The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-09-28
A Letter From Germany.
Mainz, Saturday, Sept. 3, 1910.

Editor Press and Banner:
| Dear Sir-As one comes toward Frapk-
fort from the north side, one can readily
tell from the number Of factory chimneys,
spur tracks, warehouses, and 50 forth,
passed by that the town is no mean one.
And if there were any doubt left on the
question it would disappear as soon as one
saw the pretentious station with its good
cafe las Baedecker says and It's elaborate
iruit stands. Frankfort is rich town, as
can be seen, as we'll by the condition OF the
streets rs by the number and beauty of its
public monuments, fountains and parks.
Here Gorthe is honOred by u monument in
bronze. near the place OF his birth. The
house itself, where they show you among
other things the table on which Hermann
and Dorothea" was written, was closed
when I was there. Gorthe is properly hon
ored everywhere in Germany believe, but
| If there is any on whom the Germans de-
| light to honor it is Schiller. In proof OF
which, the fancy cakes that the children
like best is not zu-zu but Schiller lock.
Among the public buildings the opera
house is the most imposing, perhaps be-
cause it stands by itself in the middle Of a
large esplanade, and shows the Importance
the townmen attack to music.
From Frankfort down the Main there is
not much to see. The broad valley of the
Main reaching on one side for four Or five
miles to the mountains, and on the other
side still farther back to some smaller hills,
filled with fruit trees and gardens with
few fields Is pretty but monotonous. The
little towns are full Of geese, and are not
too clean, fault common to all the little
towns. To walk through some Of them
you would wonder why the people don't
die Of fevers. This applies to the settle
ments Of farmers only, what the Romans
call Dorfer, little villages with from twenty
to four hundred inhabitants.
You would think that when one got out
into these districts he would not find any
more Americans, but often even in the
very smallest places there is either some
one who has been to America, or some one
who has. relative there. And certainly
some one to talk English. 1t was IT, just
such little town on the way to Main2 that
I stopped to get out Of the weather. Ihave
struck most abominable streak of wealth
or, ty the way Even the big good natured
looking Fawn Wirtin fused about the
weather every time she could catch breath
between errands after beer. The walls OF
the wine room were decorated with the
usual number Of train bulletins and gaudy
advertisement pictures. But there was
even more OF these little rhymed sayings,
some OF them proverbs, others evidently
made to order. The most OF them were
evidently intended to encourage the public
to deeds of pot-valour. For example:
Drink on; we won't tell your wife,"
"A good drink makes an old man young"
"Out with the words that are true, down
with the drink chat Is clear"
Some of them are in such simple Ger
man, and as much like English that any
one can make them out without knowing
any German.
Hast du Geld. willekonamer Cast,
Hast du keins komm wenn du hast"
"Willet recht lang leben, du?
Esse gut und trink dozw."
These give an idea Of the proverbs in
rhyme which are so common here. But to
continue, when the Fraw told me She had
pale beer and white wine. / asked her to
bring me small glass Of wine. ! can not
help wondering what would haYe happened
liz had asked for an ordinary sized glass
AS it was she brought me something that
looked like a quart cup, halt full OF wine.
The Germans have no sense OF quantity
when 1t comes to drinking. Or perhaps
their sense Of quantity Is abnormally de-
veloped. But in spite OF the>wine, reach
ed Mainz in the rain, and received a bad
| impression Of Gutenberg's town.
at least, is nearly thousand years old. 1t
is SO old that there is crust Of houses
grown up all around it, and it is impossi-
bic to get to the church, except through
little alley ways cut through to IT, Inside
it looks very much like the rest Of these
old churches, and it is only from the out
side that the appearance is somewhat re-
markahle. on account OF having big tow
er at either end instead Of having two at
the front, in the usual gothic style. The
stained glass windows are quite pretty.
The part of Mainz around the old church is
old and interesting. The streets are quite
crooked, the houses quite warped looking
and irregular. Farther down the river
however is q quarter which smacks Of rent
barracks and corner lots-a auartef which
you are sorry to have seen, Nearer the
flyer is q Sehllss where are kept numerous
relies pertaining to the great Manner, Gu
tenberg, together with piles and stones of
an old Roman bridge which used to cross
the Rhine at this place. Whether it is the
great bridge which Ceser delighted to de-
scribe, don't know, but the timbers are
good yet. I leave this place to go down
the Rhine to Bingen. What is the little
poem about "Bingen on the Rhine ?" It is
one Of those things I failed to learn ia
school. Maybe you know.