The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-12-06

Y dNNtT u WITS ~ " WERNER OF NUT
folk is Not as Well Pleased With the
Fatherland as He Thought He Would
be.
formerly a member of the Nebraska
legislature and who has been a fire.
quent visitor In Norfolk with his
daughter Mrs. c. c. Wehrer has adj
dressed a letter from Germany to the
Wisner Chronicle.
Mr.. Siecke writes of Germany in an
interesting vein.
We did not travel as much as we IN
tended. In the first place the weather
was very disagreeable the first six
weeks of our visit, cool and rainy with
very little sunshine. In the second
place the excitement of railroad trav-
cling bringing back the old dizzy feel
ing again, which had disappeared dur
ing the voyage on the ocean. During
the last month the weather has been
fine, but II Is getting late In the fall
and the weather Is getting cool.
Therefore we will only see Berlin on
our way coming home. Visited Mrs.
Siecke's old home in Selchow some
time ago. The house where Mrs S.
was born Is still standing. 1t Is occu-
pied by young couple, who made us
take luncheon with them and treated
us real well. Mrs. S. enjoyed this visit
very much, and although she was only
- hA Ice hn
place, it is very interesting to her and
memory came back to her when OBJ
jects were viewed again. But she
missed the big pear tree she used to
climb as a child. the tree had died of
old age.
Visited the birthpiaces of f. Koch,
D. Breitkreutz, VIM. Glaubius, f. Raul,
VIM. Kind and others, all in this coun-
try. Also found two cousins of my
wifes living in Voigtsdorf where we
went and had a good time and fine
view of the country on the way
Passed the old town of NORM, where
there is a large inland lake close by.
According to tradition this lake is in
habted by a large lobster and to keep
him out of mischief he was finally
chained to a rock in the lake, but when
a railroad was built a few years ago
and the first excursion train passed the
lake the animal most broke its chain
to get aboard the train and join the
procession. You are at liberty to be
lieve all of this. My brother lives
close by the river Oder, large stream
spanned by a large iron bridge close
by, built strong enough for railroad
to use. Road has been surveyed anC
will be built in short time.
1t is quite interesting TO me to watcf
the traffic on the river from the bridge
Rats Of logs and lumber floating dowI
stream, also freight vessels and steam
ers passing up or down the stream
having sometimes as many as six mer
chant vessels in town. Two mile
down stream where the old river use,
to be is large lock. 1t is double, on
side for passage of vessels and tn
other for RATS. There are lots o
sawmills and brick factories along tn
stream and causeways that were emf
ty of buildings years ago are occupie
and form streets now. The highways
which thirty years ago were miserabl
between places in rainy seasons, wer
all paved now, and a great help to tn
travelling public. Great changes hav
taken place on every side.
Wages for laborers are higher tina
forty years ago and the farmer her
has the same difficulty to procure hel
when needed as is the case in Amer
lea. In fact, the industrial world take
lots of help from the country and thi
is really to the loss of agriculture. w
do not like travelling here. The raj
roads are not as comfortable as Il
America, so it seems, the employe
are not as polite. They have all serT
ed in the army and some of them hav
the short and rough habit of the drill
master still with them. The system
of giving and demanding tips to wait
ers, servants and porters is strange t
us and sometimes disgusting and
commences as soon as one gets o.
board the vessel at New York.
When | first left here in 1856 tn
raising of sugar beets was quite a
industry and a good many factorie
were working. Now only one factor
is running because the soil has give
out to furnish the amount of suga
stuff required. The old honored win
mills here are getting less, steam an
water taking the place. AS childre
we used to play on the hill near tn
mill and when the wind was slow W
used to run between the wings until
was struck and recovery was SLOW
The old mill is still standing, but
didn't go as close this time. For fea
of firing you | will close, and let m
tell you that | wish was back HON