his army of
rescuing Poles arrived and were consolidated with the Austrians on the
summit of Mount Kahlenberg. It was one of the most dramatic moments in
history. The fate of Christian Europe hung in the balance. Everything
seemed to point to the triumph of the crescent over the cross. Once
again Kolschitzky crossed the Danube, and brought back word concerning
the signals that the prince of Lorraine and King John would give from
Mount Kahlenberg to indicate the beginning of the attack. Count
Starhemberg was to make a sortie at the same time.

[Illustration: FRANZ GEORGE KOLSCHITZKY, PATRON SAINT OF VIENNA COFFEE
LOVERS]

The battle took place September 12, and thanks to the magnificent
generalship of King John, the Turks were routed. The Poles here rendered
a never-to-be-forgotten service to all Christendom. The Turkish invaders
fled, leaving 25,000 tents, 10,000 oxen, 5,000 camels, 100,000 bushels
of grain, a great quantity of gold, and many sacks filled with
coffee--at that time unknown in Vienna. The booty was distributed; but
no one wanted the coffee. They did not know what to do with it; that is,
no one except Kolschitzky. He said, "If nobody wants those sacks, I will
take them", and every one was heartily glad to be rid of the strange
beans. But Kolschitzky knew what he was about, and he soon taught the
Viennese the art of preparing coffee. Later, he established the first
public booth where Turkish coffee was served in Vienna.

This, then, is the story of how coffee was introduced into Vienna, where
was developed that typical Vienna cafe which has become a model for a
large part of the world. Kolschitzky is honored in Vienna as the patron
saint of coffee houses. His followers, united in the guild of coffee
makers (_kaffee-sieder_), even erected a statue in his honor. It still
stands as part of the facade of a house where the Kolschitzygasse merges
into the Favoritengasse, as shown in the accompanying picture.

Vienna is sometimes referred to as the "mother of cafes". Cafe Sacher is
world-renowned. Tart a la Sacher is to be found in every cook-book. The
Viennese have their "_jause_" every afternoon. When one drinks coffee at
a Vienna cafe one generally has a _kipfel_ with it. This is a
crescent-shaped roll--baked for the first time in the eventful year
1683, when the Turks besieged the city. A baker made these crescent
rolls in a spirit of defiance of the Turk. Holding sword in one hand and
_kipfel_ in the oth