The Tucumcari news. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1906-08-18
A PEEP INTO BERLIN
RlxOORF, THE WHlTECHAPEL OF THE
GERMAN CAPITAL.


the Working People Live.
Nothing in Berlin so much imprcsses
me as lIiXdorr, the W@hitcchapcl Of the
German capital.
You know the east end of London
the sitting courts, the griny alleys, the
roaring tayerns, the tattcrcd children,
the suifocating rcck of frying FISH and
the groups Of gosSiping slatterns ut
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 ceasclcss shops,
an electric tram carries one swiftly to
RiXdOrf, II district connected by every
possible means with every quarter of
the city, however fashionable or mag
niiiccnt. And when you reach 1t 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 a clear sky; huge houses, bright
and spccklcSs. with wide doOrways,
many shining windows and iron rallied
balconies. where creepers wine 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 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.
| have had the pleasure of entering
some Of these flats and talking to their
owners. found the interiors no whit
less pleasing than the magnificence of
Tie luCuNitS. lltlt, wi illnAtllNV' 10 NllC
home of n man who keeps a little
gr~ecngrocer's shop in his front room.
On the walls are shelves bright with
polished china and tin. a stove filed
with hot tricks dilfuscs Il pleasant
warmth and shines in all its tiles with
the labors OF the housewife. a table
spread with a neat cloth occupies the
center of the room and is set out with
the frugal t"a of the little family. The
grandmother, with a warm shawl over
her shoulders, sits in Il high backed
chair beaming at her visitors. tbs
good housewife. radiantly clean, hangs
ovcr the back of the chair, holding 4
sympathetic head at every twist of tn,
conversation. Big and burly, leaning
against the wall, with his cap in his
hand, his arms folded across his deer
chest, is the master of the household
an eX.seaman, with shining dark eyes
black hair and Il red face.
The big boar hound which pulls til,
vegetable cart through the street,
presses his full weight against til,
legs of the English visitor and drive
him slowly and resolutely TO the wall
where he holds him prisoner till tn
master, laughing, and the housewife
apologizing. call him Off, We lear
from these good people that they hav
their hard times and that it is ofteI
difficult to dress the children as the
could wish, but nevertheless the.
never go short of food-no, no; tina
does not happen in Berlin. As 70
work-why, life would he Il poor thin
without it. and there is usually a
hour or two in the evening when the
can go and hear music at the cafe. Oh
yes; they are comfortable enough, an
Berlin is pretty good as cities go. Blu
the country-ah, that's fine, that isl
But everywhere, even in this ordel
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