Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-09-20
GLIMPSES OF GERMANY--III.
BY CHARLES PALMER EMERSON.

| From the Swiss Alps other mountain
chains break off and scatter at Jesse
attitudes throughout central Germany
terminating beyond the Ricscngebirg'
1 and the HarZ in lower ranges and foot
hills which skirt the great sandy plaii
| of the north. A western group of sucf
low mountains is the Deistcr, and few
miles northeast of the Deister. almos
on the edge Of the vast plain. stand:
| Hanover This place is located {
hundred miles southeast of Brc
mcrhafcn. ami one hundred ant
| eighty feet above the sea-level Al
though not a great metropolis. Han.
mover ranks very high among the beau
tIful. hcalthful. and agreeable cities Ol
| the wOrlh. and in these respects many
Of it,; friends claim for it the first place
in Germany. All the advantages; Of z
| large City in art. education. fiOurishinc
| trade and highly developed industry
are h"lc combined with that subtle at
| niosphcre which Germans call Gem
uetliChkcit." "a blending of comforta-
blcncss. cosincss and good nature. With
certain suburbs which on the first
Of October are to become incorporated
| III tllS CITY. f1dlllloNtG " Ill
exceed three hundred thousand. Its
length from northwest to southeast. in
| Guiding Hcrrcnhausen and DOehren. is
about six miles: while the varying
width may he estimated at an average
Of two But this does not include the
Eilenriede. a magnificent forest on inc
east. which in some localities peno-
| tratcs the very heart Of business
and residential districts and throws lis
healthful aroma into the air of the city.
All that Germans know Of the science
of forestry is devoted to the prcserva-
tion Of these trees, and not one foot OF
thc woodland can be sold. Throughout
this jealousy guarded public park are
scattered numerous restaurants. with
coffcc-ga rdens attached; and there is
one geological garden
OF the city proper it is but very
slight eXagScraticn to say That 1t is
as level as a ballrOOm-flOor. Like many
other German cities. Hanover presents
q curious contrast Of old and new ma
tcriaI-of antique and modern style. In
n broad generalization, the inhabitants
sneak of this residence as being within
the "Altstadt" Gold town. and Of that
one as being outside of it: although
even in the "Altstadt" modern build
ings stand side by side with those
which bear the marks Of many cen
turtles The "Altstadt." however pre-
cents even now a strongly medieval APP
rearance. 1t embraces but onc-fiftieth
of the entire area Of the city but its
quaint roofs shelter about ten thousand
Inhabitants. Down to the beginning of
A.. -, r,it oil
enclosed merely the cold town. whose
greatest length is easily covered in a
tcn-mnute walk.
A short ride from the ncart Of the
Al:stadt to Observation-Disclosures on the
opposite side of the city. gives one the
impression Of passing into Il new world.
You step at once from a scene of the
middle ages iEto a most beautiful mod
err street. more than mile in length.
This splendid avenue is lined on one
side by magnificent residences and on
the other by the beautiful. health
breathing Eilenriedc.
The high standard Of education AMI
nf general culture for which Hanover
is famous. is not the only feature Of the
city which appeals to the New Eng
lander Boston, with her wondrnusty
intricate calf-path. which has been cs-
timatcd to cost the Hub "a thousand
years a day. has in Hanover Il
worthy rival. The wonderful twists
and dizzy turns Of the Altstadt would
REQUIRE only Beacon hill to make one
fee, at home. were it not for Il power
full fragrance which haunts one locality
and which has been interpreted t"
mean lager beer and dill pickles Gin
proccss," To get your bearings it is
we'll to fix in mind the fact that the
complicated system of short streets is
hung. as it were. on a great cross or
irregular letter X composed of two long
chains of streets The nrSr of these
runs from northwest to southeast. The
streets composing it join at very wild"
obtuse angles. and constitute the main
artery of the city's business life. They
connect by a broad. magnificent thor
Oughfarc the suburbs of Hcrrenhausen
and Doahrcn. The second street chain
crosses the first in the center of the
city. and connects the suburb of List
on the northeast with the manufacture
ing city Linden. across the narrow riv-
er lime. After learning the names OF
these principal streets the rest is easy.
If you lose yourself in the winnings OF
the Altstadt you are sure soon to meet
wcll-known name. and recover your
bearings.
When YOU desire tn find street
address. the process is quite different
from that at home. The old German
idea is to number buildings, not lots.
Let us take an ideal case: Suppose
that Il German had the first block of a
street to number. in which there were
Just ten buildings on each side Plac-
ing himself at the end of the street.
and facing along its length. he would
begin at his right hand. On the first
building he would place number l.
The very next building on the same
side would receive number =. and so on
to 10 at the end of the block on the
same side. Then he would cross the
street: opposite 10 he would place II.
opposite he would place ~. and so on
until. opposite number 1 would appear
number 30. Returning to tn: right
hand side of the street, where he began
numbering. he would pass along the
first ten numbers. continue on to the
next block on the same side Of the
Sfr of hn;