The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-09-27 00:00:00

PRINCE BISMARCK'S DOG.

"My dog! Where is my dog ?" were (sap the Daily
Telegraph's Vienna Correspondent) Prince Biswarck's
first words on alighting on the platform of the West-
bahn Railway Station on Sunday night, and, sure
enough, there he was, the sleek quadruped who so
seriously imperilled the precious existence of Prince
Gortschakoff during the Congress. With a bound,
Sultan, who had travelled second-class, was at his
master's side, covering him with boisterous manifesta-
tions of canine affection, and not taking the slightest
notice of Count Andrassy and Prince Reuss, who
kept at a respectable distance until Sultan had .satis-
fied him.elf that the Prince was none the worse for
hisjourney. The meeting between Count Andress), and
his illustrious guest was a cordial one, and arm-in-arm
they walked to the Court carriage, a private carriage
of the Emperor's, that was waiting to take Prince
Bismarck to the hotel where he is staying. Hardly
were the two statesmen seated and ready to
start ere down went the window on the near side,
and a stentorian voice called out, "Mein hued 1 Wo
iat mein hund ? " If anything had befallen that
blessed dog while Prince Bismarck's attention was
momentarily turned in another direction, it is my firm
belief that it would have been all up with the Andra-
German alliance, and the incensed Chancellor would
have taken the next train back to Berlin. Sultan is,
however, an experienced traveller, and has a vary good
notion of how to take care of himself. In a twinkling
he was at the carriage door, and, assisted by two
Court flunkeys, he sedately took his seat on the rug at
the feet of the two gentlemen inside. Judge of the
stupefaction of the crowd assembled outside the Hotel
Imperial on seeing the four-legged occupant of the
Court brougham leap out with a bark, and, contrary
to all etiquette, greet the nearest bystanders in a most
unpleasantly demonstrative style. I never saw such a
ridiculous sight in my life. People fled in all direc-
tions, for Sultan has a bad reputation. He nearly
upset the Congress by an unjustifiable attack upon
the Russian Plenipotentiary, and since then he
has maimed one of the Berlin Foreign Office
officials for life, because he sat down on the
chair usually occupied by Prince Bismarck. The
worst of it is that he is not the genuine
historical favourite of the Chancellor, but only
a spurious favourite. Sultan the original Sultan
I learn was poisoned a couple of years ago,
and nothing can shake Prince Bismarck's conviction
that it was two Social Democrats who did it. This is
no banter of mine, but a well authenticated fact
known to every Berliner. It is, doubtless, to pre-
serve Sultan ii. from a similar fate that six Berlin
detectives arrived here last night, and, together with
the police of Vienna, have taken unwonted measures
of precaution in the neighbourhood of the Hotel Im-
perial, They were certainly not wanted, for the
safety of Prince Bismark, who runs no risk whatever.
He has, on the contrary, met with an unexpectedly
friendly welcome from the people, who, wherever
they got a glimpse of the Prince, cheered him voci-
ferously. They bowed respectfully to the Princess,
who drove from the station in an open carriage, ac-
companied by Prince Reuss. Prince Bismarck's hat
made quite a sensation. It is a soft felt wide-awake,
with a formidable brim, unique of its kind. If ever
that hat finds its way to London, inquiries are sure to
be made for the name of its maker.