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CopyriIGHT, 1906, BY MRS. JOSEPHINE ROSANA LECOUVREUR MANUFACTURED BY G. T. ROWLAND 258-60 FIFTH AVE. NEW YORK TO THE READER. Many a book seems worth while reading, Though you give it but one eall. Mark! Unless it bears re-reading It should not be read at all. Lives of self-made men are ever Full of healthy food for minds Of ambitious, honest toilers: ‘““He who seeks is he who finds!’’ May this book go forth and cheer you, And when courage ebbs away, Take the noble author’s motto: “Try again! Be firm and stay.”’ J; CoB; a A, May, 1906. CONTENTS HUERTA CHOP en caer einen ee ee Re Cle Sent ates ob, ata aare eR EAS ae hae eT o LETTER I Voyage from Konigsberg to Berlin in 1851.—Berlin: Its custom- house, Principal Thoroughfares and Passing Impressions........ LETTER II (Dated Hamburg, 1851).—The Author’s Early Activity—March Rev- olution Described by Prince Frederic William, later Emperor of Germany.—Berlin: More Impressions.—Visit to the Captain of the March Revolution in 1848.—Friedrichshain, the Resting-place of Fallen Revolutionists—Voyage from Berlin to Hamburg—Ham- burg and the Hamburg People—The Harbor.—The Exchange.— Suburb St. Pauli—Stintfang—Churches.—General Architecture — City Walls——The Alster and the Jungfernstieg—Extract from an Enterestion» pan Prancisco Better, 5...) )2 okies s Ja tvw vin pues ere LETTER III The “Victoria.”"—Shipping of Emigrants—Embarking of German Soldiers for Brazil—The “Hamburger Berg.”—Altona—The Celebrated Graves at Ottensen.—Rainville—Places of Amusement. —Blankenese, the Gate-keeper of the Elbe—Tenement Fires.— Primitive Fire Department—The Conflagration of 1842 and the Hero of St. Nicolas—Annual Floods.—Sewer System»—-A Ham- burg Funeral Procession—Humorous Criticism—The “Citizens’ Guard” of Precious Memory.—Hamburg Legends.—The Visit of the Wandering Jew in 1547—Cosmopolitan Life—Gomez de ater rates) CGS ATEAUES) von x rile swhn cue dales mete Wha amma LETTER IV On Board of Bark “Victoria,” off Hamburg—First Impressions of new Surroundings.—Slow Progress.—Pentecost—Life on Board...... LETTER V The Ocean Voyage.—First Effects upon Steerage Passengers.—Bill of Fare—The British Coast—The Channel.—Bay of Biscaya— Gibraltar—Madeira—Flying Fish—Whales—Northern Tropic Circle—Between Two Heavens.—The Calm—Thunderstorm on Vv 29 50 CONTENTS PAGE Mid-ocean.—Ships that Passed—The “Neptune” Farce——An Ocean Burial—The Brazilian Coast.—Meditations of a Passen- ger—Cape-doves and Other Birds.—Birth of a Boy.—Heavy Storms Around the Cape follow the Approach of “Mother Carey’s Chickens.”—The Coast of Fireland.—Picturesque Views.—Bay of Good Success.—Marvelous Sceneries—Six Sketches.—Strait Le Maire—Narrow Escape.—Shipwreck.—Cape Deceit—Hermit Is- lands.—Ramirez Islands.—The Archipelago of the South Sea— Scant Meals.—Another Disappointment.—Cape San Carlos.—Fort Corral.—Chile—Valdivia—A Tramp through Virgin Forests.— Bare-footed Militia—Fortifications—Indians.—Volcanos.......... LETTER VI The Valley of Paradise.—People and Politics—On Board the “Au- rora.”—Better Bill of Fare—A Leak.—Undesirable Ship-mates.— Loads of Gunpowder.—Trade Winds.—Long Calms.—Air-castles.— Minute Nautical Record....... ope ag Lae haps eel ads RSTO Te eee hate lefete ee LETTER Vil The Farallones Cliffs—Punta ‘Clara——San Francisco.—American Soil! An American City.—Everything for a “Purpose.’—Strange Archi- tectural Mixtures——Cosmopolitan People-—Road Building,—Sand Hills—Progress Everywhere. — Wharf Building. — Water-front Scenes.—Strange Bridge-building—Possibilities—Shipping—The People of the Western Mertopolis—Erroneous Impressions Abroad.—The Work of the Vigilance Committee in 1851.—First Hanging.—Municipal Inactivity—The Rope Route.—Exile of For- eign Criminals——Struggles with Legal Authorities-—Kidnapping of Condemned Criminals——Recapture—End of a Reign of Ter- ror.—Western Business Methods.—Americans Like the Industrious Germans.—Gambling Houses—The American Press.—Prospects.— Living—Muiners, as I Meet Them.—Strolls in the Vicinity — Mrerieat s TTOLGensiicr se cicjtstsas'm eos.) oelaliate ars ante wget gam nies ete ane ale LETTER SV * Mining Experiences near Long Bar on the Yuba River.—California.— Description of Virgin Lands and Forests, Primitive Mining Im- plements.—Life in Mining Camps.—Outfit of the Typical Miner.— Indians and Their Habits in These Regions—Mexican Muleros.— Strange Tourists——Ox-team Journey.—Snakes. — Newly-made Friends.—The Snow-line—Hard Traveling—A Wet Camping 81 170 _ *This letter was translated years ago by the late Dr. Theodor Wollweber, an intimate friend of the author. ; CONTENTS vii PAGE Ground.—Grass Valley at Last--A Deserted Tavern.—Our Log House on Nelson Creek.—Up Hill and Down Hill—A Family Memorial Day.—Animal Life in the Mountains —Actual Work.— Independence Bar.—The Transformation.—Prices of Eatables.... 204 LETTER IX Inclemency of Weather in the Mining Districts and Its Effects — Various Experiences—Game.—American River-steamers.—Trip to Sacramento.—The Capital—Back to San Francisco.— Wonderful Improvements.—The Wharves and the Daily Happenings.—A Re- markable Incident, Showing the Superiority of American Ship- building —Cholera Cases—Something More About the Indians.— Resolutions.—Diary Notes.—Struggles for the Daily Bread—Ex- Brescmian ING.) 107—tiotel, Waiter)... oi. sc. ofane vadarmeerecebene 258 LETTER X The First Alameda Boom in 1853——A Typical Western Real Estate Deal of Early Days.—Philanthropist Chipman—An _ Honest Man.—Superiority of the American Press.—Americans Ahead.— San Francisco's Upbuilding—Great Shipping Facilities—Proud of America.—Ups and Downs.—Strange Things Happen.—Success for the Worker Assured.—Current Coins in 1853——Godefroy’s Secret.—Baron von Schroeder’s Gulden.—Tit for Tat............ 279 LETTER XI Christmas in Childhood Days.—Dreams.—Etoubleau Sells Out.—The Journeyman Painter.—Diary Notes——Sylvester Dreams.—Mexican Settlers. — Missions. — Medieval Architecture——Watsonville—A Berlin Dragon.—Shipwreck—A Narrow Escape.—Cape Bonita, UE RIGRELD UN (OCI REL CID Os 24.4 ob Jiteicts Gann ns wale aie aye Quimatinweleoee 293 LETTER XII Meditations—A Treat—An Orange Speculation—German-American Press.—Diary Notes: Trip to San Pedro.—The “City of Angels.”— Distasteful Employment.—Assaulted for Righteous Opposition.— The Carriage Painter—Debts Paid—Flagman—Compass-man.— Assistant Deputy County Surveyor.—Desert Survey.—Catalina Island in 1856.—San Pedro.—Anaheim, a Settlement of Stock- holders.—Wilmington.—Clerkship.—Politics—The Quarrel_—Lion- ized in Los Angeles.—Appointed Deputy County Clerk—The Ex- plosion of the S. S. “Ada Hancock.”—Horrors at Wilmington.— Local Coal Oil Wells Discovered in 1865—Back to San Fran- cisco.—At Wertheimer’s.—A Friend’s Transition.—Friendly Turns. —Off for Europe.—Farewell Parade at Los Angeles.............. 303 Vili CONTENTS LETTER XIit pues The Trip via Panama.—Unpleasant Crossing—Cuba.——New York.— Baxter-street—Chinatown.—Churches and Seats of Learning.— Newark.—Valley of the Delaware—Buffalo.—Niagara Falls—The Lakes.—Goat Island—Three Sisters——Nature’s Divine Revela- tion.—Return Trip to New York.—Cheap Traveling—The “Cim- bria.”—Transatlantic Scenes—Hamburg.—Home Again.—In Time for the Father’s Funeral.—Return to America—Grabow.—Ham- burg Once More !—Excursions.—Claudius.—Circus Renz.—Neil’s.— HSCEI He OGIO od shirts. acleata Bicraiee Gin oe ah ole Rimi e es See eee ets 322 LETTER XIV Back in New York.—Earthquakes in San Francisco.— Western News.— Motthaven.—Tremont.—Blackwell’s Island——Manhattan College.— Return to California—Harbor Scenes in Romantic Panama. Human Sardines——Coast Scenes.—Acapulco and Its People— Lower California—Stars and Stripes Welcomed.—San Francisco Once More.—Bound for Los Angeles.—Laura Bevan.—Survey- ing—Wedding Bells.—Politics—County Surveyor .............. 336 Diary AND Notes Los Angeles Vigilance Committee—Chinese Massacre.—Notes on the Franco-German War.—Education—New Era.—Sudden I]Iness.— Mone Switerme—Chevnd. st ecerits ocels cine nels ese 339 ILLUSTRATIONS Pensketched by the Author in Passing. PAGE eOtiheaii OL Ee AULNOr Ie l Gok, wicca ies ccteye Rieteca hs cleiclesiore w otorate Frontispiece MMe ETA? GCSE) OE) CALAIS cain c.kale (oe, i sina. 6 =iajn. nino) n.& Aaj sase wet e'a ine Sas la cor Pamoure Batk “Victoria, Captain J. Meyer... . 00.2 ones. sssne ae 2:4), Ee Caactiot Pirelaid near Cape St. Vincent ....... wesc. sb eee cn cee clades’ 115° Suow-capped Northern Coast of Fireland.. 3... 6 ....0i5 cece. ce vemee 117. MUGLER SCE miea ty Cled GAN Cys. cca cyssass aici vaalele\eieorete, oaletetn cro nyatels at tepmatane 119- A Long Mountain Chain Including Cape St. Vincent................. 121° ren Ser Pe a 26h kK ius ae geet w rie asaya ib atic wad area ree 123” Deer SLED SMITE Ot 2 Sah. cla i a se. ana ts aed ww Oo askin ae ee 125 Reed PCO ates SUSI ANNE. fos 's u's & 5 sae note ein sinalaldinel eee Sareh eee ke 129° Bier stmrin-Deater Bark.” VictOrias fo clos i Uvok wale a sic kine a eee Shlain opal 129 De WIRriCr Ck COOLED tia ylaware sede o acoee ie dean wich awed dks wi dls Dieta 131l¥ eset e Cantal ier Chie oie as tse actectn eve bs See ee IM 133“ CTR ROs COLTON os fpr ign eo ie'e 4 aero face athe, wrelattiain ciation ome BE 135 MMMM RET Da ON) cg ances che below aio ha eho ia eine otra 8 eee 137 Map of the Feather and Yuba River Mining Districts.............. 206 - epee Ret EE PUES LEONEL 5 Veins cis wives wi cidlw aban aw nium cet eae mown wm as 243 * MALTS Pe te eRe Se tae Siciciay, wv Vinists wan oe Senate AE eatin ese tale 309 AEST OF TILING SPW g 5G SIA WIE oinro tiles Wid Dace a bv CREE e mE Rnd ae eae alt Rmmmrerrterotite, NIOUIVE REVERS 5 5 ¢c/amin's Cale wud shee ROS Wa'y.b:d sheers, nee ites 313 weenie trom the River of the Plains. .: iv... 2c she wae mses nackses 315 net EME ENO RY Sth” URENCEMN 6 o.30d oie Rha a cine tek v's is = 2 Bila Muarw A he Be 339 EMCO HONT oa'6 lavas sie eras Feeawe's Ge knee peeaw aku aie sew eee wii 349 ix PREFACE When the late Frank Lecouvreur left his native land in 1851 for California, leaving behind him his parents and the dear friends of his youth, following the promptings of his large heart he kept a careful journal of the sights and the unusual experiences that were his in travel, and in the new land he had chosen as a field for his activities. After his death, which occurred January 17, 1901, in Los Angeles, California, it was found that this journal and the letters covering the period of absence from his native home had been carefully preserved by members of his family to whom they were addressed and it seemed to his wife and friends, that while these letters were often of a nature such as would be written only to one’s intimates, and were frequently expressions of the innermost feel- ings of the man, yet because the record of such a life could not but be helpful to others, and especially to young men in whose training and development Mr. Lecouv- reur was ever deeply interested, his widow has consented to the publication of these letters and the journal in a form that could be distributed among his friends. Iden- tified from the beginning with the public life of Los An- geles, it is fitting that a brief sketch of his activities and accomplishments should preface these letters. Frank Lecouvreur was born in Ortelsburg, Prussia, June 7, 1829, and was christened Theodor Maximilian Ferdinand Franz Lecouvreur, his father being of French nativity, while his mother was the accomplished daugh- ter of Mayor Minuth of Bartenstein, East Prussia. Happily born, and of an ancestry that combined na- tional as well as personal characteristics, young Lecouv- reur’s childhood was spent in an environment that could xi X11 PREFACE but develop an exceptional character. He received a thorough education as a civil engineer, and became as well a fine linguist. Acquiring liberal ideas and having inherited a predilection for a larger liberty he resolved, upon attaining his majority, to migrate to the great re- public of the New World and to visit California, going by way of Cape Horn. His letters cover this period of his life very fully, and detail his voyage and experiences in the then undeveloped country. A man of culture and refinement, artistic sensibilities, and a keen observer, of warm-hearted and religious tem- perament, it was not remarkable that he became at once closely identified with the best life of the New California. Arriving in Los Angeles in 1855 he was made deputy county clerk for three years and thus at once became of public service to his chosen country. Later he served as a deputy of Major Henry Hancock, the county surveyor, under whom the celebrated ‘‘Hancock’s Survey’’ was made. Subsequently he served two terms, of two years each, as county surveyor, during which he made many very important surveys for the county. It fell to him to par- tition for the Verdugo family, one of the oldest and wealthiest of Spanish-California, the rancho ‘‘San Rafael’’ of 44,000 acres, or eleven Spanish leagues, being one of four of the oldest grants from the King of Spain, in Alta California. Declining the offer of a third term as county surveyor he retired from public office and assumed the responsible position of cashier of the Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank, in which corporation he was also a director. In June of 1877 he was married to Miss Josephine Rosana Smith, and after a trip to Europe to visit his fam- ily, Mr. and Mrs. Lecouvreur returned to Los Angeles ta make here their permanent home. In 1886 a serious ill- ness caused a general decline in Mr. Lecouvreur’s health and he retired from active business. This eminent civil engineer, accomplished scholar, de- voted husband and man of exalted ideals, gave to his PREFACE xiil adopted city the best years of his life, and was, in every respect, a useful and esteemed citizen. ‘The esteem in which he was held by his fellow citizens was manifested by the great concourse which attended his funeral, among whom were the most eminent men of the city. Mr. Lecou- vreur left no children, but was survived by his wife, who had co-operated with him in all the later benevolences of his life, and who has edited this book in the hope that it. might inspire and help the young men of the present day.* *This preface is a welcome contribution from the able pen of Henry D. Barrows, the veteran pioneer, whose name is insep- arable from the History of Southern California.—Translator. ‘ » 7 a , ’ i FROM EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE LETTER NO. I Berlin, April 28, 1851. My Dear Parents: You will know by this time that my first voyage terminated as expected. Hardly a breath of air curled the surface of the Baltic Sea, which stretched before us like a mirror when we set sail on our long voyage, about six o’clock in the morning, on board the steamer ‘‘K6énigsberg,’’ Capt. Eybe. The air was not clear enough yet, to distinguish any attractions of the coast from Pillau to Bruesterort, which place we lost sight of by eleven o’clock. Slowly but surely the outlines of our native coast disappeared from our view, until even the last visible strip of the continent, the high- land near Elbing had sunk below our horizon like a faint, blue cloud. I realized that we were on the high sea. Softly rocking the ‘‘ Kénigsberg’’ went on her way, while the long drawn and slowly departing clouds of smoke carried with them my last greetings toward home! It - was a strange, indescribable feeling which took hold of me, when, for the first time in my life, I saw nothing around me but sky and water. Yet, I felt so well, my heart felt so at ease, and at that very moment, it seemed as if the following words were clearly written upon my soul: ‘‘Thy resolution was well taken, thou hast done the proper thing.’’ And, perhaps for the first time in my life, I felt happy and contented. About half-past twelve, the lighthouse of Stela came in sight. We overtook a whole fleet of ships coming from Pillau, and as they were 15 16 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE mostly within speaking distance, it gave me quite an en- tertainment. I counted two brigs, eleven schooners, two sloops, four yachts, all under full sail, when we overtook them, one by one. Though we were but three German miles from Stela, we could recognize but very little, as most points of that vicinity are very low. The coast does not rise until one reaches Rieserhoft, the high tower of which we passed about four o’clock in the afternoon at a distance of nearly four miles and a half. Fortunately the air cleared toward six o’clock, so that we were able to distinguish houses, trees and shrubberies along the coast of Rieserhoft with the naked eye. What a treat for one unaccustomed to be on the open sea for any length of time. We were now about a mile and a half from the coast and did not widen the distance until sun- set, when we went a few miles further from land without losing sight of it entirely. During the evening we passed five or six more vessels, all sea-bound. The sky was cov- ered with broken clouds; dark and silent was the sea, the broad waves of which kept us swinging to and fro; the air was mild and all the passengers were on deck, in cluding a few who, for hours, had paid nature’s tribute to the sea. We remained up and passed the evening joking, laughing, rejoicing and singing until long after the red and green signal lanterns had been set out. To- wards ten o’clock, one after the other retired. Capt. Eybe turned the command over to his mate, with whom I walked up and down the deck for quite a while, watch- ing the coast of Pomerania, which we passed at a dis- tance of perhaps two German miles. As the wind favored us from the Northeast, Nebendahl, the mate, ordered all available sails set, and when I retired, about eleven o’clock, we had made such headway that the lonely light of Rieserhoft looked like a speck on the farthest edge of the horizon. Having reached my bunk, I soon fell sound asleep in spite of the unaccustomed manner of lodging and notwithstanding the steady groaning of the machine and the noise of the immense wheels, now louder, now less noticeable, according to the movements of the ves- KONIGSBERG TO BERLIN 17 sel, as it shuffled through the waves of the ocean. I awakened shortly after five o’clock, and the quick and heavy motions of the ship at once made me aware that the wind had grown stronger during the night. When I reached the deck about six a. m. my expectation was verified by the good Northeast breeze which filled our sails. The foam danced around our ship, reminding one of flocks of sheep. In about half an hour we perceived the echureh steeples of Colberg, which we passed three miles off coast about half-past eight under full sail. By nine o’clock we were able to recognize the high towers of Treptow. The wind became stronger and the ship danced merrily upon the foam-crowned waves of the Bal- tic sea. Meanwhile rain set in and continued more or less during the day and the constant rocking of the ship eaused many of those who had withstood the experience so far, to become sea-sick. Even Olias looked as white as chalk and did not seem to relish the breakfast at all; -what he could not eat served Griinhagen and me quite well. The sky remained clouded during the day, and though but three miles away, we were hardly able to recognize the coast. The wind blew so hard at noon that several sails had to be laid by and we retained none but the fore- mast. At twelve we found ourselves opposite Swiner- hoft. The bluff must here be about three hundred feet high. It is the highest point on the Pomeranian coast; resembling the shore between little Warnicken and Kuhren. The wind increased its velocity from minute to minute; it rained in torrents; the waves went higher and higher, and the mighty N. N. E. wind tossed our vessel to and fro right merrily. Whenever one of the waves, which invariably caught the side of our ship, slid underneath, its white crown of foam would splash over the whole length of the deck and often threatened to roll us over and over. Righting again, our ship would eut some immense wave in two, to be lost during the next minute in mountains of foam, until some new-comer would break against our bow with a force that made ev- 2 18 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE ery joint creak. Our progress was slow, as was to have been expected under such circumstances, so that we had scarcely covered a quarter of a German mile by one o’clock, when we noticed the beautiful broad belt, which the foam of the downs had spread in front of the high coast forests of Swinerhoft. Capt. Eybe was kind enough to lend me an oil suit, which enabled me to remain on deck, notwithstanding the pouring rain. As it was absolutely impossible even for sailors to stand up straight without holding on to something, I took position alongside of the wheel. By this time every living soul was sick, even Griihagen complained of indisposition and looked like a corpse. I, on the contrary, did not feel the slightest annoyance and even enjoyed my cigar as if I had been sitting in Conradshof drinking a cup of coffee. The cabins offered a sight to behold: tables, chairs, sea- sick passengers, men, women and children, everybody and everything in utter confusion. It mocked descrip- tion. At last we caught sight of Swinemiinde, about three p. m. Three-quarters of an hour later we took a pilot on board and shortly after anchored in the Swiné (pron.? ‘‘Sweenay’’), between an English schooner and a Prussian Man-of-War, the ‘‘Nix,’’ which had arrived from London about an hour ahead of us. The roughness of the weather prevented our landing, and we set out anew after taking a few more passengers aboard and fol- lowing the course of the battleship which, like ourselves, was bound for Stettin. The raging storm caused the ship to almost become unmanageable. It had just struck seven o’clock when, while entering the mouth of the river ‘‘Oder,’’? we experienced a terrific gust of wind which tore the foremast completely out of its holdings. The sails were beating frightfully, while torn fragments blew off, to be carried far into the Bay. But a few minutes had elapsed when of the once beautiful sail there re- mained only a collection of tattered rags. This was, how- ever, the only mishap that befell us during the voyage— not counting a few little damages near Swinemunde. At last we reached Stettin, about ten o’clock p.m. It KONIGSBERG TO BERLIN 19 was very dark when we anchored alongside of the steam- er ‘‘Caminius’’; of course we remained on board till morning. It was Sunday, the 12th of April. The weather was clear and pleasant, which permitted us to land early, and enabled us to gain a good view of the few streets; we also examined a small war vessel, which was under con- struction in the large ship-yard. It happened that the great man-of-war ‘‘Salamander’’ was at anchor, where- fore we proceeded to take a good look at her, though no permission could be obtained by any stranger to visit the ship. One observation interested me greatly, namely: the difference in vegetation about the place, which struck me at once. The walls of the fortress were already covered with green and most of the trees in this vicinity had donned their fresh spring garb, the new leaves of the chestnut trees, for instance, being fully an inch long. How beautiful is our northern springtime! But just now Greenhagen and his brother have come for the purpose of taking me out for a walk, consequently I shall have to postpone the continuation of this letter till my return. At eight p, m. As you will readily understand, it has been impossible for me to make any purchases in Stettin on account of my very limited stay in the fortress. My impression of the latter has not been a very flattering one. Though the streets cannot really be called narrow, the tall buildings, most of which are five or six stories high, darken these thoroughfares considerably. About eleven o’clock we took our baggage to the sta- tion. My ticket to Berlin cost me two thalers (one thaler- seventy-five cents), and besides I had to pay nearly two more for overweight of baggage. The rapidity of dis- patching travelers at the station is truly remarkable. Si- lence and a marvelous order reign everywhere, due prob- ably to the fact that none but ex-army men can enter our railroad service or that of our custom houses. About a 20 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE hundred people with more or less baggage were dis- patched and provided with tickets in less than twenty minutes. Ten minutes before our departure there was not a train in sight, though the whole crowd of passen- gers was ready to board it. Then began the switching, the lining up of ears, the loading of freight cars, the seat- ing of passengers, examining of tickets by the conductor, who politely answers all reasonable questions as he goes from one to the other; all this was done in the twinkling of an eye and when the signal for departure was given, the steam whistle blew and the train pulled out to the very minute, at 11:45 a. m., as scheduled. To one who has never been on a railroad train, the feeling which he experiences is decidedly strange. Most people imagine the speed of the train to resemble a flash of lightning, but this is very exaggerated, as one can plainly recognize all objects which the train passes, even those which are closest to the rails. The strange noise of the rolling, the whizzing and hissing of engine and ears as they cut the air at high speed, the whistling at the approach of road stations, all this may annoy less sensitive ears than mine, particularly during the first trip.* The country between Stettin and Berlin offers very little change of scenery; only a few hills, but mostly low plains, whose well-laid-out farms give ample proof of the hard toil which the horny-handed peasant has already accomplished so early in the year; but, with all that, this monotonous sameness does not rest the eye of the trav- eler, as there are neither forests nor large bodies of water to vary the appearance of the landscape. Here and there may be some variety apparent, but that is all. The train stopped at Tanton, Passon, Angermiinde, Neustadt, Eberswalde, and other little stations, three or five min- utes at a time. The stations are all well built, and in some instances even they are magnificent structures, which result is one of the benefits of government owner- *These are the natural observations one would have made when railroad travel was first introduced.—Transl. KONIGSBERG TO BERLIN 21 ship. As our number of passengers increased at every station, it became necessary to add another locomotive at Angermiinde. Our train had eighteen passenger coaches, holding in all about eight hundred people, i. e, nearly fifty in each car. We reached Berlin at last. It was just four o’clock in the afternoon when we steamed into Grande Station near the Oranienburg gate (named after Prince William of Orange). No sooner had the train come to a standstill than a sentry from the Second Guard’s Regiment stationed himself at every car, while some twenty constables started to examine the passes, which took much less time than I had thought. This done, ev- ery one of us received a stamped ticket, which we handed to the gate keeper.* To identify and obtain our baggage took about half an hour, after which we started for our respective lodgings. Griinhagen has a brother living in Kochstrasse and Olias and I went to find the ‘‘German House’’ in Kloster- strasse, which we reached about five o’clock. As neither of us was acquainted with the city, we were at a loss to devise a plan for the evening, therefore I resolved to de- liver a letter, which Johanna Kiihnast asked me to take to Rudolph Wilzeck—Kommandantenstrasse. Olias accompanied me to that place. Utterly ignorant of the location of the streets of Berlin, we went bravely out to discover the place of our destination. We tramped through Spandauer and Kénigsstrasse, Molken- markt, Gertrudenstr., Spittelmarkt, Leipzigerstr., Dén- hofsplatz until we finally drifted into Kommandantenstr., at the extreme end of which said dwelling was to be found. When we reached the place, the bird had flown, having left the city, bound for East Prussia, a few days previously. As soon as we had recovered from our disap- pointment Olias coaxed me to take a stroll through the ‘‘Thiergarten.’’ The straight-laid streets of this part of Berlin, called Frederic’s town,make it easy for a stranger to find his way. We returned partly by the same route *Remember, kind reader, that this took place more than fifty years ago, Times have changed since then—Transl. 22 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE we had passed before until we reached the endless Fred- erickstr., which led us into the celebrated avenue ‘‘ Unter den Linden,’’ with its historical edifices. Thence we en- tered the Thiergarten through the ‘‘Gate Brandenburg.”’ This park is the most celebrated place of recreation in all Prussia. By nine o’clock we were home again without having lost our way or even asking anyone for the direc- tion. I describe the trip at such length that you may, by looking up your map of Berlin, form some jdea of the length of our tramp, which surely entitled us to a good night’s rest. J assure you that I slept more soundly than during many a night before. As I already have mentioned, Griinhagen’s brother took us out for a walk this forenoon. We visited the museums and passed through many streets and squares, which I had not known of before. During the afternoon our course took in the Kénigsstrasse, Donhofsplatz, Jeru- salem, Frederic’s and Leipzigerstrasse, then to the Leip- ziger Gate, Bellevue avenue—a beautiful thoroughfare— when at last we reached the Zoélogical Garden, where we staid till six o’clock, returning home through the ‘‘Thier- garten,’’ ‘‘Unter den Linden,’’and ‘‘Schlossgarten.’’ But of what use is this minute description of our walks. Ber- lin, notwithstanding its magnificent streets, its imposing edifices, its immense palaces, its beautiful statues and rare collections of art, does not touch the heart. The day after tomorrow I shall continue my trip to Hamburg, as the very paving of these streets is burning under my feet. Tomorrow I shall visit ‘‘Friedrichshain’’ in order to pay my silent respects to the March Enthusiasts. Poor fel- lows !* *Noble Lecouvreur, his very soul was already filled with that intense love of freedom which brings so many Europeans to our American shores and his youthful heart, while he was yet scarcely out of his teens, could not and would not leave the old soil with- out uncovering his head in silent prayer at the graves of the German Martyrs of Freedom. They suffered death while he, their youthful sympathizer, left home and hearth to seek true Freedom under the protection of the Stars and Stripes, rather KONIGSBERG TO BERLIN 23 During my short stay in Berlin I have not failed to visit some historical places such as the Royal Palaces, the Breitestrasse, where the first shots of ’48 were fired; the Art Academy, Armory and other places which I may have unconsciously passed by, bear witness to the days of horror. The immense mass of stone of the so-called ‘‘Castle’’?’ made a very sad impression upon me, more so perhaps as, coming from Ko6nigstr., my eye caught at once the iron fence, on every single gate of which there stood sometimes one, sometimes two sentries and another one, wherever the space between two gates happened to be a foot or two wider than usual. These fellows, well armed, walk up and down the short space they are to guard; besides these, there are crowds of policemen do- ing duty by moving about the inner court. A chill ran through my veins. He, who has already inhaled Free- dom’s air at sea, cannot really care for Berlin—cannot harmonize with Berlin people. It is not an uncommon thing to see well-dressed men take off their hats in pass- ing the empty carriage of some royal personage or to show the same respect to a passing stable boy who hap- pens to wear royal livery. Mother Nature has favored the country surrounding Berlin more than that of Stettin. The fruit trees are al- ready dropping their blossoms, and tulips, lilies and other flowers appear in full bloom. My next letter will be dated from Hamburg, where I hope to receive one from home. Please do not address any more letters in care of Knéhr and Burchard, but rather in care of Heinrich Bartsch. How I long to be on the open sea once more. To-mor- row, as I mentioned before, I shall visit the cemetery which harbors the March heroes, and then—good-bye, Berlin; good-bye forever, I hope! To the few, whom I love, and to those who love me, to every one of you, a hearty farewell. (Signed) FRANZ LECOUVREUR. than to see his growing manhood crushed by Order of the King.— Transl. 24 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE *Before proceeding with the description of Berlin in the beginning of the Hamburg letter, which I am convinced will impress the reader from more than one point of view, let it be remembered that our young author, as is quite common with young, wide-awake students, had inhaled the teachings of political world-saviors, so-called. In his particular case it was Karl Marx, the shrewd German socialist, whose doctrines were being expounded by able agitators throughout the Fatherland and the dangerous effects of which had clearly manifested themselves in the March Revolution of 1848. While the Prussian government seemed quite well in- formed as to the progress of the brewing trouble in the provinces, and prepared to meet it, the probability of an early outbreak in the very heart of Berlin seemed not to have been given any credence in highest circles. How- ever, they soon realized their mistake, when it was dis- covered that, notwithstanding the great vigilance of their police, a number of political offenders, who had been ex- iled from the kingdom, had re-entered the Capital and systematically agitated the working classes and student bodies, sowing discontent wherever they found a chance. Young people, particularly in sentimental Germany, are always quick in accepting a method offered which has for its seeming purpose the redemption of all ills, the ‘‘wronged classes’? are said to be heir to. Is it then so surprising that such brilliant minds, as that of young Le- couvreur, should have become greatly enthused over the teachings of men like Kar] Marx, the Moses of Socialism, Htienne Cabet, the French pedagogue and communist, and his followers, Louis Blane and Buchez, whose motto: ‘‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’’ had electrified even the ‘‘German Michel?’’ One who had learned to admire such writers as Borne, Heine and Freiligrath, could not fold his hands in idleness during this history-making pe- riod. Notwithstanding the fact that King Frederick Wil- liam IV. tried his utmost to pacify the people, there oc- *Remarks by translator, KONIGSBERG TO BERLIN 25 curred fierce fights in the streets between the masses and the royal troops, in which on the eighteenth of March, eighteen hundred and forty-eight, no less than one hun- dred and eighty-three civilians and twenty soldiers were killed. Though the troops had gained a sad victory, the King, who loved peace with his people above everything else, in the spirit of his lamented mother, the great Queen Louisa, granted the very next day, among other royal favors, the total amnesty of all political offenders, and witnessed in person the funeral of the fallen civilians, whose remains were given solemn burial at Friedrichs- hain, a cemetery described elsewhere. The following letter from H. R. H. Prince Frederic William, son of the reigning King’s brother, William, and later father of the present Emperor of Germany, to Eduard Baeyer, an intimate of his youth, was recently published by the ever well-informed ‘‘ Kénigsberger Har- tungsche Zeitung.’’ This letter is a part of the communi- eations concerning this friendship, as appeared in an ar- ticle by Mrs. Emma Ribbeck, née Baeyer, in the ‘‘Deutsche Rundschau,’’ a periodical of great influence. What to the translator seems to emphasize the weight of the following lines is the fact, which no German reader will overlook, that they were written on the very birth- day anniversary of the Prince’s illustrious father, the great William the First. During his reign, which fol- lowed that of Frederick William IV., all Germany cele- brated the twenty-second of March. But let us read the letter, which bears rhetorical proof of great excitement under which the august writer labored: Potsdam, March 22, 1848. My Dear, Good Baeyer:—This very moment I received your dear letter, the first one since I left Berlin. You will easily imagine how I feel. What I have experienced since last Saturday has aged me many a year, and I am moved to confess that everything seems to have been but a bad dream—a nightmare. The terrible scenes of last Sunday, the heroic deeds of our troops on Saturday, all that I wit- 26 EAST PRUSSIA TO: THE GOLDEN GATE nessed from the windows of the castle—but there is no need of telling you. You are-probably as well informed, if not better than I. But when I left Berlin on Sunday night about seven o’clock, passing the citizen’s guard, my heart bled. Fortunately, I met soldiers in most of the halls, which fact had a soothing influence upon me. Many were the proofs of devotion which the officers showed me until I reached the carriage that drove me along the ‘‘Linden’’ to the residence of Major Oelrichs in the Pots- damerstreet. My sister, the Princess Louise,* was with me, while my parents remained with the King. We after- wards drove to Potsdam and are safe at present. I thought to dream that night of the awful, horrifying sight of that funeral procession. The departure of the troops, which left the castle virtually without power of defense, was dreadful indeed. And! what a humiliation for our dear King and the poor, sick Queen, to be forced by the people to view the horrible corpses from the bal- cony amongst the howling, shouting threats of the multi- tude. This is terrible to me and never shall I care to en- ter the court-yard again. Really, I am disgusted with Berlin forever! I was present on Saturday from four o’clock till midnight and witnessed the struggles of our brave soldiers. Words do not suffice to describe the valor with which they fought. God be praised that, compared with the loss sustained by the mob, but few of our sol- diers fell; every report of a wounded soldier was terrible to me. This was the first murderous encounter at which I have ever been present; I am now prepared to go upon the battlefield, the sight will no more be new to me. Last Sunday was the most ill-fated day of my life, up to now. When I left the house in the morning to drive to the cas- tle, a voice told me: ‘‘You will not return for some time!”’ And, how it stands! My effects were then already and are now in safety, many even are in my possession at present. From the moment I entered the castle, where *Later Grand Duchess of Baden and then only ten years of age ; the prince was seventeen at the time,—Tr. < oe —_ - -- we 0 ————— \ KONIGSBERG TO BERLIN 27 many officers of my regiment vied to kiss my hand in deepest emotion until the time when I drove away again in the evening, the awful howling never ceased, but con- tinued in my ears long through the night. My poor par- ents are well and in safety. Papa will go to England, but he does not run away; he received a mission from the King. I have seen both of them. Everything is in per- fect quiet and safety here in Potsdam. The local protec- tion committee is uncommonly well organized. My other younger relatives, with the exception of cousin Freder- ick Karl, and my sister, are all in safety, but not with us. The poor Charlotte is nearly beside herself, having es- eaped almost miraculously. When will her confirmation* take place and mine? God alone knows. But I have not lost courage. I trust in God! He will do all things well. Now it is time for me to close. I have given you as many particulars as possible, whatever passed through my heart. But I have scrawled terribly. I hope you will be able to read it all. That you are rejoicing now and able to forget the past, seems quite probable to me, in considera- tion of the present excitement. I, for my part, cannot be happy, but bow in obedience to the new measures, taken by the King, which will prove beneficial with the help of God. It will be a long time before I shall be really happy again! You will not see me very soon in Berlin. Fare- well. Pardon the poor handwriting and convey my most sincere greetings to all friends. Tell them, as well as our teachers, that I always remember them, that I am in safety and ready to trust God in all things, and that I am well prepared to bear, with courage and fortitude, the great misfortune which has befallen us, and which I look upon as sent by God. Tell all friends from the contents of this letter, whatever you may deem proper for them to know, nothing or all; I leave that to your judgment. *The royal family is Lutheran, and the confirmation here men- tioned refers to the church ceremony, during which a promise of perseverance in the Lutheran faith is made.—Trans. 28 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE Pray for us, all of you, as I do for you. May God bless all of us and may He grant us an early reunion! Your ever faithful friend, FRIEDRICH WILHELM. P. S.—I beg you, for God’s sake, be careful with this letter and do not show it to anyone. Just tell them what- ever may be of consoling interest as regards our fate, but not the thoughts which I may have expressed. If you do not think that you will be able to hide the letter, burn it instantly. Nobody is to read it, except perhaps it be Schellbach, whom I have already seen and spoken to, téte a téte, for, believe me, this region is full of spies and emissaries; so one has to weigh every word carefully. lL am only too well aware of it. Be very careful in your own behalf. Now, farewell, and be prudent in all things. IF. W. The foregoing will serve the reader to better under- stand the feeling of our author, who was but three years older than H. R. Highness, and who represented at the time—the other side. He visits the very battle-field upon which his fellow-endeavorers had paid the penalty for the folly of their ignorance or misdirected sentimentality. With the Berlin letter closes that period of his life; in it we find the last expressions of the author’s sympathy for the cause he espoused in his youth. He was bound for the New World and he determined to free himself from the drawbacks of the old. (Translator.) LETTER NO. IT My Last Hours in Berlin— Voyage from Berlin to Ham- burg—Hamburg and the Hamburg People. Hamburg, May 6th, 1851. When I arose from my feather-bed on the morning of April the 29th, my resolution to leave Berlin on the fol- lowing day was unshaken. I had spent already twenty- four hours to watch this cradle of vanity and splendor, and thought it sufficient; indeed, it did suffice, for another twenty-four hours filled me with so much disgust that it would have been a torture for me to spend the rest of my life in Berlin. Still, let there be justice, where justice is due. The city itself is beautiful, that is, for him who ean see something beautiful in a mass of houses, if I may use the expression: ‘‘in Sunday-go-to-meeting attire.’’ The weather was bright; trees and lawns were in full spring dress; clean streets, shining window-panes everywhere, door steps and everything admirably clean, whether I examined the most imposing or the simplest, the colossal or the most humble sights; everything was intended to be artistically impressive, and would have undoubtedly been so in my regard—had it not been for the people—such a people! Whosoever doubts the veracity of my words may take a leisurely walk on any bright afternoon from Donhofts- platz through Louisenstrasse (named after the immortal Queen Louisa of Prussia), Friedrichstr., Unter den Lin- den, to the Brandenburger thor, taking precaution to avoid in his attire anything that would or could attract attention. I went without cuffs or necktie, dressed very plainly. Thus you will have the best opportunity to ob- serve the thousands and thousands who pass you with or 29 30 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE without a purpose. The main feature which the visitor of this metropolis will at once recognize is the spirit of servility, often followed by or combined with undeniable traits of depravity, which are mirrored in the very faces of numberless men and women. From the coachman to the prince in the showy carriage, from the servant girl to the countess, from the private of the Grenadiers to the General, from the cash boy to the King’s counselor—ev- erybody brags, everybody tries to impress everybody else in word and action, yes, in his very walk, that he is ever so much superior to anyone else until—one higher in so- cial standing happens along, then O! how small, how very humble the hero of a minute before has suddenly be- come. It was Monday evening on Leipziger Platz, that | witnessed the gentleman, mentioned in my last letter, who wore a decoration of rank in his button-hole pro- foundly saluting the coachman or—the empty carriage he was driving, which bore the coat of arms of its royal owner—I had to refrain from giving this old hypocrite a piece of my angered mind. How true is the much criti- cised description of the immortal Heine, contained in these words: ‘‘It really takes several barrels of poetry to find anything else in Berlin but dead houses and dead people.’’ It is seldom you see a real man. Everything though new, everybody, even the young, is so old, so withered—so dead! After I had dressed myself on Tues- day morning I found myself so disappointed, so ill-hu- mored, that I did not care to leave the house all the fore- noon, and not until four o’clock in the afternoon did I decide to visit Hasenkamp, which meant a long walk, as he is staying with Dorn, the lawyer, in Anhaltstr. I was fortunate in finding him at home, but he had changed so much that I scarcely recognized him. Sickness had dis- figured him terribly and compelled the growth of a beard. I spent two very pleasant hours with him, as he was in an excellent frame of mind. He showed me his wounds, one of which was caused by a chance shot, two inches long, on the calf of the right leg, while the other proved to be of a serious nature, the bullet having entered the BERLIN TO HAMBURG 31 right side of the abdomen and gone clear through, leav- ing the body hardly a finger’s width from the spinal cord, just below the false ribs. The scars are as big as a dol- lar. He deseribed the skirmish near Friedrichstadt in vivid colors, up to the time when, being about forty feet from the enemy, the bullet struck him. At first he left the wound unnoticed, as the feeling resembled that of an electric shock, but dizziness soon overtook him, fol- lowed by chills and fever, which slowly deprived him of consciousness, not soon enough, however, to prevent the frightening realization that he was mortally wounded. The last words which his fading senses caught were: ‘‘Der Hauptmann ist todt!’’ (The captain is dead!) Pic- ture to yourself the excruciating pains when he awoke from his first fainting spell to find himself lifted upon two rifles and carried away from the scene of battle— even without emergency bandages. They next put him on a stretcher and drove him in a pouring rain through badly paved streets and market places to the lazareth (soldiers’ hospital) which was fully eight English miles away from the first place. He recovered very slowly and even yet bears the burden of a martyr’s life. The two very pleasant hours had flown rapidly and I truly regret- ted to take leave of this honest, sterling man, whose heart and mind evinced qualities too rarely met. There re- mained on my program but one more part to fulfil—my intended visit to Friedrichshain to honor the graves of those who have already honored us. I now hastened to accomplish this purpose. Passing the Landsberger street and gate, one observes to the left of the avenue a small hill, upon the top of which there are two windmills. Between these and the city there lies the cemetery of Friedrichshain, well laid out with young trees and flowers. At the foot of the hill which is nearest the city, I found the resting-place of the heroes of the eighteenth of March, eighteen hundred and forty-eight. It is a square of between seventy-five and one hundred feet, hedged in by a low, wooden fence. Ev- ery corner has an open entrance. Parallel wifh the fence 32 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE run the graves, leaving a walk of about five feet in width between them. The whole offers the thoughtful visitor a fit subject for meditation. The two rows of graves have been converted into beautiful flower-beds, while the cen- ter of this sad, silent spot has been laid out for a lawn. Words cannot describe the impression which this ever sorrow-inspiring place left upon me. Step by step I wan- dered from grave to grave, from cross to cross, every one of which was covered with fresh wreaths. Beautiful ivy bowers, as thickly grown as I had never seen them be- fore, had risen from the graves of those whose noble deeds will ever live in the hearts of freedom-loving men. Be it then said to the honor and credit of the Berlin people that they have set a monument to the memory of those who died for their convictions, which is likewise a tribute to the piety of the living. They cared for these, their dead, so beautifully, that this act alone has reconciled me to a great extent with Berlin-at-large. The evening was very mild. I sat long upon one of those graves and saw the sun slowly disappear from my horizon. Strange were the visions which entranced me. It seemed to me that the departing rays of the sun were only too anxious to hasten away from the mass of cold houses of Berlin, while they hovered gladly over the silent crosses along- side of me in apparent search of a moment’s rest. My dreams and my feelings of that hour I am unable to describe; they were undefinable. At last I arose. The bluish fog had already commenced to overspread the end- less plain, and the approaching darkness reminded me that it was time to seek my temporary quarters. Of all the beautiful tombstone inscriptions I remember but one: ‘Peace be to his spirit!’’ I shall never forget it. How many thousands have visited this spot without reading these inspiring words and how many, reading them, un- derstood their significance? I shall never wish for a more beautiful, more spiritual, more soulful epitaph!* *Consider, that you are reading the letter of a youth, addressed to his parents and admire with me the purity of a heart and a BERLIN TO HAMBURG 33 Wednesday, the thirtieth of April, found me an early riser. QOlias preferred to stay a few more days in Ber- lin, but he and I had already sent the heavier baggage to the station the day before, so that it could be forwarded by freight and still reach Hamburg in time. Each of us kept about fifty pounds which are allowed every passen- ger on the railroad. My fare—third class—amounted to four thaler and five Silbergroschen (about three dollars). The train pulled out of Berlin at 7:30 a. m. Our first stop occurred at Spandau, the well-known and much- dreaded fortress, where many a brave man serves time for political offenses, for having a mind of his own and the courage to express it. The road leads along the banks of the Havel with its little inlets, bridges and miniature bays. The picturesque changes of water, fields, hidden villages, now and then a farm house or fisherman’s hut, were materially heightened by a fabulous number of boats, large lumber boats, boats carrying grain and other field products to the larger cities and seaports, or return- ing home with merchandise of every description, such as coffee, rice, staple goods of every kind, dry goods, furni- ture, ete. The shining white sails of these boats which by the way are the floating homes of their owners, in- crease the attractiveness of the pretty scenery under the mild rays of the early morning sun. Everything looked charmingly fresh. After leaving Spandau, there was a decided change for the worse. As far as the eye could see, there were fields and fields and nothing but fields and prairie-like monotony. The crops, too, looked poor- ly, as the soil is too sandy to give much encouragement. The low hills here and there resemble the stretches of the far-away ocean so much that I was tempted more than once to look round for the missing waves. Notwithstand- ing the apparent scarcity of vegetation, the neighborhood soul, filled with the love of Freedom, which caused him to leave an unsympathizing country in order to seek liberty of body and mind in free America.—Transl. 8 34 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE seems to be pretty well inhabited and somehow or in some way the people must make a living.* Here and there a little forest of fir-trees made a wel- come change during the monotonous trip. We passed Nauen, Paulinenaue, Friesack, Neustadt an der Dosse, Zernitz, Wilsnack, until we reached Wittenberge, which has a branch custom-home, where all passengers and goods coming from Prussia were requested to undergo slight formalities without the annoyance of revision, how- ever. After Wittenberge, the desert—for no other name is applicable to this barren, desolate country, where the eye can feast on nothing but shrubbery, mostly withered, from which now and then you see a stunted fir-tree arise, which casts its forlorn glance about for companionship, for the old adage, ‘‘Misery loves company,’’ seems to find its echo even in the vegetable kingdom. As if we were to drink the cup to overflowing, it began to rain in torrents right after we left Wittenberge and nothing could have made this desert look sadder. When we reached Boitzenburg, having passed Grabow, Lud- wigslust, Hagenow in quick succession, the weather for- tunately cleared up and gave us a chance to view this pretty little town and its refreshing surroundings. Here one obtains a good view of the low lands of the river ‘‘Hilbe,’’ which is quite an agreeable change for the eye of the lonely traveler. After Boitzenburg—another desert, until one reaches Schwarzenbeck, which is situated on a hill. The moment one arrives at this station everything seems to change as if by magic. One may here behold a most picturesque rural scene. Here and there a village with its friendly church steeple, brooks winding in zig-zag lines through the little valley. Little forests here and there, proud to show off in their new spring coats, all of which combines *They do, by raising potatoes and grain for starch mills and distilleries, and in later years, by raising sugar beets for export, which is encouraged by a government premium, of which young Lecouvreur had no knowledge at the time.——Transl. BERLIN TO HAMBURG 35 to offer the traveler a refreshing change. These pleasant scenes continue all the way to Hamburg. We passed Friedrichsruh, Reinbeck, Bergedorf and reached our des- tination at three-fifty p. m. HAMBURG AND THE HamBpurG PEOPLE. To take a much needed rest I went to the hotel ‘‘City of Kiel,’’ near the station; but changed quarters the next morning, and am presently located in the ‘‘New City of Berlin’’ on the Ménkedamm, near the great ‘‘ Merchant’s Exchange.’’ Hugo arrived Friday morning from Berlin and since then we have been rooming together. We get along quite well and have laid our plans so as to make our stay as inexpensive as possible, for there are innu- merable channels by which our little money can be spent. For breakfast and supper we bought bread, butter, cheese and sausage. I may say, wholesale, so as to save the high charges in local restaurants; for our daily noon meal, which is the only square, warm meal of the day, we have discovered a plain but very respectable inn, where we are well served for eight Hamburg shillings (about twen- ty cents). Once in a while, when we feel particularly hilarious, we buy a bottle of wine, which costs but six or eight shillings, and very good for the money. Though I am exceedingly disappointed to have to waste a whole month doing absolutely nothing, it cannot be helped and the best thing one can do is to follow the advice of a great modern philosopher: ‘‘Under all cir- cumstances keep an even mind.’’* The time between the twentieth and thirtieth may be legally charged to the local shipping agents, Knéhr and Burchard; for it is stipulated in the legal provision, re- ferred to, that a sum of twelve shillings a day be paid during the time of delay, where date of departure has *Young Lecouvreur seems to have taken this motto through life as his magic staff, leaning upon which, he overcame difficul- ties which to others appeared insuperable.—Transl, 36 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE been agreed upon and said delay caused unwarranted expense for the person concerned, provided berth shall have been engaged.under such conditions. In my case it only amounts to about three German thaler, but I shall surely not let Knéhr and Burchard be the gainers. What is good for them is still better for me. You will readily understand that Hugo and I live as economically as snails —faute d’ argent. We seldom venture out during the forenoon, but are generally at the great ‘‘Exchange’’ by one o’clock, about two we have our dinner, after which the daily pleasure walk, which mostly starts or ends at the Harbor. Between seven and eight o’clock we return home, where we at once proceed to bed in order to save candles. Thus we spend day after day. I have every reason. to be grateful to Rosenstock for his letter of reec- ommendation to Heinrich Bartsch; this gentleman assists me in many ways and shows general interest in me; but of this I shall write later. Now a few words about Ham- burg and the Hamburger people, in as much as I have had opportunity to judge of them during my short stay. If someone were to ask me to personify Berlin I should not hesitate in comparing her to a vain, coquettish, yet well-mannered, middle aged but still attractive Lady of the Court; but Hamburg—that is quite a difficult propo- sition. Hamburg, seen from different sides, impresses one dif- ferently. The magnificent harbor, the beautiful Jung- fernstieg (Maiden-Promenade), the Alster, the great Ex- ehange, the Old-Town, the suburbs St. Pauli and St. George—each represents a type of its own, and still through them all winds its way like a red thread, the Merchant Prince.* You find him everywhere, on the promenades, in the Opera as well as in the many lesser theaters, concert halls, beer gardens, wine cellars, restau- rants—mostly subterranean—everywhere the merchant prince. All Hamburg breathes commerce. As the ‘‘Ex- *Commercienrath, a mere title, given by sovereigns to favorite bankers and merchants. a BERLIN TO HAMBURG 37 change”’ is situated in the very center of this Metropolis, one need not be surprised that it has become the soul of all material and intellectual life here; he who doubts it will easily become convineed if he pays a visit to the said place about ‘* Exchange time,’’ i. e., from one to two in the afternoon. The Exchange opens promptly at one o’clock; at ten minutes past the gates close and every late-comer has to deposit a small fine except, I am told, if he is an active member of the Board of Commerce, to which, how- ever, only a limited number of the most influential mer- chants are eligible. The inner hall measures about two hundred feet square, but a few minutes suffice to fill ev- ery inch with humanity, so that, viewing from the gal- leries, the spectator can see nothing but one black mov- ing mass, head on head, mostly adorned with the indis- pensable headgear of a Hamburg merchant, the tall, black silk hat. A double row of arcades, supported by immense pillars, surround the inner hall. The Exchange reading rooms, the assembly rooms of the Board of Com- merce and the reception parlors are right above the ar- cades, while the main hall has an immense skylight for its roof. The galleries, whence one can watch the whole proceedings, are about thirty-five feet above the ground floor, and entrance to the different library and committee rooms is effected from there. All those rooms even are so filled with people during exchange hours that one can scarcely pass. And yet, there is a system governing this immense busy bulk of humanity or merchant body. Every branch of commerce has its circle and every member of that circle has his place, elbowing his sharpest competitor in the most har- monious manner. The polished floor itself is marked with well-measured squares, circles, triangles and the like figures, whereby the respective members may know and remember their stand. There is the banker’s, the exporters’, the commissioners’, the dry goods merchant, the ship-brokers’, the stock-brokers’, the cotton mer- chants’ and numberless other circles. Harmony reigns supreme and the old Hamburg motto: ‘‘The keener the 38 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE competition, the greater the fun,’’ seems to pervade ev- erybody and everything. What a sight for the onlooker from one of the galleries, where every stranger, who has — not come on a business mission, goes to watch the world’s marketing. * 4 Many a foreign potentate of civilized and uncivilized domains visits the Hamburg Exchange and marvels at this industrial bee-hive of the old Hansatown, which was founded by Charlemagne in the year 811 A. D. It was he who granted the city free trade and a special legislature. But my thoughts return to the Exchange. What a con- course of nationalities. Within the space of half an hour one may converse with natives from every corner of the globe. You hear German, French, English, Dutch, Span- ish, Danish, Flemish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Sla- vonian, Persian and many other tongues, which I heard spoken during my few visits. The whole has something fascinating and yet stupifying. I have been there three times without being able to give an-exact description of this truly overwhelming experience. No stranger should leave Hamburg without having visited this center of com- merce, this soul of the commonwealth, for Hamburg is at the Exchange, as the Exchange is Hamburg in bulk. No wonder, then, that the galleries are adorned with representatives of the beautiful sex from all parts of the world. While the building itself is not particularly remarka- ble for its architectural beauty, there is certainly some- thing imposing about it which tells the new-comer almost instantaneously: ‘‘This is the Exchange of the world’s market.’’ I felt impressed that way when crossing the Adolph’s platz for the first time, facing the main en- trance. Hamburg, May 7th, 1851. I commenced this letter yesterday and will endeavor to continue it now at my leisure until it will be long enough to send to my beloved ones at home. Having tried to picture the Exchange in the few lines BERLIN TO HAMBURG 39 above, I shall now proceed to give you a short description of the harbor, where I am a daily visitor. Hamburg and the suburb of Saint Paul extend about three English miles along the eastern bank of the ‘‘Elbe;’’ one-half of this distance is generally known as the ‘‘In- ner Harbor,’’ where mostly smaller vessels congregate, such as carry freight up and down the river as far as Bodenbach Tetschen-Bohemia, and of which I have made mention in one of my previous letters. The seaport proper is at the mouth of the ‘‘Elbe;’’ it is about half a mile long and takes in the whole width of the river which measures about seventeen hundred and fifty feet. The so-called ‘‘Gate of the Habor,’’ which divides the city line from St. Pauli, is sharp on the bank of the river and about one hundred feet wide, reaching to a small hill, ealled Stintfang, the top of which is flattened and fenced in by east-iron railings. I went there last evening for the first time. The weather was beautiful and I ascended the hill with a certain amount of reverence. Do you, my be- loved ones, still remember the beautiful scene which was one of the main attractions of the ‘‘ Kénigsberg’’ picture gallery: ‘‘Hamburg, as seen from the Stintfang?’’ How often, during my childhood days, did I look admiringly upon that scene, while my thoughts carried me to the Elbe and the many, many ships of all nations and to the immense mass of houses of the old Hansatown. It was one of my favorite dreams. But yesterday, I did not stand admiringly in front of the picture; I stood, behold- ing in fact that ocean of moving vessels on one side, and the innumerable buildings on the other. Really and truly, it was no dream, but rather a more impressive real- ization. My feelings are difficult to explain. I drew all kinds of comparisons between the painting in the Home Gallery and the original, the magnificent living picture now before me; again, I compared the sentiments which enlivened my mind in childhood days to those of early manhood; in other words, between the time when, filled with a child’s pure, happy confidence, I dared to laugh at the future probabilities of life and the present, when, 40 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE having perhaps the happiest and most instructive time of my life behind me and entering upon an uncertain future not altogether without distrust in my own inward strength, though full of faith in the wisdom and goodness of God. The school of life is not altogether new to me, I have had some very severe experiences and am only one among the many who will have to find means of existence in it. However, confidence in Providence, and in our own inner self, and an earnest persevering will, have done great things at all times, and I propose to do my share. There is nothing more attractive in Hamburg than the harbor-site, as seen from the Stintfang, at the foot of which the visitor beholds a panorama never to be forgot- ten. One observes three rows of piles along the bank. The large ocean vessels are chained to these piles and between the rows which form perfect water avenues, one observes small and large freight boats, lighters, which carry the merchandise to and fro. This is necessary, as the hundreds of steamers and large sailing vessels can- not all anchor conveniently without being seriously in- commodated by the tides. Vessels, which cannot find proper accommodation on entering the immense harbor, have to anchor in the middle of the Elbe until some out- going boats make room for the neweomer, which’ pro- cedure is well regulated by the harbor commission and carefully watched by the harbor police, who patrol the waterways with painful regularity.* Looking about, the searching eye cannot penetrate the acreages of sails, masts and riggings, which are appa- rently made the more solid by the constant smoke and coal-dust arising either from the many ship-galleys or *During the last twenty years about one hundred and fifty million marks, i. e. something like thirty-eight million dollars, have been spent in rebuilding the docks and enlarging facilities for transient-storage, which fact has made this harbor superior to the old rivals, Liverpool, Amsterdam and Antwerp. And all but ten million dollars were raised by subscription-bonds among local merchants and bankers, which will give the reader an idea of the immense wealth of that city—Transl, BERLIN TO HAMBURG 41 from the chimneys of the numberless lighters and little steamers, which are running up and down the river by day and night, for work never stops. Vessels load and unload constantly, as the saving of time as well as the nature of the cargo very often demands immediate at- tendance. The inclemency of the weather in winter-time is particularly the cause of many hardships. On one occasion, I am told, that the non-shipment of forty thou- sand bags of potatoes cost the shipper a small fortune, as his goods were destroyed by the intense frost which set in, while awaiting storage in an English vessel. There are four unbroken lines of vessels from all na- tions, of all shapes and build, four seemingly endless chains of merchant fleets; all along St. Pauli and the neighboring town Altona and far beyond it, one can see them busily engaged in loading and reloading their car- goes. As one hears at the Exchange languages of all civilized countries, so does one perceive in this metro- politan harbor flags of all nations of the earth, even Bra- zilian and Chilean colors. And what beautiful vessels one sees! They often resemble men-of-war rather than merchant vessels, bent upon their peaceful and harmoni- ous missions. There is, for instance, the ‘‘Gutenberg,’’ one of the Hamburg-American passenger liners near the ‘*Baumthor,’’ which carries immense freights, besides being one of the best fitted passenger steamers, recently built after the most approved plans. It is named after our ‘‘ Johannes Gutenberg,’’ the inventor of the first printing press. There are many such beautiful vessels in plain sight, though they are not all as large as the one mentioned. Let us return to the ‘‘Stintfang View.’? One can only see a comparatively small part of the older city and the quaint old buildings, which have little attraction for the ordinary sight-seer. The other parts of the city are gen- erally hidden from view at this time of the year, as the prevailing fog obscures the so-called ‘‘new city,’”’ i. e., that part which has been rebuilt after the fearful con- flagration in 1842; though the early spring sun may try 42. EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE for days to clear the view, it seldom succeeds until later in the season. But the view of the Elbe up stream, and of the little green islands here and there, is truly delight- ful. One ean see the Hanoverian coast with its forests and coated hills lining the blue-trimmed horizon for miles. I shall visit the Stintfang as often as possible, for there more than elsewhere the familiar scenes of home and longings of the past are brought before my mind. No matter whether in company or not, I shall never feel lonesome in that place. The sun had long’ sent its fare- well rays, when I finally made up my mind to seek my temporary abode. During the night following I dreamt of our ‘‘Exchange Garden,’’ probably because I had thought of it on my way to the hotel from the Stintfang. Just at this moment, being earnestly at work to famil- iarize you with Hamburg scenes, I am pleasantly inter- rupted by the arrival of your welcome letters, dated the second of May, a. c., and containing messages of love and cheer from you, dear father, my darling mother and my beloved sister, Marie. Nothing will prevent me from reading, enjoying and re-reading them, after which I shall set to work answering these love-whisperings at onee, and Hamburg and the Hamburgers, however inter- esting they may be, will have to wait. Hamburg, May 8th, 1851. First of all let me thank you a thousand times for the comforting messages contained in your letters. I am really and truly happy, because you all have written so lovingly and given proof thereby that your thoughts are much more in sympathy with my doings than they were before, or immediately after my departure. I person- ally have come to the conclusion that it avails little or nothing to worry about things which cannot be altered. And there I seem to hear the well-known air of Flotow’s latest production, ‘‘Martha, or the Market of Rich- mond:’’ ‘‘Happy he who can forget that which worried heart and head.’’* No matter how much pain it may *Flotorr’s opera, “Martha,” appeared in 1846.—Transl. BERLIN TO HAMBURG 43 give us, let us be stronger than pain, the deepest wounds of which will heal under the soothing influence of Father Time. It was easy for Lessing to suggest in his immor- tal ‘‘Nathan the Wise’’ that: ‘‘ No man is ever compelled to accept dictation’’ (Kein Mensch muss miissen). Hap- py he who never experiences the contrary, but pity him who is not only forced to accept, but who has to dictate his own sentence. I have been one of the latter; I was compelled to leave Kénigsberg. (As mentioned in the preface, the author had to leave his home for political reasons.) You wished to know, dear father, who had supplied me with recommendations. JI had three for Hamburg, two of which have already done their good work, i. e., the one from Rosenstock to Heinrich Bartsch, whom I have already mentioned, and one from Malmros to the Prussian Consul-General,* Wilhelm O’Swald, who in turn sent me two very good recommendations, one for Franz Hallmann, Valparaiso, and the other to Gent, Schott, Duncker and Béttcher in San Francisco, Califor- nia. Both letters are written in most flattering terms, owing to the warm recommendations Malmros had given me; this is a great point gained, as the firm William O’Swald & Co. ranks very high in commercial circles, in fact, its world-wide reputation is such that the signature, if attached to a young man’s introductory letter, carries great weight. My third recommendation was from the Exchange broker Kalan to Louis Dubois, who contem- plates going to San Francisco himself, where he hopes to get settled by the end of next summer. He is a cousin of Bartsch and as I have only had one slight opportunity of speaking to him, there is little to be said at this time, but that my first impression left me hopeful. Besides the above mentioned there is a letter from Markwald, Koénigsberg, to his brother in San Francisco, who now happens to be in Bremen and may arrive here any day. *Before 1871, each one of the separated principalities of the Fatherland, had an accredited representative near the seat of the government of the other.—Transl. 44 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE Of course, I shall lay in wait for him, to surprise him with his brother’s letter, when the time comes. JT inally there are two more letters from Rosenstock, one to Emil Baott- cher, junior partner of Gent, Schott, Dunker and Bott- cher, and the other to his brother, Eugen Rosenstock, in which he praised my talents and good qualities in an al- most impudent manner. He has often proved to be a true friend and no matter how fate may deal with me in fu- ture, I shall always bear him and his many kind deeds in grateful remembrance. W. O’Swald has requested Iranz Hallmann to further aid me with recommendations. Aside from these, I may be able to obtain one here and there, as I shall be on the lookout, wherever opportunity may present itself, so as to be well provided when | leave. the ‘‘Konigsberger Zeitung’’ is apparently not to be had around here and your clippings and quotations will there- fore be greatly appreciated, the further away I shall find myself from home. You mention that the ‘‘Nix’’ stranded at Mauenhaken on the Swiné river (to be pronounced Sween’ay), which occurrence is not new to me, as I saw it with my own eyes; how it happened, nobody on board seemed to be able to explain. As I told you in one of my first letters, we were almost alongside of the ‘‘Nix’’ and exactly op- posite the pilot’s house, weighing anchor about the same time as the great steamer, which had two splendid ma- chines of about 240 horse power, enabling her to speed along rapidly until the time of the accident, which hap- pened while I was standing near the capstan watching the course of the fast moving vessel in whose wake we were cruising, when behold, she turned to right angle course, and, as the Swiné near Mauenhaken is not very broad, it took but very few seconds to see her stranded upon the low, shoal-like shore. The assertion that the length of the ‘‘Nix’’ checked the power of the rudder is laughable, as even the largest vessel will obey the steer- ing, provided the mate attends to business and holds tight; the man at the helm of the ‘‘Nix’’ did his best in this respect. Many thanks for Meyhoffer’s and Vogt’s messages, BERLIN TO HAMBURG 45 Now let us return to the description of Hamburg and its inhabitants: The architecture of the city, taking it all in all, is rather old-fashioned as may well be imagined, when one considers that this old Hansatown celebrated its millen- nial existence half a century ago (1811). I have even seen mediaeval facades on many buildings which have arisen from the ashes after the great fire of 1842, which wiped nearly one hundred and forty streets and two gi- gantie church edifices, St. Nicholas’ and St. Peter’s, out ° of existence. From May Sth to the 11th, the disastrous flames raged, demanding many a human sacrifice and thie loss of millions of property. The newly laid streets are wide and straight but many of the old ones which were spared during the fire are decidedly crooked and narrow, while the squares are small. Berlin, in this respect, is ahead. Even the sidewalks are poorly paved and only such great and fashionable thoroughfares as the Jung- fernstieg, Alsterdamm, Grosse und Hohe Bleichen, Alter und Neuerwall, Herrmann and Ferdinandstrasse, Speer- sort, Schauenburgerstrasse, etc., etc., are exceptions. The grading and plastering otherwise is decidedly a credit to the municipal government and the street department in particular. The cleanliness is greatly aided by the many channels, broad and narrow, which cross the city in every direction. All streets, as well as the public buildings, have ample gas supply.* Follow me and I shall take you in imagination to the Esplanade, thence to the Alster, after which I shall close this letter, else you may be tempted to apply the yard- measure to it. But, Hamburg is interesting enough to engage one in writing letters of this length every day. One has to visit the ‘‘Esplanade’’ either early in the morning or late at night. Hamburg is encircled by what *Remember, kind reader, that this, as well as all the following descriptions were written long ago. Progress has since wrought wonders, for the public-spirited people of Hamburg spare no ex- pense nor trouble to make their city as attractive as possible— Transl, 46 EAST PRUSSIA LO THE GOLDEN GATE was formerly known as the ‘‘Defenseditch.’? As this ditch had to be well planned in order to fit the difference of height between the Alster and Elbe waters, the level of the latter being much lower than that of the former, it » is truly astonishing that both depth and width of this ‘‘defense ditch’’ vary according to the height of the part of town it cuts into; and measures, in places, from forty to one hundred and twenty, at others from sixty to two hundred feet, thus resembling a river of some importance. Where the waters of this belt wash the city proper, a more or less high wall has been erected, which keeps in exact parallel with the zigzag of the ditch itself. In later years this wall has been utilized in beautifying the city. In many cases, parks of considerable beauty have thus been created. As such a picturesque chain of im- provements from Berlin Station, to the Upper Harbor, thence to the Harbor Gate, measures nearly three English miles, and appears with a width of two to seven hundred feet, you will easily imagine the impression such a sight affords to visitors. Hamburg is indeed to be envied, for, as a matter of fact, not a city in Northern Germany can boast of such a promenade,: such artistic improvements, botanical and otherwise. ‘True, Berlin has its ‘‘Thier- garten,’’ larger, perhaps, but it is, after all, but a tame comparison with these promenades, which end at the ‘