News From Germany

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 207, 7 September 1901, Page 1

News From Germany

Berlin, July 12. Two duels, more than usually atrocious, are reported from Western Germany. In the University of Bonn, on the Rhine, a student called out a young Hussar officer, and at the third puss slit open his throat. The cause of the quarrel, of course, was a woman. The Hussar insisted on paying attentions to a young lady admired by the student, a waitress in a restaurant.

The other duel was between two officers in a garrison town in Alsa' c. In their cups they began a dispute about the relative merits of their wives. Then the dispute passed on to demerits. A challenge was the result.

The duel was with pistols. One officer was mortally wounded, the other is slightly. The duel nuisance in Germany, instead of diminishing, seems to he rapidly increasing. Save in Social Democratic circles, there is no strong feeling against duelling among the people. The court preacher at Potsdam has a wife who was expecting an addition to her family and wrote to the Kaiser begging him to he the baby’s godfather. The Kaiser sent word that the multiplicity of his engagements would not permit him to accept the honor. Shortly afterward the preacher had the Kaiser as one of his congregation and preached an unusually long sermon. The Kaiser took it good-liuinoredly and called the court preacher to him.

“Look here, Doctor,’’ said lie, “that was a mighty long sermon of yours. It had four headings, and the last two were only repetitions of the first two. Now if you promise never to preach a sermon with more than two headings I will promise to bo godfather to the coming baby." The court preacher promised. The next Sunday he preached a short sermon without any heading. 'When he had finished the Kaiser turned laughingly to liia Adjutant and said : “ Do you know, Colonel, I believe the doctor’s wife will have twins !”

And she had, and the Kaiser took godfather to both infants. Tlie Kaiser has taken with him on his journey to the Norway coast plans of autnnobilcs to study. He is not satisfied that benzine cars are better than those driven by alcohol, and with an experienced engineer whom he has on board the Hohenzollern he is going into the whole qu'estion. It is not generally known that the Kaiser as a young man contributed several excellent models of machines of different kinds. His knowledge of the locomotive is very advanced. Fourteen models of automobile cars have been passed by him to be tried at the military manoeuvres in August and September. He is convinced that these cars can be advantageously used in military operations.

The Berlin Street Car Company is so pleased with two American cars sent over here as samples, that it has ordered fifty new cars from the St. Louis Car Company. If these prove successful it will fit out the whole system with American cars.

From Homburg and Cologne large orders for street cars have also gone to America. It is the lightness and grace of the American car which so please the Germans.