River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-02-25
A Letter from Germany


to Miss M. l. Taggart, teacher il
the County School at Rice Lake
Wis, by President T. w. Butcher of
the Edmond, Oklahoma, State Nor.
NAL School. Last year Miss Tag
CART taught at Edmond under Pro,
fessor Butcher. The letter abounds
in much German local color and will
no doubt be of much interest to
readers of the Journal.
DEAR FRIENDS
Berlin where shall I begin and
where stop? Modern, busy, beauti-
full, clean, artistic-cultured. Po-
licemen and soldiers everywhere;
statues and beautiful little parks at
every turn. Evidences of royalty
greet you as you pass Branden-
burger Thor and walk along Inter
den Linden which leads to the Royal
Palace mile from the Thor There
are other Thors, but this is the i'm
portant one. Almost every day |
see it for the University is on Inter
den Linden on the way to the Palace.
By the Palace" l mean the one &C.
cupied by the Kaiser at this time,
for there are other palaces in this
part of the city and in the environs
of Berlin.
The main building of the Royal
University was originally palace
occupied by Prince Henry, brother
OF Frederick II. The University
was founded in 1909. II has in all
about $4,000 students, but 5000 of
these are not matricuiated. In all
other respects they are students. l
matriculated as that is the only way
to get credit for the work you do.
Professors get small salaries, and
in addition most of the fees paid for
lectures in their departments. Pos
sibly | have not made this clear. A
student pays so much for each
course of lectures in this depart
ment. This money goes to the
professor until the fees reach a GER
tain point and then he divides with
the University. In this way some
of the big men get as much as
100000 marks, ($5O,000) year.
Berlin is now the largest of the %
German Universities and the fee
system gives popular professor
here more. income than in a small
school, hence Berlin is getting the
best men. 1t costs Is marks ($6.25)
to matriculate; 5 marks a semester
for lecture course of one hour per
week. Compare this with Harvard,
$3.50 a year for tuition and the tut
ton here seems a trife. Nearly
every professor gives one free course.
The students appear older than at
home. This is because man must
have an A. B. from reputable
school, or be graduate Of Ger
man Gymnasium in order to get in
at all. (By the way, the only degree
given in Germany is Phi. D. Then,
too, the German students all wear
or try to wear moustache. They
wear their hair clipped close or
pompadour, or very long la foot
ball, although the game is not
played. Every man carries few
sandwiches slowed away in his
pockets and he eats them whenever
and wherever he chooses. The halls
of the University resemble Harvey
eating house during the 20 minutes
which the students clip off the be-
ginning of each hour. well dressed
women eat sandwiches on street
cars, and on streets, although not
so often on the streets.) Beer and
sandwiches are sold inside the Uni
versity, in the main halls. The
professor never enters the room I'M
til the students are in and seated
and he is always cheered by stamp
ing the feet. He bows and begins
his lecture. The students have nc
athletics, no yell, no colors, no class
organizations, no class names such
as freshmen, sophomore, etc.-no
enthusiasm. Students belong tc
what is considered leisure class
and are not allowed to work. A
student could not work his way
through school as is so often done
at home. But, while student must
have enough money to take him
through, it costs less than at home
/ One of the professors who gives
courses IN German languages ano
customs for foreigners has his class
meet socially, evenings, occasion
ally. These meetings are held in &
private hall in a hotel or restaurant
where beer flows freely. Every
restaurant and hotel in Berlin sells
haer T u,iSh x,o,, r,,ioht ofterd oo1