OCR Text |
Show ' A CITY IN MINIATURE. Tho Curious and Remarkably Perfect Manufacture of a Retired Merchant. Alois Peteler, of New Dorp, S. I., a former resident of the city of Heidelberg, Heidel-berg, tjermany, has built a perfect "pocket edition" of theold German berg, In wbic'i he was born and raised. With numerous photographs, drawings, and plans of Heidelberg, aided by a thorough knowledge of his subject, Mr. Peteler began the foundation of his little city, and now, sitting on his front porch, he can overlook the roofs of this town of Lllliput. and into the courtyard of the great castle, so rich in romance, tradition und folklore. Every detail of tho original city is reproduced with the fidelity of tho photographer. From the balcony it is easy to imagine that it is the real city, dnrys dwarfed by a distance of a few miles. Looking over the battlements of the miniature liouse3 one can see the turbulent turbu-lent waters of the Neckar hurrying past to join tho Rhine. Tho little city is made to endure. There are no makeshifts, make-shifts, no glue, pasteboard or carpet tacks everything is stone, cement, gravel, brass and iron. The buildings are upon a plateau of stonework, elevated elevat-ed from the ground four or five feet. Tho houses vary from one to five and a half feet'lu height, the tall towers run-uing run-uing up from seven to ten feet. Mr. Peteler has reproduced with the greatest fidelity over 100 busts of the electoral governors, which are used in decorating the fronts of the palaces. Even the coars-of-arm8 and quarterings over the entrances are plainly cut. The old man takes pleasure in showing visitors a fac-Bimile of the famous Heidelberg tun. It is really 88 feet long and 25 high. Tho little model is 12 inches in length and about 8, inches high. In another purt of the" grounds the sea water is let in by pipes, and forms an artificial lake in which the tide rises and falls. Upon a promontory which juts into the lake stands a model of the beautiful castle of Hohen-Schwangen. Its towers are nearly 10 feet high, and with its cluster of buildings is picturesque and beautiful. Mr. Peteler is a retired confectioner, with millions of dollars, thousands of which he has put into his miniature Heidelberg. St. Louis Republic |