The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-09-30

o,snlaySng notices warning customers
not to carry their parcels by the string.
Many purchases were no longer
wrapped, to save paper. and no pur-
chase amounting to less than s. was
delivered.
Before left Berlin, artificial silk
was the principal fabric obtainable for
ladies' wearing apparel. Almost every
woman In the land, princess or maid,
was attired In art taffeta. It sold for
SO yard. In normal times It would
have been worth from IS cents to 81.
In the fall Of 1917. cloth suit was un-
obtainable for less than $500. It would
have been worth $25 In normal times.
All fur skins were needed for SOL
diers' wear and the fow that were still
obtainable for home use In the form
Of fur sets sold for $1,000 up.
Through spectators, we obtained
some imitation soft soap at 81 per
pound. People said It was made from
human corpses, but 1t was the only
thing available outside Of the substj-
tutes which were soap only In name. A
small cake Of toilet soap easily brought
s.. A servants plain wooden ward
robe, formerly costing s.. was unob-
tainable for less than $50. We paid
as high Us So pound for butter, from
SPECTATOR, and my last Christmas
dinner in Berlin consisted Of small
goose, just enough for one meal for
three persons, for which paid So.
One Of the things the people missed
most, Of course, was their beer. While
it was put on sale at 8 p. m. every
night, only a limited amount was avail
able and as soon as 1t was disposed
of, only coffee or tea substitute, with
out sugar. milk or lemons, could be
had.
The scarcity Of metals required foe
munitions was evidenced early In the
war when the interiors and exteriors
of houses throughout the country were
thoroughly ransacked and everything
in the way of copper, brass or alu-
minum fixtures or cooking utensils that
wasn't absolutely necessary was
seized.
Horses were gradually disappearing
from sight when left early this year.
One saw them lying about the streets
where they dropped from exhaustion,
and what disposition was made Of their
corpses can well be imagined. It IL
quite certain that no part was wasted.
Dogs, too, nearly vanished from city
life. A man know, who had kept
fine Newfoundland dog, told me that II
had disappeared one night and the
next day Its skin was found hanging
on the fence with a sign reading :.
"Died for the fatherland."
One of the principal articles Of fresh
meat to be seen In the butcher shops
consisted Of black crows. They were
selling at Is cents apiece. There was
something ludicrous In the thought Of
the Germans being compelled to ''eat
crow" but there was little to laugh at
In eating 1t oneself.
To obtain Oil, prizes were offered to
the school children to collect fruit
seeds, from which 1t could be extract
ed, and veritable mountains Of the
seeds were thus obtained.
The last meal had In Berlin was
on January 81. 1913. when dined a.
the Hotel Adlon. It consisted of one
sardine, three thin slices Of cold
smoked salmon, soup which was hard
~ more than hot salt water. two small
boiled potatoes and as q substitute for
cornstarch pudding. No butter and no
sauces of any kind were served Black
bread took In my pocket The check
for this elaborate table d'hote meal
amounted to $3.50.
To sum up the situation as was
able to observe 1t, living conditions In
Germany In January Of this year were
rapidly becoming absolutely unbear-
able. How much worse they can be-
come without bringing on internal
troubles which will bring about the
collapse Of the German empire can be
only a matter Of conjecture.
The twentieth century has seen such
radical changes In world conditions.
views and aspirations. that am afraid
history Will prove but poor guide to
the future. In the past few centuries.
Germany has experienced several more
or less serious social revolutions. D6s Il