Year: 1874

HAMBURG, April l8, 1874.


EDITOR REPUBLICANS:


What tide of joy and varied remem-
brances yours of March II brought me.
Greeting and thanks for not forgetting me.
I have much to tell you of new scenes and
faces. Hamburg, you are aware, is the
commercial metropolis Of Germany; there
tore what shall write you of this city will
as a consequence be very practical. South
ern Germany still remains the mother of
poetry and art, from where l shall soon
have much occasion to write you. The
blue sky and bright sun of the South hav
always made hearts beat warmer and
quicker, and the hearty grasp of South
ern hand seems indeed to give happiness
and welcome to the heart of the stranger
wit acts sudden and fiery, and soon floats
ever in laugh and amusement; as soon, you
might say, as two meet together, the cork
of wit is loosened from the champagne bot
tie of talent and natural humor. Otherwise
act climate and human nature in the North.
Dark is the eky and cloudy. and wit never
dares 90 out without an umbrella-the
breast is not free, and the eye does not look
up to heaven for fear of rain and storm.
Still, nature grows, ripens and yields
abundantly, and life also, strong and deep,
is beating under the buttoned-up coats, and
thought and wisdom will mature in slow but
steady progresses in the well constructed
hot house of study and science The South
in nature and men may be compared to q
flower bordered rivulet, which in summer
looks up and laughs and murmurs in the
cold, still face of the mountain, but when
fades the bright summer sun, and comes
the bleak winds Of winter, then chilled is
the laugh and silent the murmur, while
the North is standing like that mountain,
Interchangeable, independent of outward in
fueuces. but powerful in the truth of phi.
losophical reasons.


Politics, as they have proven themselves
ruling where system and strength are held
in the hands of able command and obe-
dience, have their governing seats in the
North. But what of Hamburg2


Who has not heard of, or seen Hamburg !!
The first question might just as well be
.'who has not learned to read I" and the
second 1 know many have seen it, many
have also seen the galleries of art at Rome
and Dresden, and the last exhibition at
Vienna; but who indeed knows SO much
about it that nothing of interest is left him
for either one or the other! Hamburg af-
ter all, is not made to receive the stranger
r., o;v nd cvniIinn faoa ha
will scarcely feel at home in society here
upon a limited sojourn, Notwithstanding
that the reception is we'll intended on her
part, it will not be readily understood, and
he will quit the place with unfsvorable ideas
of her hospitality a longer acquaintance is
necessary, then perhaps if form and cere-
mony have not become necessity Of life
to him, he will feel happier than in more
inviting circles with brilliant sufaces. 1
will not defend Hamburg too much, as am
convinced that lady must be of Hamburg
"bred and born," to feel entirely at ease; but
must call the attention Of those interested
in commerce to its Importance, not only as
the leading business city of Germany, but
also OF the whole oversee South American
Asian and African trade.


Neither London nor New York, or any
other place in the world, have to show ssch
a commercial and industrial meeting OF
people as the Exchange building holds every
day from to P. NJ. There is not busi-
ness house, not an industrial establishment
of the city, not ship OF the port, whose
proprietors do not 60 themselves, or send
their powers Of attorney to decide and close
business for them. Almost the whole busi-
ness for the day is executed in these few
hours, such q saving of time is this system.
The building, although immense, is no
longer sufficiently large for it's purpose. and
it has been already proposed to build a
larger one. Every mercantile house OF the
CITY has it's certain numbered place, where
YOU are sure to find its proprietor or repre-
sentative during the named hours. Sea
men, tradesmen, workingmen, ETC., all who
have not a steady residence in the city, have
here their separate departments, where
their names have only to be called aloud to
be promptly met. Registers of firms and
numbers are kept at the different entrances
and everyone is allowed to enter free OF
charge until quarter past one o'clock
fine of four shillings is made against
each one entering after this hour, SO that
it has become matter OF honor to the
Hamburg citizen not to pay these four
shillings (eaual to eight cents American
money), and the crush" from one to quar-
ter past is almost overwhelming. All
business is done parte'7e, and 1t gives
spectator in the gallery above much pleasure
and amusement to look down upon those
thousands Of different hats, fashions and Gu
r1ous, anxious, busy faces Some are distlnct'
" ridiculous and worthy free laugh. One is
obliged, it seems, to scream into the ear OF
the other to be understood, go great Is the
combined noise produced by the hum OF
voices; and these contortions of counte
nance, better defined by the physlognomlst'
can not fail to amuse and be Of interest to
all who visit here. The upper part OF the
Exchange building contains the different
commercial reading rooms, where all news
naners. Journals and periodicals, in fact all
valuable reading matter of the universe, Is
kent. What q sensation of gladness came
over my heart when first here read Oh
the title page of Q newspaper the one
word Republiean. The sheet was lying Oh
a table half buried by other papers, and
although there are numerous papers en-
titled Republican, my heart told me assur
edly that this was no other than you; and
after hastily drawing you out from your
hiding place, by that little corner upon
which was printed Republican l found my