has in
Kansas. The city is governed by a
city council of two branches, the sen
ate of Is members, elected for life, and
the lower house of $50 members
elected for six years. The senate elects
two mayors, or burgomasters yearly,
but they are ornamental only. SO
Hamburg is a kind of a Hamburg
steak of a government, with heredi-
tary emperor, a senate for life, an
elective house, and the voting done
only by citizens of wealth and stand
ing They call this a republic" in
Europe but it would be called a sham
in America. In how many American
cities would the people stand it to have
the council elected for life! 1t makes
trouble In Hamburg. but just think
what it would do in Chicago or Hutch
inson.
The important part of Hamburg Is
the river, lined with vessels of all
kinds. from ocean steamers to canaI
boats. The great prosperity came to
Hamburg in recent years just as it
did to Liverpool in England. on ac-
count of the American trade. Ham
burg is the greatest German port ana