Barton County democrat., 1911-09-08
ALONG THE RHINE.
Editorial Correspondence.
Hutchinson News.)
Koenigswinter, Aug. 8.

Next 10 rlulng on Duucn CANAL |
comes a trip on the Rhine. The pas
senger steamers and motor boats go |
up and down this part of the Rhine
like street cans. Every boat is COM
fcrtably equipped with refreshment
parlors and restaurants and the wait
ers keep trying to please the Thirsty
traveller by offering him wine and
beer. 1t is hard on a Kansan. What
these Germans need is a governor and
attorney general and a row over the
joint question. Poor Germans, they
do not know it, and they keep right
on drinking beer and growing fat and
looking happy. Aside from this UNI
fortunate habit which does not seem
to hurt hem like it ought to, the
Germans are a fine lot of folks. They
are immensely proud of their country
which is a trifle hand on us modest
Americans. They really believe Ger
many can lick the world and they
have a notion that there is no ma
tion so progressive as theirs. In some
respects they are right and in many
phases of business and scientific ad-
vancement the Germans lead the
world.
l am inclined to attribute this to
their public school system which is
superior to ours in some respects.
Without going to an extended argu-
ment on the subject l will explain
lmy reason for this opinion The Ger
man system Of education is very rigid
for the boys and girls. The discipline
in the common schools is military.
The children go to school more
months in the year and they are cem
PEELED to learn. There Is no foolish
ness no excuses from fond parents,
no late parties, no indifference, no
anything through. The German
teachers are not content with getting
the children to pass, but they insist
they shall know their studies. This
severe training Is kept up until the
boy or girl goes to the university and
then discipline is reIIeXed and he or
she can do about as they please so
far as personal conduct is concerned.
In America the parentns and the gov
ernment let the little folks do as they
please outside of short school hours
and then tighten up the discipline i'm
high school and university. Our
scheme doesn' It work we'll. Our grade
schools turn out indifferent scholars
and boys and girls who have not beer
trained to study. Our course of study
is fixed to make it easy when every
one knows that hard work is needed
to develop character. If the Germans
60 ahead of the Americans in the
next generation it will be because
their school system is better than
our, because it trains the children
better for the work to come. The
Germans think just as much of their
children as do the Americans of their
but they do not spoil them-which is
a great American fault and which
counts against the children ever af-
terward.
| We rode on the boat to GodeSberg,
and Rolandseck, and Heisterbach, an(
Johannisberg, and Niersteiner and all
the other places which are recorder
on the wine card at a Kansas City hC
tel The very names are enough to
make Kansas man file an informa-
ton with the county attorney. Each
town has it's brand of wine, it's old
castles, its flouriShing business, its
comfortable hotels and its legends of
olden times. Most of he legends tell
of the triumph of True Love but here
is an exception:
An old knight whose castle at
Schoenberg was an important place
in the feudal system of tax collection
had seven beautiful daughters. He
died, these seven girls ruled in the
castle and all they cared for was a
good time. They went hunting, gave
late supper parties and were much
talked about, but their beauty and th'
casle Of their Inheritance kept them
popular with the men. Many knights
asked them to marry, but each and
every suiter was given the merry ha
ha by the maiden he sought. Knight
even fought and killed each other dis
putting as to the merits of the sisters
and the ladies made such funerals the
scene of great enjoyment. Finally the
knights had a mass meeting and re-
solved that the seven sisters be re.
Quired to select husbands. When this
news was conveyed to the sisters the,