Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-10-09
SOME OF THE SIGHTS
OF A SUMMER TOUR
OLD WORLD TRAVELS OF THE
BALKE FAMILY
Dresdent the Most Attractive City. A
Demonstration of Germany's
Military Strength.

| some very interesting tales to tell of
| their trip. They came on the steam
er Breslau of the North German
Lloyd line. leaving Bremen, Ger
| many, September the sixth and reach
ing Galveston, Texas, September 2Sth,
with a stop of two days at Philadel-
Phia en- route In speaking of the
| luxuriant equipment of the modern
steamship, Mr.. Bake mentioned one
comparatively small item in the fur
nishing of the larder, $4,000 worth of
vegetables which were carried by the
Breslau on its transatlantic voyage,
one way.
The BalkeS saw the present Zeppelin
air ship at Cassell, Germany. This
ship is under the management of the
German Lloyd steamship company
and makes regular trips from Cassell
to Basic Switzerland. The office and
the whole system is arranged after the
manner Of vessels that sail the sea.
The air ship has a crew Of 35 men,
carries so to 100 passengers, is 900
feet long and equipped with state
and dining rooms. y ticket for The
air journey is 600 marks or 5000
American money.
Mr.. Bake, or as home people call
him, the curio man." saw the Ger
man army maneuvres near Berlin,
where $1,000. men were reviewed by
the emperor and other notable men.
Unfortunately Mr.. BaIke's time being
| limited he was unable to grant the
kaiser an interview.
Mr.. Bake combined business and
pleasure during his vacation. AS he
was married this summer one might
say that the trip was made to pro-
cure a & I'm. It was also made II Sc
cure the polishing of gems Mr.. Bake
taking with him a large quantity Of
native stones, garnets, amethysts. to-
paZ and chalcedOny or petrified wood
to be ground by the famous gem pol
ishers of Idar, a town of 10000 in
habitants on the German frontier.
These people have been gem polishers
for centuries and are noted for their
excellent work The position in which
they are placed when working seems
extremely awkward TO one not in
itiated The grindstOnes, which are
much thicker than those familiar to
every farm hand of the rural districts,
are placed on standards about four
feet high with the stone half under
water. The man who is doing the
refining, lies prone upon his chest in
frame with a toe hold at the rear,
which acts as a brace when a little
extra strength is needed in the smooth
ing process. The population of Idar
is practically all engaged in the oc
cupation Of gem polishing, as their
ancestors have been for centuries be
fore them, one would almost expect
TO find them flattened out of normal
shape because of their continued re-
clining posture, as Mr.. Bake did
not speak Of this matter however it is
probable that they are perfectly nor
NAL These laborers work from eight
to ten hours a day for a wage Of rs
cents. The grind stones are run by
water power and this with the cheap
labor makes it possible for Mr. Bake
TO take his gems to Germany for cut
ting and perfecting. pay the so per
cent duty on the finished stones. that
is required by the American govern
ment and still make money enough to
satisfy a modest man.
While at Idar. the late unpleasant
ness between Germany and France
over the Moroccan affair. was at
very critical point. Thirty thousand
German troops were rushed to the
frontier between two days, fully
equipped with rations. horse feed and
everything needful The German gov
eminent could have put $4,000 men
over the boundary in a few hours
time in case Of war. 1t was done so
quietly and the discipline was so per-
feet that the inhabitants Of Idar a
few miles away knew nothing Of the
matter
In Bohemia the curio man had a
number Of Arizona garnets made up
into necklaces, bracelets and other
forms of jewelry, in the quaint styles
of centuries ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Bake visited Prague,
Vienna and Dresden and greatly en-
joyed the sights for which each city
is noted. Dresden particularly, i'm
pressed them as the cleanest, best
kept and most attractive city for
Americans. Here Mr.. Bake purchased
a lot of the ancient canoes, old pew
ter and brass, which makes even the
most jealous of religious persons,
grow cOvetous.
a hygienic exhibition was in pro
gress in Dresden while the Balkes
were there. The exhibits which Gre
ated the greatest furore were wax
paper for the wrapping of butter,
card shoppers for milk bottles and
similar devices, conveniences which
are so common in America that they
have long ago ceased to cause COM
ment
Mr. Bake and his bride are both
i'm excellent health and look il. Both
are delighted to be back in Phoenix
with its matchless winter climate
and they say that it's summer weather
is less oppressive than the sort they
found in Europe.
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