As
the years passed, my grandparents became parents of thirteen children. Four of
them died in infancy - a common
occurrence in the days of little prenatal care and primitive medical practices.
Fortunately, my grandparents were blessed with good health and the nine children who survived, grew up strong and healthy also. There was much to be done and many hands were needed. Indeed, even the smallest of the children could help in some way to make sure the inn continued to thrive. The gasthof was located in the perfect spot for the employees of the nearby glass factory. In fact, the inn could have been a success even if these workers from the Sudentenland had been its only customers. My father writes about the glassmaking practices in those early factories: |
"The nature of glassmaking is an unbroken process and as long as there is fluid glass in the ovens, it has to be blown. There were four ovens in the plant, with two shifts. Since the work had to be done under great heat, the lost perspiration had to be immediately replaced with new liquid. Beer was the best replacement; the Sudetenland glassmakers would rather have died than drink water! Those who carried the precious liquid in liter steins were underway day and night; so there always had to be servants around to serve them beer and wurst. It was a day and night business for both." * |
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