Foreign Correspondence

Berlín, Okrmanv, Oct. 11, 'se. Tiic city of Berlín lies iu 62' :0' noitii latitudc, uid 18 21' ca.st longitude, froni (Jreenwich. Therc Ib i (omewbat worn conundrura tliat runs: "Wliy is Berlín the gayest city in the world ? " Answcr: "Because it id ahvays on the Spree!" Tliat Berlín is the gayest city In the world rnay be disputed by soine, but that the Spree is a very important factor ín its prosperity and growth, by no one. I reinarked to a Germán last year that I intended to spend a year in Berlin. He replied, "There Is nothing attractlve about tbo place. It is nothing but a mudhole." As the impression that I liad recel ved from n previons short visit did not agree with his, I inqulrcd if he had ever been there, and found that he liad not. Berlín may have been a "mud-hole," and not many years ago, but to-day it is acknowiedged to be as clean a city as therc is in the world and one of the finest. Berlín difiere from most of the large citie8 of Europe In its youth, and henee is wanting i n early historica! interest. The name appears tlrst in 1241. In 1500 the city had 12,000 inhabitants, but after the Thlrty Years1 Wur, one hundred and lifty years later, the number was 91,000; in 1860, 496,000; in 1880, 1,122,000; today 1,340,000, thus making it the third city in Europe, and increasing twice as rapidly as London or Paris. With this increase In populutlon have increafed all the splendor and advantages, as well as all the miseries of laific and wealtuy cities. The number of births each week Is over 900, and the number of deaths over 800. For the last flve weeks the number of suicides was 8ix, nine, eleven, Uve, and two respectively. Kruis are higher herc tlian in London. The yearlv rent of dwelling-rooms alone amounts to 44,000,000, and prices have nearly doubled in the last ten years, although two thousand buildings are erectet every year. These new buildings are al large and of several stories. One sees very few private resldences, and no smal dwclllngs, even in the outskirts of the city. Where the city ends, it ends suddenly, witU buildings six stories high. The femiile populiition cxcceds the male by 100,000. Sixty-five thousand families eonslstlug of over 400,000 persons, have dwellings of only one room. One hundred and forty thousand live In the flftta story or higher; 40,000 ia attics; and 120,000 in basements or cellars. In soine dwellings the rooms are divlded in four equal parts by chalk markt, and a familv occupies each p:irt. The comtnon price for board and room at a boarding house is from thirty to tifly dollars per month. Of course, one can go as high as lie chooses, bnt to have the comforts and conveniences tliat oncean get in a city like Detroit tor thirty live dollars a month, one must p;iy one liundred. I do uot wonder that (Bismarck wishes to put a high tux on tobáceo, wlien the use of government income from faxes causes a city liko Berliti to ri'snrt to the novel plan in torce here of puving laxes on one's rent. Tbat i, t I rent a dwelling, which meang one or more rooms, for f500 dollars a year, not only theownerof the property must pay his tax, but I also must paya taz on the $500 rent I pay. There are all sorts of taxc - incotne tax, trade tax, and all usudl taxes sucli as school, municipal, etceter. lam not sure yet that I shall not be obliged to pay a tax on the laWy I receive when teaching at home in America. This taxing of rents forced 2",000 poor people to move every three months to avoid paying it. Everv one seems to rent here, and no one to own his own house, except, per haps, the Emperor. For a time, ever fall and spring, the streets are ftill of im mense green wagons, as large as a house and made especially for moving furn ture and household possessions. On would think the whole city about to de camp. After ten or twelve days thea green upho]9tered houses disappear a quickly as they carne, and you wonde whitlier, and what the six or eight me whosceoinpanied eaeli are now doing fo a living. The receipts and expenses of the cit are f 15,000,000 annually. Of tliia sun $2,000,000 go to the establlshraents fo the sick and poor, and hygiëne; two am aquarter millions; three-fourths of a mil lion (less than one-half of the whole cost for pólice; a million and aquarter for mu nlcipal goveinnient ; three fourths of million for lighting, cleaning and sprink ling the city; city building!', two and a half millioRs. About 800 steady laborera and as many assistants are employed In Street clean ing The cleaning is done between 12 o'clock at night and 3 a. in, excepting some o: three principal streets, where men are weeping also during the day. Las winter the cost of cleaning away snow and ice was $25,000, every snow-fall cost ing $1200. The sewerage system of Berlin surpassed that of any other city in the world, and cost the sum of $20,000,000. One thing in wtiich Berlín is behind is the electric Tliere are comparative few stores lighted by it and only one street to any great extent, Ijeipziger Strasse. The Koyal Theater is the only theater so ligbted. Elevators are also noticeably rare, not only here, but all over Europe. The Oermnns give full credit to America's Inventive genius, but think that they themselves come to the frontín ttie application, and in the perfection of machinery. Ainl In niany kinds they do excel. Owing to the excellent pólice orgnnizntion one can find out anything he wishes to know rcgardltig the population, from the most important matters down to the number of babies nourished on mother'a milk, nurse's milk, animal inilk, etc. In 1884 the direct taxes amounted to $5,000,000, and the indirect to $10,000,000. RegardinK the wealth of the population, 192 person9 had an income of less thau $105; 145,000 a yearly incunio of from $105 to $150; 1750 had an Dcoine of $2700 or more; 450,000 had an income of $225 or less. They must live on black breid and potatoes. Clöthing is cheap, and all dress well. I have seeri fewer poorly ciad men on the streets of Bcrliu than