When I opened my window this morning (awakened by the singing of the orphan boys), I looked upon a lively scene. The streets were covered with hucksters (women, of course), and there was a large display of all kinds of vegetable, fruits and flowers. It was market day, and what I saw was the overflow of the large market hall which is near our hotel.

The cauliflower, carrots and cabbages, as well as the plums (as large as hen’s eggs), pears, grapes, and apples looked tempting, so Emily and I went down and bought some plums, carnations and golden ros [sic].

I called on Mr. Kerner, the brother of the glass salesman from Indianapolis, but he was not at home. I saw his wife, however, and she gave me some information regarding my former teachers and fellow students, the Paulus family.

Mrs. Schweikher, widow of Rev. Paul Schweikher , who was with me in the printing office at Bremen called me up by phone, and we made an appointment to meet her at 4 o’clock. We went there at that time, and I found her with her daughter who is a widow with two children, we also met her son and his bride who is a singer at the Hof Opera and a very nice young lady. We passed a very pleasant afternoon.

In the evening, Mr. Kerner called, and we had a pleasant chat together. Old Stuttgart looks good to me. It has very pretty shops and nice clean streets and, although it is the capital of Wurtenberg and the residence of the King and his family, it seems to be an easy going and quiet city.

Right near our hotel is the Equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, all gilt, and Emily and I use the old fellow as a guide post to find our way home.

But here I must stop. Another month’s passed and gone. Time flies, good bye, more in my next.

Yours, Dad

I am so anxious to see my old college that we concluded to go to Ludwigsburg this morning. We reached it in 1/2 hour by rail and went to the hotel where I found a letter from Armine in which she informed me that she has sent three more in care of the German Preacher Rev. Reber, so we walked to his home.

The old town, which has a garrison of some 6000 men, looked awful quiet to me. It was founded in 1700 as a rival of Stuttgart, but it “Never got there.” What it can boast of are the magnificent avenues of limes and chestnuts leading from the palace to the Salonwald, adjacent to which is our old college, the Salon.

With a peculiar feeling, I ascended the steps of the old “Waldhorn,” an old hotel where the meetings of the Methodists were held when I was here 44 years ago and where they are still being held. I found the preacher at home, and he showed me the old Chapel.

From here we walked out to the Salon, which is now converted into a Home for Old Men. I spoke to one of them who was just wheeling himself out of the gate, and he proved to be a chef (head cook), “Name of Hess,” who had been with the North German Lloyd for many years and also at prominent hotels and restaurants in Connecticut and New York. Of course, he was delighted to meet people from America and to have a chance to talk English, and he volunteered to take us all over the grounds.

The old building with the chapel is still standing, but changed to suit its new destination, so I concluded not to look in. The grounds have been changed entirely, and I could not recognize them. He tells me that the old students and teachers meet at Pentacost every two years, and that they met in 1908.

The old rotunda is still there, but the splendid view has been obstructed by trees, houses and bushes. The “Grune Bettlade,” another old land mark, is still there, and so are the old giant chestnut trees, the leaves of which served us as tobacco when I was a boy.

We could see Kornwestheim in the distance, at my time, one of those pretty little Swabian villages in which every farmer has a big manure pile in front of his house, but now, alas, it has been degraded to a factory town.

The beautiful view to the Solitude, so prettily situated on the spur of a plateau and formerly the seat of the Karlschule, where the great German poet Schiller received part of his education, has been spoilt by the houses built on our former play ground, and I could not enjoy it. For the first time since I put my foot on the soil on which my cradle stood, I felt disappointed.

Mr. Hess wheeled along through the beautiful Salonwald to a Gasthaus just inside of the old Stuttgart Tor, near which I fought my first and only initiation duel as a boy. No change in the old gate, or in the old tavern, and we certainly enjoyed sitting in the dingy little Honorations Stube (room of the guests of honor) and eating a lunch and drinking a wine which was bottled in 1886 (in consequence of its age, it disagreed with me).

We parted from our companion and walked along the streets, watching the soldiers drill and wondering how any one could stand it for any length of time in such a dead town.

Home in time for supper and to bed.

It is Sunday. Opposite from the hotel is the Orphan Home, and at [missing text] o’clock, we were awakened by the singing of the orphan boys, which was very impressive. The clear, sweet, trained voices of the boys reminded us of the Choir at Christ Church in St. Louis. They sang the old German chorals, among them “Befehl du deine Wege.”

We went to meeting and had an excellent dinner consisting of Goose, Sauerkraut and Bacon, a fine dish. We then made the usual rubber necking trip and passed on our road the fountain “Hans im Gluck”; the Rathaus; Stifts Kirche; St. John’s Church, situated on a peninsula formed by the Fewersee; also the Garnisons Kirche; the Gewerbe Museum; and the spot on which formerly the Court Theatre was located. This burnt down and, in its place, they have laid out a pretty garden, the Schloss Garten, a charming pleasure ground with fine groups of trees, flower beds, and sheets of water. It is 200 acres in area and is adorned with marble statues, among them Count Eberhard resting in the lap of a Shepherd, alluding to Urland’s pretty poem in which he says that “Er sein Haupt getrost Kann legen en dem Untertan im Schloss.”

The Horse tamers are very fine, too. We passed the Museum der Buldenden Kunste and drove along the Neckar Strasse where there is a large Piano factory, and I think Father bought our old upright piano there, and past the palace of King William II occupied by the royal family. Opposite are the marble busts of Bismarck and Moltke,

We passed through many old streets where every other house seemed to be a Gasthaus (tavern) with all kinds of funny signs such as Lowe, Affe, Schluessel, etc., past the pretty gothic church St. Leonhard and the old Wachter Brunen and to the Market Place, the center of old Stuttgart, with a few patrician houses of the 16th century, and the beautiful New Rathaus. We also saw the part of the city where the old houses have been torn down and replaced by new ones in a style which is in keeping with the old ones near by.

I called on Rev. Moeller, the German M.E. preacher. He was not at home. They have a very pretty church, the largest and best one built in Germany.

We arose in good time and took a cab and rode up the Philosophenweg, a beautiful road extending along the slope of the Heidelberg, which afforded us a splendid view of the plain of the Rhine as far as the Haardt Mountain. New villas are all along the road, and high walls prevent the soil from washing down. These are very grown with vines and kept in splendid order.

We drove through beautiful woods and returned by way of the Hirschgraben, where we stopped at the old Gasthaus where the students meet to spend a pleasant time drinking the home grown wine.

Here we sat at a table, 150 years old, in the top of which the names of many old students are cut by them, among them Bismarck and Fritz Benter. There are several of these tables, and I guess they could tell many a tale if they could speak.

We crossed the Old Bridge over the Neckar, constructed in 1786 with a statue of Elector Charles and allegorical groups. We also saw the new bridge erected in 1877. I forgot to mention that, in the Gasthaus in the Hirschgasse, we visited the hall where the students fight their duels.

Upon entering the old town, we saw the “Hotel zum Rittter,” erected in 1592, in the style of the Otto Heinrichs Bau, which is almost the only house which escaped destruction in 1692.

We went into the Heilige Geist Church, erected in 1500, which was divided into two parts in 1705 in order that the Catholics might worship in one part while the Protestants worshipped in the other half.

We returned in good time for dinner and took a train for Stuttgart at 3:45. On our road, we passed Bretten, in which town Philip Melanchton was born in 1497, also the Hohen Asperg, formerly a small fortress, where Duke Charles confined the poet Schubart from 1777 to 1787 for having composed a satirical epigram on him.

I now saw familiar spots which I had visited when a scholar at the Salon near Ludwigsburg, for at that time I could not go home during vacation, so our teachers would take us for a three weeks tramp through the country, explaining the history of the old castles and giving us lessons in geology and mineralogy—also astronomy, but we boys liked the gastronomy the best and always looked forward to our resting places for lunch and suppers.

We passed through Ludwigsburg, which we intended to visit from Stuttgart and reached our destination at 6 o’clock and went to the Hotel Silber.

After dressing up, we went to the Stadt Garten where we took supper and listened to an excellent concert. The garden is laid out in grand style with palms and beautiful flowers, sunken garden, a pretty little lake with a wine restaurant, which was illuminated with electric lights.

To bed at 11 o’clock.

Arose at 7 o’clock and took a train for Heidelberg, where we arrived at 12 o’clock in time to dress for dinner. We are stopping at the Grand Hotel and took a cab to the grand old Schloss after dinner.

Few towns can vie with Heidelberg in the beauty of its environs and its historical interest. It has been the residence of the Count Palatines of the Rhine and, since 1386, a university city. It has about 1600 students but, unfortunately, the school year does not begin before October, and so we missed the green, yellow, red and blue caps.

Our road up to the Schloss unfolded new scenes with every turn of the road. The old castle was built in the year 1200 and has seen many hard fights, was destroyed by a French general in 1699, then struck by lightning in 1764 and reduced to ruins. Further decay is now prevented by careful preservations and, where necessary, restoration, so that, even in the 44 years since I saw it last, it has changed so much that I would not have recognized it as the old place had it not been for the grand view of the Neckar valley, which you have from a platform.

We had a pleasant walk through the Schloss garten laid out in the ruins of the fortifications. Crossing over a bridge over the moat of the castle and passing under the Great Watch Tower, we entered the Schlosshof (castleyard), which is the focus of the whole structure as almost all the architectural ornamentations were lavished on the inner facades abutting on the court as the external walls served for purposes of defence. The Otto Heinrichs Ban and the Friedrichs Ban, constructed of red sandstone with sculptures and tracery work in a yellowish stone, are fine specimens of the German Renaissance style. Their picturesqueness is much enhanced by the clinging ivy and the green of the trees.

We descended into the cellar and saw the famous Tun, a monster cask capable of holding 48,000 gallons of wine. It was constructed in 1751. Near it stands the figure of Perkeo, a court jester, and behind him is his clock to which a string is attached which must be pulled to wind it up, so the guide says. I made Emily pull it, and a fox tail jumped out, hitting her on the face.

We had to cut our visit short as it began to rain, and we returned to our carriage and rode back to the hotel. Early to bed.

Good night, Dad

I had to buy a new suitcase. Your old one, which I have been using for my traps, went to pieces. They are higher in price here than in America, but I thought it best to buy a good one. I also went out with Hortense to buy some flower seeds.

Charles called for me, and we took dinner at his club. We then went to see the new part of the Rathaus where they have an excellent window by Luthi, representing Peace and its beneficial results. We took a car to the new St. Matthaeus Kirche of which I have a book with illustrations and descriptions. The windows, some of which were made by Luthi, are very fine. It is arranged similar to our American Churches and has, in the basement, Sunday School and other rooms with movable partitions.

Returning to the hotel, we took the ladies to a confectionery where we had coffee and torte in the approved German way.

I then went to the Missionshaus and Bro. Junker called the students together, and I had to speak to them of old times.

We went to take supper with Dr. Bucher, who is Professor at the Missionshaus and one of my old friends. He is married to Marie Gebhardt who, years ago, made a tour of the U.S. with her father. We spent a very fine evening and went home to pack up for to-morrow.

I spent a good part of the morning writing and, after a hurried lunch, I met Hortense at the station, and together we took a train for Homburg vor der Hoeh, a town of some 15,000 inhabitants near the Tannus Mountain, which was the residence of the Landgraf of Hesse Homburg from 1622 to 1866 and is one of the most popular watering places in the Rhineland.

At the station I saw a nice art glass window made by Luthi and of which Mr. Witthun had shown me the sketch. This gold purple and black on clear cathedral, which is used a good deal by the Germans, makes a rich effect and gives good light at the same time.

As it rained, we concluded not to walk to Friedrichsdorf but took a cab and rode to the new Erloeser Kirche built by Emperor Wilhelm, who frequently comes here. It is a beautiful structure with very peculiar windows of nearly all black on clear cathedral. The mosaic work on the walls is very good, and fine effects are produced by a combination of electric light and glass.

A very nice cross for the altar, a present of the Emperor, and a nice pulpit bible given by the Empress were shown us. We continued our drive in a pouring rain and reached Friedrichsdorf about 3 o’clock.

This little village was founded by the Huguenots in 1687, and Lenchen and Dorette went to a French School here in 1865–66. They still speak French there. Our first call was on Tante Dortchen Fouquart, an old friend of Papa’s and one on whom I had called in 1866. She and her factotum, Bettchen, welcomed us and send their love to Uncle John, Lenchen, Dorette and Richen. We all remember the large wheel, which was turned by a big dog and set in motion the machinery for making noodles.

She lives in the old house upstairs, and we had to climb the same old narrow steps which have been there for generations. Down stairs we saw her son, Charles Foucard, and his wife Alice, who is the daughter of Jean Achard and his wife, Tante Charlotte. We called on Louis and Clement Achard (the sons of Uncle Louis), who own a large factory for making the celebrated Friedrichsdorfer “Zwieback” which is shipped by them into all parts of the world. They inquired especially after John and Hermann Achard.

We were shown over the factory and enjoyed a short chat at the office and returned to Charles Foucard’s, who, by the way, still runs the same little store which was kept by his mother before him.

Here we took supper and then went upstairs to Tante Dortchen, who presented me with an old picture of Father, one of Uncle Nulsen and one of Bishop Janes, which I will bring along with me.

We returned by rail to Frankfurt and found Charles Schwarz waiting for us. Together with him we went to the Allemania and enjoyed a good supper.

Mrs. Schwarz called punctually at 10, according to agreement and took us to St. Leonhardt Church, which was begun 800 years ago. In the Salvator Chorlein, or chapel, is a wonderful vaulting of ribs of stone, detached just like they make out of wood, but in stone, and it seems wonderful to me that they could keep the stone in place.

As they had “Mass” we could not walk around, and so we went on to the old market place where they are making preparations for the Annual Messe (Street Fair). Here are two stories in the pavement, marked O.K., where formerly stood the Ochsen Kïrche for “Barbecue” of beef.

We passed through wonderful narrow streets, where the gables of the houses almost touch each other, for in the olden days, the upper stories were built projecting over each other in order to gain more room. Here is an old house built on four wooden posts, the Steinerne House, built in 1464, with round arch frieze and corner turrets, a statue of the virgin and a fine vaulted gate.

We saw the Goldene Wage (golden scale), first mentioned in1323, and rebuilt in 1450 with a rich façade. There are so many fine old houses that I cannot mention all of them—one of them has a “Roof garden” so you see we only copy from our forefathers.

And now we approached the grand old Cathedral, originally founded in 870 and reconstructed in 1239. The tower is crowned with an octagonal cupola surmounted by a spire, which makes it look like an immense imperial crown, a very appropriate form as, from the time of Friedrich Barbarossa 1152 onwards, most of the German sovereigns were chosen in Frankfurt and crowned in this old church.

From here they proceeded to the Romer, and so did we, passing the monument of Stotzer, a Frankfurt citizen who wrote in the Frankfurt dialect in a very humorous manner.

We went into the Kaisersaal where the new emperor dined with the electors and showed himself from the balcony to the people assembled on the Romerberg. The hall is covered with tunnel vaulting in wood and is embellished with full sized portrait figures of the Emperors. We had to wear felt shoes to enter this hall and the adjoining Wahlzinner where the electors met to deliberate on the choice of an emperor.

From here to our hotel where we found Hortense with mail from you. We returned to the Romerberg to look at the Justitia Fountain erected in 1543 which ran for 1&1/2 hours with red and white wine while the coronation banquet was being held in the Romer, but that was before my time. Nothing but water runs now.

To the end of the last century, no Jew was allowed to enter this market place, and they all lived in the Judengasse or Jews Street, which was closed every evening and on Sundays and holidays throughout the whole day, and no Jew might venture into any part of the town under heavy penalty. Nothing is left of this old street as all the houses have been pulled down except the old house of the Rothschild family, which flourished and became enormously wealthy in spite of this tyranny.

Charles and I called at the shop of A. Luthi, a well known art glass firm, and the present manager, Mr. Karl Witthum, who is quite an artist, took me through the entire shop and showed me many designs, cartoons, and partly finished windows as well as sample windows. He also gave me full information in regard to the manner in which they procure their work. I saw some of his windows later on in the Homburg station and church, and they are very fine.

We returned to Charlie’s home, and the ladies and I took a cab to the Deaconess Home where Rev. Henry Mann, the President, received me. The “Sisters” surprised me with a song, “Lobe den Herren den Mächtigen König der Ehren,” [Praise the Lord the Mighty King of Honor] and I had to make them a short speech.

Brother Mann took me to supper with him, and I met Hortense and her husband as well as a son of Ernest Mann, who is a Preacher in Frankfurt.

We spent a very pleasant evening.

And with this, I will close.
Good night, Dad

I wrote all morning, for I am behind in my daily report. After that I went to look up my boyhood’s friend, Charles Schwarz, son of one of the four missionaries who were sent to Germany shortly after Father had started the work. He is an American citizen but Vice Consul of Great Britain. His office is in the residence of the Consul, Sir Oppenheim.

Charles recognized me at once and was very glad to see me. He took me to the Reception Hall and Stair Case where they have a beautiful window with portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince (now King) Edward. We had a nice chat and, after office hours, we went to the English Church where he plays the organ. They have beautiful windows made in England.

We also went to his home, and he introduced me to his wife and promised to meet us at the Palmgarten in the afternoon. We had dinner at Hortense’s, and she went with us to the Palmgarten, a pleasant park continuing a large Palm House, many fine conservatories, a rose garden, an artificial rocky hill, a cycling track, lawn tennis courts, which are used as a skating ring in winter, terraces, an assembly hall and many other attractions, including, of course, a restaurant and music.

The conservatories contain the most wonderful flowering and leaf plants which I have ever seen in my life, and I saw, in the open air, the grandest collection of Dahlias which I have ever seen. It is a wonderful place.

Charles and his wife met us, and we all enjoyed the grand music. Among other pieces, they played the “Largo” by Handel. We also saw the Parseval, a dirigible balloon, perform gracefully quite near to us. They have an International Balloon Exhibition in Frankfurt for the past few months, and the Parseval seems to be similar to the Zeppelin in construction and performs for the benefit of the crowd almost daily.

Charles took me to his Clubhouse, a very nice, plain, citizens club , and here I saw the portrait of Dr. Hoffmann, the designer of Strüwelpeter, a comical story with pictures which I enjoyed when a child.

Editor’s note: Among the tales in Strüwelpeter, which Hermann found comical, are stories of children who set themselves aflame, have their thumbs cut off, or starve themselves to death. Such fun. 

We arose rather late and went to meeting at 11:30. After a good dinner, we walked to the Post Office, then took a good nap and, by appointment, went to Hortense where we met another old friend, the Reverend Heinrich Mann and his wife, also Brother Junker and his daughter, Louischen, and son, Hermann. We took supper with them and to bed in good time.
More in my next.
Dad.

We arose at 8 o’clock and took a cab for a rubber necking expedition. This is historically one of the most interesting of the Rheinish towns. It is pleasantly situated on the left bank of the Rhein, opposite and below the influx of the Main.

The old town was formerly limited by its fortifications, but since 1871 a new town almost twice as big has grown up outside the old walls. Its important strategic situation has in all ages attracted attention. The town is of a Celtic origin. Between 14 and 9 before Christ, Drusus, the son in law of Augustus, established a camp here, and this attracted a colony of native residents, Roman travelers and veterans, and it served as a the base for the Roman campaign in Central Germany. Christianity flourished here as early as 365.

Many Roman and German Antiquities found in or near Mainz are now shown in the Electoral Palace, a large red sandstone building began in 1678. A handsome Esplanade, 100 yards wide and plated with trees, extends for 4 1/2 miles along the Rhein.

We passed the Eiserne Turm where the bandit, Schinderhaunes, was confined, also the Holzerne Turm, both fragments of the old fortifications dating from the 13th century. Things are sort of old in this town.

Here in the marketplace is a fine old fountain 400 years old and also the Cathedral, which is mentioned as having existed as early as 406. This one, however, is comparatively new, it was built in 1100 after several other buildings erected on this site had been destroyed by fire. The upper part of this one met the same fate in 1191 but was re-erected.

The church possesses great value in the history of architecture on account of the different periods at which the different parts of this building were erected. The interior is very interesting on account of the numerous tombstones which it contains. It also has a fine font made in 1328. The pulpit executed in stone at the end of the 15th century if very rich in carvings. But we have seen so many interesting churches that I will pass on without going into more details. Near the Cathedral we saw the Statue of Gutenberg, the inventor of printing. It is designed by no less a sculptor than Thorwaldsen.

We had an interesting drive through the old town and reached the station in time for our train to Frankfurt a/Main, where we arrived at noon.

We stopped at the Union Hotel, opposite the old Schwan Hotel at which the peace of the 16th May 1871 was concluded. It is a very fine hotel. After dinner we took a car to Roderbergweg 88, the Martins Missions Anstalt the Theology Seminary of our church in Germany.

Here we met Hortense, the oldest daughter of Achard’s first wife, who is a matron of the seminary or what we call Hausmutter, while her husband, Rev. Junker, is the President. Her mother, my sister Philippine) and my mother occupied the same position for a time. They have a nice fruit and flower and vegetable garden and we enjoyed sitting in an arbor talking of ye olden times.

We arose rather late and took a local boat to Rudesheim, which is situated opposite to Bingen in a sunny situation and at the South base of the Niederwald, just at the point where the valley of the Rhein expands into the broad basin of the Rheingan. The celebrated wine of the place can boast the longest pedigree on the Rhein and among its best sorts is the Rudesheimer Berg.

We walked along the Rhein to the station of the Cog Wheel Rail Road which ascends gently through vineyards to the terminus and a 3 minutes walk brought us to the National Denkmal on the Niederwald erected in commemoration of the unanimous rising of the German people and the foundation of the new German Empire in 1870–71.

It stands upon a projecting spur of the hill, 740 feet above the river just opposite Bingen and is this conspicuous far and wide. It was inaugurated with great ceremony in 1883, and many a German Verein (Society) has made a pilgrimage here. Our New York Arion Singing Society has been here twice, and I have a nice piece of poetry in reference to these visits, which Theodor’s bookkeeper copied for me from a newspaper.

The huge base is 82 feet high while the noble figure of Germania with the imperial crown and the laurel wreathed sword an emblem of the unity and strength of the empire, is 34 feet in height. The principal relief on the side of the pedestal facing the river symbolizes the “Wacht am Rhein” and has the text of the famous song below.

To the right and left are allegorical figures of Peace and War while below are figures representing the Father Rhein and the Mosel the latter as the future guardian of the west frontier of the empire. The cost of the monument amounted to $275,000.00.

After duly admiring this grand monument we walked through the beautiful Niederwald to the Jagdschloss, an old shooting lodge, and partook of a good lunch in the open air. We took a good rest, too, as the walk had tired us somewhat, and we then walked through the beautiful woods to the Rossell, an artificial ruin on the highest point of the Niederwald, being 1125 feet above the sea level and 880 above the river.

From here, we had a fine prospect—to the left, of Bingen and the valley of the Nahe with the Donnersberg in the background, to the right, the wooded heights of the Hunsruck. Far below, the Rhein rushes through the Bingerloch, past the Ruin of Ehrenfelst and the Mouse Tower, we could also see the castle of Klopp sheltered by the Rochnsberg just above Bingen and the Reinstein, the Clemens Kapelle, the Falkenburg and all the beautiful points which we had seen when ascending the Rhein and approaching Bingen.

We returned by the Tempelweg, a pretty walk through the woods to the Cog Wheel R. R. Station and took a train down to Rudesheim.

When we stepped off the car, a gentleman approached us and addressed us in English, saying that he was from St. Louis, and I told him “So am I.” It turned out to be Mr. Scheerer, formerly a photographer and now a lawyer. He was delighted to meet us, but we had to hurry to catch our boat. We could talk very much about home and home folks.

We crossed to Bingen, settled our bill at the hotel and reached the landing in time for the boat to Mainz.

The first landing we made was Rudesheim, and I saw Mr. Scherer come aboard, so I called him, and we sat down together to a genuine German Kaffee Klatsch. The trip from here is not as interesting as from Coblenz up, but we noticed some spots made famous by their wines such as Geisenheim and Schloss Johannisberg, the far famed vineyards of the latter on area about 55 acres yield in good years 35,000.00, about 635.00 an acre, which isn’t bad for Germany.

Between Hattenheim and Erbach is the Marcobrunnen (boundary wall) near which are the vineyards yielding the Marcobrunner, one of the most highly prized Rheinish Wines.

Near Biebrich, which is quite a town, we saw, along the bank, large stores of brick which are made from a peculiar soil, which is found here. They are sun dried.

We reached Mainz about 8 o’clock and, for the first time in our experience, found no room in the hotel recommended to us, as they had a Messe (street fair) in town, so we looked up another one and got into one of the old houses, “The Post,” small quarters, but neat and clean.

After supper, we took a walk through the Fair with its merry-go-rounds and booths in which they sold all kinds of cakes and goodies, also an open space where they sold pottery and glassware.

The steam organs and the cryers made just as much noise as they do with us, and we were glad when the entire business stopped short at punctually ten o’clock according to the law of the city. That beats us, don’t it?

We arose early and had a very pleasant walk to the boat landing on the Rhein. I took passage to Bingen, and, as I had time, I returned to have a look at the old Irish Church (Schotten Kirche) of Gross St. Martin, which formerly was on an island in the Rhine and now is prominent on pictures of Cologne on account of its imposing tower, which is 270 feet high.

The existing church was consecrated in 1172 and has a fine porch covered with a groined vaulting. The windows are new and have been made at Innsbrook. A fine marble front with lion heads and foliage is said to have been presented by Pope Leo III in 803.

Returning to the boat we found our baggage waiting us and had it checked, and, as we steamed up the river, we had another opportunity to look at the majestic city of Cologne with its cathedral, numerous towers and lofty bridge.

We had taken passage on an Express Steamer, beautifully fitted up, which makes only a few important landings.

It is impossible to describe all the pretty villages, quaint old churches, modern chateaus, villas and old ruined castles which we passed on this trip. The first town of importance is Bonn with its Munster and University, next Godesberg with its pretty villas and its ruined castle situated on a conical hill. Then Drachenfels with its ruin 908 feet above the Rhine.

Rolandseck, one of the most beautiful spots on the river, surrounded by numerous villas with a ruined castle perched on a basaltic rock 345 feet above the river, is said to have been built by the Knight Roland the paladin of Charlemagne.

Andermach, a small and ancient town with narrow streets and still, to a great extent, surrounded by its old walls, extends picturesquely along the bank of the river above which rise conspicuously the old bastion, the Rhinetor and the lofty watch tower.

Neuwied was founded in 1653 on the site of a village destroyed in the Thirty Years War by Count Wied, who invited numerous settlers without distinction of religion. The population now consists of Protestants, Catholics, Moravian Brothers, Baptists, and Jews who have lived together here in great harmony since that period.

The Moravian Brothers, also called Herrenhuter from H. in Saxon where they established themselves after their expulsion from Moravia during the 30 Years War, occupy a separate part of the town. They were originally followers of John Huss. They are called the Quakers of Germany. Their unmarried brethren live in a separate building and carry on different trades, the profits of which are devoted to the community. They also have “Love feasts” like we Methodists. [Editor’s note: The Love Feast, also known as an agape meal, is meant to recall the meals Jesus shared with disciples, embodying the community and fellowship enjoyed by Christians.]

Approaching Coblenz, we had a fine a view of the imposing monument of Emp. William I. The copper equestrian figure of the emperor, 46 feet in height, accompanied by a genius 30 feet high, is supported by an architectural basis and stands upon the point of land between the Rhein and Mosel, called the “Deutsche Eck.”

This is a beautiful spot, being the junction of two of the most picturesque rivers in Europe. Opposite the influx of the Mosel rises the Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, 385 feet above the Rhine, on a precipitous rock connected with the neighboring heights on the one side only.

Next we saw the castle of Stolzenfels, with a pentagonal tower 110 feet high, property of Emp. Wilhelm II, Konigstuhl (King’s seat), erected on the site of an ancient meeting place of the Electors where many emperors were elected, decrees issued and treaties concluded.

Boppard, the ancient Bidobriga, founded by the Celts and afterwards used by the Romans as a depot for their slingers, has many of the old buildings, one of which, the old Castle, could be plainly seen from the boat, also the remains of a Wall constructed of Roman Concrete, sometime in 365. It was 10 feet thick and 26 feet high and enclosed the city in the form of a rectangle 1000 feet long by 500 feet wide. How is that for solidity?

Say, the Lodge of the Knights Templar of Boppard mentioned among the crusaders at the siege of Ptolemais in 1191 can be seen in one of the side streets, i.e., the ruins anyhow. But I must hurry on, else we will never get to Bingen.

The Brothers, the castles of Sterrenberg and Liebenstein connected by a sharp chain of rock, have a very interesting legend about two brothers having the same maiden, etc. St. Goar is interesting, too, for here every traveler who visited the town for the first time had to submit to the water or wine ordeal. If the former was selected, a good ducking was the result. The pleasanter alternative was to drink a goblet of wine to the members of the society which enforced obedience to the custom.

Of course, when the steam boats began their traffic in 1827, it put an end to this curious old custom. The castle of Rheinfels, rising at the bank of the town, is the most imposing ruin on the river. It was founded sometime in 1200 by a count with the interesting name of Katzenelnbogen (elbow of cat) and destroyed some 500 years later.

I wasn’t there at the time, but I can vouch for its being a ruin all right. There is another castle nearby called “Neu Katzenellbogen,” or the Katz, which was built in 1393 and destroyed in 1806, but upon its ruin the present owner has built himself a castle-like house.

And now we approached the Lorelei, an imposing rock 430 feet above the Rhine, around which plays the well-known legend of the fairy who, like the sirens of old, enticed sailors and fishermen to the destruction in the rapids at the foot of the precipice. Heine has a beautiful ballad, “Ich Weiss nicht was sol les bedeuten, dass ich so traurin bin,” etc. Here is the narrowest and deepest part of the river.

Above Oberwesel rises the modern chateau and the picturesque old ruin of Schonburg, the cradle of a once mighty race (which became extinct in 1713) and now the property of Messrs. Rhinelander of New York. “Sic transit gloria mundo!”

On a ledge of rock in the middle of the Rhein rises the Pfalz, a hexagonal building 700 years old and well preserved, with turrets and jutting corners, loopholes in every direction and one entrance only.

Bacharach, noted for its wine at an early period of which Pope Pius II had a cask brought to Rome annually, and Nürnberg obtained its freedom for a yearly tribute to the Emperor Wenzel of four Tounen of the Bacharach Wine, and now the old castles, some so thick and fast that I can hardly keep up with them.

Stahlock, Furstenberg, Nollich, with the Devils Ladder which a Knight once scaled on horseback and thus gained the hand of his lady love. The old town of Lorch mentioned in a charter as early as 832, and once upon a time the favorite residence of noble families; Heimberg a castle recently restored and the Moranders castle Falkenburg, a genuine Raubritters next, the picturesque castle of Rheinstein, restored by Prince Frederick in 1825 and now the property of the Emp. brother Prince Heinrich, is a fine sample of a mediaeval castle. And here is good old Assmanshausen, celebrated for its wine and a favorite resort of the artists and writers.

Beyond this town, we reached the Binger Loch, a rapid caused by the narrowness of the channel, the widening of which has been the work of ages from the Roman period down to the most recent times.

Above the rapids rises the tower of Ehrenfels, erected some 800 years ago, which was the frequent residence of the archbishops of Mainz in the 15th century.

And now we had a full view of the steep slopes of the Rudesheimer Berg, upon which terrace rises above terrace to secure the soil from falling and all covered with vines. The hill is completely covered with walls and arches, the careful preservation of which will give you an idea of the value of the vines.

Opposite the castle, on a quartz rock in the middle of the Rhein, is situated the Mouse Tower which derives its name from the legend that the cruel Archbishop Hutto, having caused a number of poor people, whom he compared to mice bent on devouring his corn, to be burned in a barn during a famine, sought refuge in this tower from the mice, which persecuted him everywhere, and was devoured alive.

It is, however, really an old watch tower for which purpose it is used to this day. The valley of the Rhine expands here and the district of the Rheingabl, which was once probably a lake, is entered and Bingen comes into view. The old Romans had a castle here and, in the year 70 after Christ, a battle was fought here between them and the Gauls.

On the site of the old Roman fortress rises the castle of Klopp, which is put to good use by the city officials for offices. We had a fine supper at the Deutsche Haus where we stopped for the night. The weather was pleasant enough to allow us to sit in the garden, but for the first time we were bothered by mosquitoes. But I must close, it is 12 o’clock at night and I must get to bed.

Ta ta, Pa pa.

“Song of the Lorelei”
by Heinrich Heine, translated by Peter Shor

I don’t know why I am feeling
     So sorrowful at heart.
An old myth through my thoughts is reeling,
     And from them will not depart.
The cool evening air makes me shiver
     As I watch the Rhine’s gentle flow.
The peak towering over the river
     Gleams bright in the sun’s setting glow.

Up high on a ledge is sitting
     A maiden most marvelously fair.
Her golden jewelry is glitt’ring.
     She is combing her golden hair.
She uses a gold comb to comb it.
     And sings a song as well,
That echoes down off the summit
     And casts a melodic spell.

The boatman is seized by wild yearning
     While guiding his small craft downstream.
His eyes from the rocks ahead turning,
     He looks up, lost in a dream.
I fear that the boat and her master
     Will soon underwater lie.
And what brought about this disaster?
     The song of the Lorelei.

When we awoke this morning, things looked rather dreary, raining and sky cloudy. But we ventured out and got as far as the Rathaus. This fine old building stands on the substractions of a Roma stronghold, probably the Praetorium of the arches of which some remains are still visible in the cellar.

The central portion is the oldest part of the building and dates from the 14th century. A very pretty portico was built in front of this in 1569, and I am mightily glad that they thought of building this for it afforded us shelter from the pouring rain.

There is a very handsome five storied tower adorned with many statues. It was built in 1406 from the proceeds of the fines imposed upon noble families of the city. The interior has a court called the Lowenhof, so named in reference to the tradition that an archbishop sought the life of Burgomaster Gryn in 1264 and threw the obnoxious citizen into a lion’s den in his palace, but Gryn “Did the lion” and, grinning, came out of the den. They show the combat in stone over the portico and also in the court, so the story must be true.

We were shown the Muschel Saal, which served as a reception room and is adorned with very fine tapestry. The Hansa Saal is said to be the room in which the first general meeting of the Hansa League took place on the 19th of November 1367. It is now used for meeting of the municipal council.

On the south wall are nine large figures in stone representing Heathen. In the Propheten Kammer, which is now fitted up as a library, we saw the Municipal Silver Plate consisting of magnificent table ornaments made in Cologne.

The former Rats Saal is in the tower and has a fine carved door made in 1603, also a nice stucco ceiling ornamented with medallions of emperors. Next to the Gürzenich, which was built in 1441 to serve as a dance and banquet hall for the town council when they wished to entertain distinguished guests. It fell into decay and was used as a magazine until some 50 years ago, when it was restored to its original uses.

A handsome staircase leads to the Fest Saal, which is 75 feet wide and 175 feet long. The modern stained glass windows have armorial bearings of Juloch, Cleve and other neighboring cities, allies of Cologne, also those of burgomasters and guilds. Two immense Mantle pieces are richly carved with scenes from the history of the town. The walls are adorned with a fine representation of the Procession on the completion of the Cathedral in 1880. They use this hall now for concerts and balls.

We continued in the rain, but every once in a while our good old cabby would come down from his seat to the window of the cab and call our attention to some object of interest.

In this manner we saw the house in which Rubens is erroneously said to have been born, but Baedecker knows better. However, Marie de Medicis, widow of Henry IV of France, died here in exile, and so we will let it pass at that. The old church of St. Peters, which we passed next, contains the tomb of Jan Rubens, the father of the painter. We did not “Stop off.” Cabbie next called our attention to the monument of Empress Augusta and explained that the artist forgot part of the bridle and that only an old cabbie like he could call our attention to such an important fact.

At the Hahnen Tor, a massive town gate of the 13th century, we stopped to see the Historical Museum of objects and mementoes from the time when Cologne was a free imperial city up to the end of the 18th century, such as plans of the city views, banners, arms, etc. But we had to hurry on in order to get to the Museum of Industrial Art where we saw some fine gothic stained glass windows of the 14th and 15th century and some glass ware made in Cologne and Basel in 1500.

On the next floor, we hurried through rooms fitted up with old furniture from Holland, France, Italy, Germany, old Sevres porcelain, oriental and chines metal work, etc.

The most impressive part of this building, however, is the modern Pallenberg Salon, fitted up in grand style from designs by M. Lechter, a former glass painter. The ceiling and wall are carved oak and there are two most wonderful modern art glass windows.

In the afternoon, I ran around the corner to take a look into the interior of the St. Andreas Church, which has a fine Romanesque nave built in 1220 and a very pretty altar of carved wood. The church of the Minorites has a fine large window above the portal, which I could not see very well, but in front of the church is a handsome bronze monument to Adolf Kolpin, founder of the working men’s clubs, showing the old priest shaking hands with a mechanic and with the inscription “Der Gesellen Vater.”

A very interesting fountain is the Heinzelmännchen fountain. It refers to the fairy tale wherein it is told that the little sprites would do the work for a tailor overnight and how his wife, being very inquisitive, threw peas all over the floor. When the Heinzelmännchen came to do the work, they slipped on the peas and tumbled all over themselves, whereupon the tailor’s wife rushed out with a lantern to see them. The woman is shown on the fountain with a lantern and the little sprites in bas relief, and it says something about an “Inquisitive woman” on the base.

Home and to bed.

[Editor’s note: I was unable to track down the “inquisitive woman” inscription. Darn.]

At 10 o’clock, we went to see the cathedral, which justly excites the admiration of every beholder, and is probably the most magnificent Gothic edifice in the world. It stands some 60 feet above the Rhine, and is dedicated to St. Peter. As early as the 9th century, an Episcopal church occupied this site. The foundation of the present structure, however, was laid in 1248; in 1322, the choir part was consecrated; in 1388 the nave was sufficiently advanced to be fitted up for service; and, in 1447, the bells were placed in the south tower. The unfinished building was provided with a temporary roof in 1508 and gradually became more and more dilapidated, so that in 1796, the French used it as a hay magazine.

Frederick William III, King of Prussia, at length rescued the desecrated building from total destruction. The work of reconstruction began in 1824, and, in 1880, the completion of the cathedral was celebrated. The entire sum expended in the period of reconstruction amounted to $4,500,000, mostly paid by the government.

To give you an idea of the immensity of this structure, I will only mention the height of the walls, 150 feet, the roof, 201 feet, the towers, 515 feet. The enormous mass of masonry is beautified by a profusion of buttresses, turrets, galleries, cornices and foliage.

The interior, which is borne by 56 pillars, is 130 yards in length, and the effect produced by the tout ensemble is singularly impressive. The stained glass windows are fine, five of them executed in 1508, are said to be the finest examples of the kind now extant. The more modern windows, presented by King Lewis I of Bavaria, in 1948, and Emperor William I, at a still later date, are very fine.

The chapels contain fine tombs of archbishops. In one of them, the chapel of St. Michael, is the celebrated Dombild, a large winged picture (by Stepan Loehner 1450), representing the adoration of the Magi in the center, and some saints on the wings. The treasury contains the golden Reliquary of the Magi: silver shrines, ten admirably carved ivory tablets, with scenes from The Passion, a monstrance of the 17th century, 19 1/2 lbs. in weight, thickly set with precious stones.

From here to the Wallraf Richartz Museum, which has some fine mosaic pavement, including the “Mosaic of the Sages,” showing bust portraits of seven Greek philosophers and poets, Diogenes, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, etc.

The staircase has fine frescoes illustrative of the history of art and civilization in Cologne, fine pictures of the Italian school and modern paintings, among them G. Richter’s “Queen Louise.”

After dinner we took the train for Neuss, and spent a very fine afternoon and evening with Theodor and family, returning home and to bed by 12 o’clock. I will try to write more tomorrow, but now I must close. We are going with Hortense to the Palm Garten. I am way behind with my daily letter, you see. All send love.

Your Dad

Goodbye Bremen!! At the depot, we had quite a “farewell crowd,” with candy and flowers. Armine, Paul, Hanna, and Mrs. Gärtner.

After a pleasant trip, we arrived in Cologne at three o’clock, and went sightseeing in a cab. Of this more in my next.

We leave in the morning for our trip up the Rhine, and it is now 11 o’clock, and time to to go to bed.

With much love,
Your Dad.

Köln, August 16, 1909
continued

Dear Boy:

I do not remember exactly where I stopped last, but we left accompanied by Armine and Paul, Mrs. Gartner and Hanna Burkhardt, all of whom brought flowers for Mama. We arrived at Cologne about three o’clock and found the hotel, “Die Kwige Lampe,” right near the depot and next to an old church, old but neat and clean, and, after washing up, we took a cab and rode around rubber necking.

I did not go to the Dom at once, as I always prefer to leave the best for last, so we drove to the St. Gereon church first, which is dedicated to the old martyrs of the Theban legion with their Captain, Gereon, who according to the legend, perished here in the year 286, during the persecution of the Christians under Diocletian.

The building is of a very peculiar style. The long Romanesque choir is adjoined by a decagonal nave in the Gothic style, with a quadrangular vestibule. The nave part of it was erected first by the Empress Helena. Archbishop Anne added the choir part in 1042. In the vestibule is a very fine piece of sculpture, a “Pieta,” by J. Raiss.

The interior presents an imposing appearance. In small chapels in the recess of the nave are stone sarcophagi of the martyrs, half-built into the walls. Their skulls are arranged under gilded arabesques along the sides of the choir. Fine carved wood choir stalls. The sacristy, in the purest gothic style dating from 1316, has especially fine gothic stained glass windows.

In the gardens of the Kaiser Wilhelm Ring (a promenade running around the interior of the city, similar to the one in Wien), we saw a nice monument of the Empress Augusta, and a colossal bronze Equestrian statue of Emperor Wilhelm 1st, 36 feet high. On a red granite base are seated figures of Father Rhine and Colonia.

We passed the Kunstgewerbe [Applied Art] Museum, which we intend to visit tomorrow, also the Handels Schule, a fine building. The Eigelstein Tor, or gate, is in the northern fortified tower of the old entrenchments and has been restored. We drove past it to the Zee, and near this we saw the American Garden, a place fixed up similar to our Delmar Garden, with a Shoot-the­-Shoots, Scenic Railway, and all the other nonsense of that place.

The Flora Garden, with a winter garden, concert room, Victoria Regia house and Aquarium is laid out in great style. We passed it and drove to the Rhine Promenade, past a massive base upon which stands a bronze Equestrian Statue of Frederick the 3rd, but, dear me, there are so many statues of the emperors and statesmen, poets and other celebrated men, that one finally becomes tired of them, and, although everyone of them is a work of art, you begin to feel as if you had seen about enough of them.

Near the north end of the promenade, or rather the Kaiser Friederich as it is called, is the Church of St. Cunibert, an excellent example of the transition style consecrated by Archbishop Conrad in 1248.

The interior contains fine stained glass of the thirteenth century and structures of the 14th and 15 century. An interesting sight for us was the Bridge of Boates, a section of which is removed when ships are to pass through.

We passed along an old street, called Am Malzbuchel to the Heumarkt, one of the largest squares in town. Here rises the monument of Frederick William III, erected in 1878 to commemorate the liberation of the Rhonish provinces from French domination, and their union with Prussia to the rank of a first class power, Blücher, Stein Arndt, Humboldt, etc.

Back into the heart of the old town, with its narrow streets, where people have to walk in the street as only one of two can walk abreast of each other on the sidewalk, and past the old Gürzenich which we intend to visit tomorrow, and the very old church St. Maria, in Capitol, consecrated in 1049 by Pope Leo the 9th. Unfortunately, it was closed and we could not see the interior.

We stopped for refreshments at the Pachorr Bräu, so familiar to us from our München days and along the Hoch Strasse, the busiest street in Cologne, to the Laurenz Platz, which has a bronze statue of Field Marshal Moltke and the old Rathaus, the St. Columba church and the Jewish Synagogue to the Apostles Church, a remarkably handsome basilica with aisles and double transepts. The oldest part of this church dates from the 11th century. The dome, the choir and the transepts are magnificently adorned with mosaic, on a gold ground executed in 1895. The windows are very fine, too.

When the plague raged at Cologne, in 1357, the wife of a Knight von Aducht was attacked by the malady, and, having fallen in a death-like swoon, was interred in this church. Awakening from her trance, she returned home to her husband, who thought that he beheld an apparition, and declared that he would sooner believe that his horses could ascend to the loft of his house than that his wife could really be alive. Scarcely had he uttered these words, says the legend, than the horses’ hoofs were heard ascending the stairs, and their heads were seen looking out of a window in the upper story of the house. And there they are to this day, I saw them myself, that is, in stone. They are said to have been placed there in commemoration of the miraculous event, but they more probably formed part of the armorial bearings of the man who built the house.

Another one of the old gates, the Hahnen Tor, is a massive structure of the 13th century, with two towers.

We had supper in a garden of the hotel, which is between the hotel and the old church.

Up in time, as church commences at 10 o’clock. I said goodbye to Elise Kiel and Frl. Heiligenstaedt, and, after Sunday School, Hanna Burkhardt, Armine’s boys and I took a walk to look up the old house in which Pietsch had his school, but did not succeed in locating it. But I showed her our house on the Wall and walked along the Tannenstr. and Stephanithorssteinweg, to see whether I could find Hagedorn’s house.

We came to the old Wallfischgang, which leads from the Stephansteinwag to the Baumstrasse, and there I saw the name of Hagedorn on an old house, and Hanna told me that two old maids live in it. I wonder whether they are relatives of the H’s we knew. The old cross alley leading from the Wallfischgang to Teckelnborgs is still in existence, but not used.

Dinner at Grünewalds and you ought to see his chix “pitch in.” They certainly have good appetites. After dinner, Hanna took me to Betty Schomburg’s, and I saw her aunt, the sister of Rev. Aug. Flamman. We talked olden times.

We also looked at the Haus Seefarth, which has been moved to the Lützowerstrasse, but the old gate has been re-erected and looked very familiar.

Supper at Burkhardt’s, and here I saw the old desk which Father used at the Missionshaus. It is made with inlaid wood and has a secret drawer. I recognized it and remembered how Father used to sit in front of it and talk to me in his kind and loving way when I had done some mischief.

Home in the early evening, and Mrs. Burkhardt has been sick. Hanna and her brother saw us to the hotel, and, after packing our suit cases, we retired for the night.

All three of us took a walk to the Bremer Bank, and thence to the Historical Museum, which is in a building next to the Dome and which you probably overlooked, as it is opened only on Saturdays from 10 to 1.

I told Mama and Emily to wait downstairs until I had taken a look, as we had to climb some three or four flights of stairs. It proved to be a very interesting collection of old things in connection with Bremen History.

As I hurried through the room, I happened to look at a lot of old portraits, (steel engravings) hanging on the wall, and you may imagine my surprise when I saw among them the portrait of my father, made in 1856. Of course, I hurried downstairs and brought the ladies up and we stood in front of the picture for quite a while. So it will go to posterity as a historic picture.

I saw some other pictures of Bremen notables, Senators, Burgemasters, and Pastors Doctors, and Artists. Senator Heinecke, Pastor Mallett, etc. It was quite a treat to see these and the models of ships, tools of mechanics, chests of the guilds and old furniture and parts of old houses as found and donated to the Museum.

After dinner, Ernest Gartner and I went out on the Schwachhauser Chausse, a road leading into the suburb Horn, where the rich Bremen merchants have erected their palatial houses. We took a walk around Horn and looked at the old church too.

On the way back, I saw the old summer garden, Ludwigslust, where, in days gone by, Father would take us for an outing and where our Sunday School would have their picnic. I also looked up the shop where Rohde, who painted one of the Dome windows, does his work, but it was too late to call on him.

Home and to bed in good time.

This has been a rather quiet day. I took a walk along the Contrescarpe (Promenade), and selected a little two story house with a very pretty garden in front, in which I would like to live.

Mama and Emily stayed at home and packed the trunk, which is nearly filled with odds and ends picked up, and things which we do not need on the road. I am still wearing my winter flannels, and I feel very comfortable in them.

By appointment, I called with Mama and Emily on Herm. Piege, and he took us to the house on the Hohe Strasse where I was born.

When I looked him up at his home in the Klosterstrasse, I met a lady at the door and asked for Hermann. She asked me whether I could tell her what I wanted, and I told her that my name was Jacoby and that I wanted to see him. Oh, she answered, we do not play in the lottery. It seems that there is in this city a man by my name who sells Lotterie Loose. Well, I told her that I was another Jacoby from America, and she bid me welcome and took me into see him.

They expected us for coffee in the afternoon, and she showed me a set of dishes which she had brought out in our honor and which she received from Father as a wedding present 41 years ago.

And now he took us over to the house, and it bore the number 13, and this explains why I always considered 13 a lucky number and why I have been such a lucky fellow all my life long.

I could not find the exact spot where my cradle stood, for the house, “For a wonder” has changed hands since we lived there, and it has been altered, but Mama and Emily and I entered and stood under the spot or rather under the roof which covered the spot anyhow.

I made the cabbie drive us along the Langes Strasse, the Faulenstrasse with its reminders of our old hardware, dry goods, and grocery store and along the Geeren, past the Diepenau to the Stephani Kirche, and along the Doventhos Strasse, past the old Doventhors’ Kirchhof and the house where I called on Fraulain Stadtlander, to the new Micahaelis Kirche, which is built between the Dusteru St. and Doventhos Steinweg on the Daventers Deich.

It has a very fine altar and modern stained glass windows. From here, we drove to Armine’s and called for our packages, and thence to the Am Wall where I addressed an old inhabitant with a long pipe attachment and tried to locate, with his help, the house in which we lived when I was about nine years old.

He finally referred me to Miss Kotzenberg an old teacher, who still lives in the same house where she was born some 5O years ago, but I did not know how to approach her, and, although I remembered the name, I did not call on her but located the house anyhow.

After dinner and a short nap I took train for Blumenthal where Fred Schrecks brother lives. I passed through Vegesack where I changed cars to a road which runs to Farge.

Autumn is approaching, and, up to now, we have not had any summer weather. The harvesting has commenced, and it looks very queer to me to see them mow grain with scythes, and I have even seen them carry it in their arms into the hall room to be beaten or thrashed by hand.

It seemed so queer, too, to ride in a railroad car through old Lesum to Blumenthal. There is a very large woolen mill here employing some 3000 hands in which Jean Schreck, Sr. holds some clerical position. I easily found his home and his son, Jean, Jr., has a dental office in the same building.

I was received by Jean’s wife and taken upstairs to Fred’s mother, a firm old lady, same size as our “Fidjan,” and dressed in black with a pretty black cap like Mother wore. She can hardly see anymore, and her hearing is bad, too. She is 83 years old and looks very contented and happy. We managed to understand each other, and I had to answer many questions.

Fred really ought to visit them once more before she passes away, but she looks good for 90 years and more. They all were delighted to hear me talk Bremer Plattdeutsch [Bremen Low German].

Jean’s wife is a fine lady with gray hair. She has 7 boys and 3 girls and looks young in spite of this fact. As Jean was not expected home before 6:30, I took my feet in my hands and, accompanied by 2 of the girls and a cousin, walked to Hammersback (a twenty minutes walk) where Fred’s twin sister, Mrs. Pusch, lives.

We found her busy at work ironing, but she was glad to see a friend of her brother “Fietjen” and took me into the best room and showed me his picture when he was married and Mary’s hanging on the wall above the sopha [sic], also Frieda’s picture in an album.

I had to look at her vegetable garden and at her big St. Bernhard dog, Bismarck, and at the chickens and pigs and the cherry tree with red cherries ripe for picking, also at the gooseberries, and she insisted on the girls picking some of these to take along to my ladies.

As I could not take coffee with her, I had to take a “Lutgen bitters,” and, when she saw how I enjoyed it, she filled a small bottle for me to take along. She is a little bit of a woman, smaller than Fred, something like Frida Lucke Wagner.

A walk home through the woods and past an immense park with a summer home, the property of Wetgen, the Bremer merchant prince, brought us to the main street of Blumenthal just when the gates of the woolen mills opened and poured forth the thousands of men and women going home from their day’s work, neatly dressed and clean, so different, so very different, from our American factory hands.

Jean Sr. looks almost exactly like Fred, only a bit more corpulent and a little bit taller. Jean Jr., a bright young fellow, showed us his office and waiting room, also his home. He lost his wife after one year of happy married life. Jean Sr. saw me to the depot, and at home I found Gartners, and we spent a pleasant evening.

Ta, Ta, Papa.

All day on the bed, not in the bed, but sleeping much and eating little.

I called on Bishop Cranston and took him and his wife to the Traktathaus. From there, we took car to the Markt Platz, and they admired the old building.

I did not feel well, and so I spent all the afternoon on the bed. Still Bremen looks good to me.

Editor’s note: The Traktathaus, established in 1860, was the printing and publishing house of the Methodist Church. 

By appointment I met Elise Kiel at Gruenewald’s in the afternoon, and we resurrected old times and old people. She has been at Baden and tells me that Anna Wenot is dying.

Hinrich’s widow and her youngest daughter are still living with Hinrich’s oldest son, and she says they are very rich and live entirely different from the way the old folks lived at my time.

Time flies. I heard of the old German Methodist preachers, Rev. Geerdes Odinga, who studied under Father in the fifties. He is 77 years old and was glad to see me.

I took my seat in the church next to Elise Kiel, our old seamstress, and her face was a study when I sat down next to her. She couldn’t very well make any demonstration, but you could see the pleasure and happiness in her face.

I also met another old timer, Hermann Fiege, an old friend of Uncle John’s (in his boyhood days), and he promised to show me the house in which I was born. I was introduced to a young woman of 93 years who still sits in the market place in summer and winter selling eggs for a living—hale and hearty with red checks and without any knowledge of “nerves” I guess.

We spent a pleasant afternoon and evening at Gartners’.

Shopping and bought a steamer trunk as we cannot possibly pack our things into the four suit cases. I am glad that the matter has been settled. I forgot to mention that we visited the Dom (Cathedral) the other day.

This Romanesque edifice was begun in the 11th century and greatly altered in the 13th. The whole of the exterior was restored in 1888 to 1898, and a tower was added a year later. The interior was painted in 1899, and the windows are all modem and represent in succession the fall of Adam to the appearance of Christ and, opposite to this, the Life of Christ from his birth to the death on the Cross.

In the upper windows are the seven Beatitudes and, in the center, the “Sermon on the Mount.” Opposite to these, are the twelve Apostles and the four prophets. In the windows of the Choir and the transept are representations of the teachings and development of the church up to the Reformation.

The large triple window in the West wall of the Choir is an old one, it has been renovated and represents the pentacost. The lower windows had to be held very light, which takes away a good part of their effectiveness. They have been furnished by several firms, among them Zettler and also Mayer of Munchen, Prf. Lunnemann in Frankfort a/M, and one by K.G. Rohde of Bremen. The one representing the birth of Christ by Mayer of Munchen is considered one of the best.

The Dome contains some very fine reliefs dating from 1500 and a beautiful rococo pulpit represented by Queen Christina and Sweden in 1654, also a bronze Font of the 12th century.

The bronze doors representing scenes from the old and new testament are especially fine, and the Gold Mosaic shows them representing the “Bearing of the Cross: and the “Crucifixion” executed by Venezia Murana Co. are as fine as I have seen them.

We also paid a visit to the Bleikeller (i.e., Lead cellar where the lead for the roof was melted) which had the property of turning corpses placed there in into mummies. The oldest corpse is that of a roofer who fell from the building 460 years ago; others were placed 260, 200, and 170 years ago. There is also a sarcophagus (1730) containing the body of a Chancellor which cannot be opened for examination as some of the relatives are still living.

We visited the old Kramerant haus (now called Gewerbehaus) and gained admission to the hall in which Father in Nov. 1849 preached his first sermon in Germany. I know from Mother that the hall was so crowded that a way had to be forced for him to the platform by policemen.

In the hall there are life sized portraits of Bremer Ratsherren and Burgmeister (councillors, mayor). On the wall of the staircase are frescoes representing the life of a mechanic from the cradles to the foundation of a family.

In the hall itself, 26 representations of the history and achievements of man, as shown from the primitive state to the present time of steam, and the other inventions. Dinner at the hotel, where they set a fine table of four courses for 50 cents a person.

We took a carriage ride in the afternoon to the Freihafen, thence through the Langestrasse with its quaint old houses. “The Kornhaus,” erected in 1591, which on account of its architectural beauty, as well as on account of its history, may be called one of the most important old buildings of Bremen.

The inscription Rolandt Hat Diese Kornscheuren, An Statt der Alten Stadtmauren, Lassen an Diesen Ort Bauwenn, etc., explains the purpose of the building to be the storing of wheat in order that the citizens might have food in case of a famine.

“The Essighaus,” erected in 1618, probably according to plans of the architect of the old Rathaus Luder von Bentheim and renovated in 1895, shows in its exterior, as well as in the interior, the true picture of a home of an old Bremen Patrician of the 17th century, including the old merchandise floor where, in week days, the merchandise was stored to be hoisted to the higher floors and which was cleared on Saturday to serve as a reception room of the family. To the right the Hantohr (offices). In the center of the house. the kitchen with its old Dutch tiling.

Between kitchen and office, the staircase leads upstairs. Above the kitchen is the bed chamber which has no window to the outside so that it could retain the warmth received from the kitchen, and that the merchant might not be disturbed in his slumbers by the elements, as the storm would remind him of his many ships crossing the ocean uncovered by insurance.

In front is the dwelling room, with pretty bay windows for the ladies, in the rear, up a few steps, the rear room where the merchant, his family and help took their meals. In the next story the large Patrician Hall for festivals, etc. It’s a treat to go through a house like this. But no bathroom, and so I guess you prefer the home on Shenandoah.

The house was bought by a wine merchant and is now used as a first class wine room restaurant. The old Stadt Wage (city scake [sic]) is a rather fine old building erected in 1587.

From here, past the new Kaiserbrucke to the Hohe Strasse, where Father lived in 1850 and where I was born and through the Tiefer across the Grosse Weser Brucke, past the Theerhof, a strip of land separating the Grosse Weser from the Kleine Weser, on which Old Bremen is represented by old warehouses, unchanged, just as of old, and across the Kleine Weserbrucke into the Neusradt.

Thence across a new bridge to the Gaterteich, a promenade along the river, which afforded us a fine view of distant woods, meadows and life on the river. Children wading and playing in the sand; grown people bathing and taking sun baths, sailing boats and steamers and, on the other side of the promenade, beautiful homes with a glass veranda and a flower garden in front of each one.

At the Weserlust, a garden restaurant, we turned citywards with a view of Hastedt in the distance, where once upon a time we had our printing office and bindery, and where I lived for sometime. Along the Hamburger and Osterthorsteinweg through the Ostertor which really still has a (guard) Wache, and past the Kunsthalle, containing pictures by old and modern masters and back to the hotel.

We spent the morning at home writing and, at 4 o’clock, we went with Mr. Burkhardt and Hanna to the Bürgerpark. There we sat at the Cafe on the Emma See and listened to the music of the Bremer Military Band.

It is interesting to see the Bremen ladies, how they flock around here. They have regular Kränzchen and bring their fancy work along and sit and knit and talk and sit and sip their coffee until the gentlemen make their appearance. That’s what I call German Gemutlichkeit.

Emily and Hanna went rowing on the lake and paid the enormous sum of 12.5 cents an hour for the boat.

Today is “Gemeindefest,” or picnic, which was inaugurated by Father for the benefit of the employees of the publishing house and the congregation.

We took a steamer on the Schlachte. Here the fishermen bring their loads direct from the ocean. This ride down the Weser proved of great interest. We started from the Kaiser Brucke, which connects the Kaiser Strasse with the Grosse Allee on the Neustadt. We passed the Freihafen and Holzhafen and saw where they are digging another harbor. The sand is taken in big pipes by suction to another spot inland, which they wish to fill up.

In the distance I saw Weltmershausen, which I remember of old. We also passed the big ship wharfs where they are building the Men of War. The “Westphalia” was being completed, and another one has just been started.

We arrived at Vegesack in about an hour. This town, which has many ship building yards, has grown in size since I saw it. We had a pleasant walk of about an hour to “Schoenebeck” where we found a nice restaurant surrounded by woods and meadows just made for a picnic. In a pleasant arbor we took lunch with Burkhardts and, after a ramble in the woods, where for the first time for years I picked Heidekraut (heather), we all gathered around a long table and had an excellent hot dinner, served, which I consider a great improvement over the American picnic dinners.

And now I met some old standbys, Bro. Ellerbrock and cousin of our St. Louis Ellerbrock, Miss Heilingenstadt, Louis Hatthorff, Schomburg’s daughter and others. We had a short service with a nice song by a male chorus and, about 6 o’clock, we walked to Lesum and took the cars for Burg Lesum and home.

The weather was grand and we all enjoyed the day very much.

Shopping, dinner at Armine’s and another Schaumtorte which tasted good as it did in ye olden times. After a nap, Paul and I took a walk to the Freihafen.

This harbor has been made where formerly the Schwinsweide was situated. It is surrounded by large cranes which transfer the goods from the ships to the warehouses. Here I saw large quantities of large cedar logs which are used for the manufacture of cigar boxes.

We walked to the river Weser, and I saw the place where, at my time, “Hufland” had a swimming school where I learned to swim, and where today hundreds of children and grown people were bathing and playing in the sand.

We walked past the old Windmill verdem Stephaniter, saw the old prison, the bakery shop where the family bought their Zwieback, the old home on the Wall, Gartner’s old home near the Windmill, and along the Wall to the Deventher, where Harttroff’s mother lived and where we watched the ducks and swans sitting on their eggs, brooding.

Here at the old Abbenter are some of the very, very old houses. Here is Kippenberg’s Schule, and now we pass along the old Spitzenfiel where I trotted many a time with a heavy heart and lagging steps to school at Pietach’s.

We called for Ernest at the Lloyd and took coffee at the Central Halle and walked out to the Burgerpark, which was laid out in 1866 and has grown to a most beautiful park with numerous restaurants, of course. More about Bremen in my next.

We are all happy because the sun is shining every day.

Your Dad.

We went shopping this morning and visited the Rathaus. This fine old building was erected in 1405 and has a beautiful facade resting on 12 Doric Columns with a richly decorated oriel window and a very handsome gable. There are 16 statues between the windows representing saints, philosophers and the Emperor and Electors. In front of the portal, toward the Dome, are two armour clad Knights on horseback, executed in chased copper which had been added lately.

Entering from the Kaiser Wilhelm Platz, we ascended a winding staircase to the Great Hall, which has been renovated. From the ceiling of this great hall, which is adorned with medallion portraits of German Emperors from Charlemagne to Sigismund, are suspended models of old ships, and on the walls are paintings of “The Judgment of Solomon” and another old fresco, painted in 1532, representing Charlemagne and St. Willihad with a model of the Cathedral (Dom).

The windows contain names and armorial bearings of councillers and mayors of Bremen. The old tables and chairs occupied for hundreds of years by the council look massive and impressive.

We also went into the Rathskeller and saw the 12 apostles, twelve casks filled with wine of the very best vintage, also the “Rose,” which derives its name from a large rose painted on the ceiling. This cask was filled sometime in 1753 and replenished. It is calculated that at the price paid at that time, with compound interest added, a drop would cost $3,000.00 today.

We did not take a drop but took dinner at the Dom Restaurant which is located in one of the old buildings on the market place next to the Rats Apotheke.

In the afternoon, Armine and baby called, and together we went to the Book Concern. Bro. Burkhardt showed me the place, and I saw the spot where, years ago, my bed stood. In front of the Missionshaus, which afterwards became the printing office, right on the spot where Mama had such a pretty aster bed, now is an ash pit. “Sic transit gloria mundi.”

Mr. B’s son has an office in the building, and I had my tooth attended to by him, and, once more, I am toothful. We took supper with B’s and, as it grew rather late before we could make up our mind to separate, we had to catch the last car of the Rindbahn. This took us along the old Faulenstrasse and the Laugenstrasse, the Catertor Steinweg, Dom Dobben and to the Bahnhofplatz from where we walked to our hotel.

I did not feel very well and spent the morning on the bed. It was raining a good part of the day. Ernest Gartner called, and we made arrangements to go out together to look up some of the old landmarks. Nasts left and I saw them off, Hanna Burfh was there, too.

In the evening, we went to Gartner’s for supper. He has a nice home with a large glass covered verandah in the rear. Bremen is still so pretty as of old. Flower gardens in front of the houses, glass covered verandahs and flowers in boxes in from of the windows.

It is Sunday, we walked from the hotel to George Strasse 59, where in former years Father had his office and where the book concern was located. Here, I spent some years as an apprentice or, rather, as office boy. In the second story is the chapel of the Bremen Congregation, and here I sat in the same place where Mama and her children sat in years gone by.

Above the pulpit is a tablet in memory of Father with an appropriate inscription of his work. Paul preached a very good sermon.

Memories of the past crowded themselves around me, and faces of those long gone home arose before my mental vision. Fifty years ago, I sat in this spot and listened to Father’s sermons. As of old, we walked home along the Courtescarpe.

Here is the house where Grahaus lived; where are they now? Here “Beim Wandrahu” is the old Fire Engine House, but much enlarged. Right along the Stadtgraben, where we skated, and past the street where Fraulein Stadtlander lived, past the old Schwanen Apoteke, we reached the new Nord Strasse with its neat homes and arrived at the new home of the Traktathaus (book concern), which has been erected on the spot where we formerly had our vegetable garden.

Had a good dinner at Gruenewald’s. They have seven children of which four are boys and three girls. We had Schaum torte for dessert. Unfortunately, I had spoilt my stomach on Schwarzbrodt and could not do justice to the torte.

After dinner, a nap, and Mrs. Nast walked home with me. We walked around to the Zewid Str. and had a look at the old Verdins Strasse, and I described to them the old Missionhaus, now demolished, and its site, occupied by a large building which contains our printing office and bindery.

I found my way along the Baum Strasse and the Altenaer Str., where the old Kinder Bewahr Anmstalt (kindergarden) is still standing. Some of the old houses occupied by market gardeners are still standing. One story with high gables, the roofs so low that you can reach them with your hand, covered with red tiling, they now look out of place and still so very cozy.

[Editor’s note: Schwarzbrot is a dark brown, sweet-tasting bread made with at least 90% whole rye grain and baked slowly, as much as 24 hours, to allow the sugars to caramelize.]