The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-08-04 00:00:00

THE GERMAN EMPEROR AT GASTEIN.
The Berlin Correspondent of the Daily News
writes :

it is just twenty years since the German Emperor,
then only King of Prussia, paid his first visit to Gastein,
and since then he has been an annual visitor to the
Tyrolese watering-place, with the sole exceptions of
the summers of 1866 and 1870, when the sudden out-
break of the wars against Austria and France called
him to less peaceful occupations. Daring his present
stay at Gastein, which as usual lasts three weeks, his
Majesty with his suite and attendants occupies alto-
gether 54 apartments, at a total rent of 4,500 florins for
the 21 days (g 420 The aged monarch rises regularly
at half-past seven, and enters the bath-room, where
he remains half an hour, then takes breakfast, rests a
little, and dresses. At ten o'clock he takes his
regular daily walk on the Kaiser promenade, accom•
panied by his personal adjutant and attendant, and
retnrns to the Badeschloss at eleven, where he rests
half an hour, and then takes lunch, at which his
favourite dish, boiled crabs, appears on the table every
day. From twelve to three the Kaiser devotes him-
self entirely to the affairs of the Empire. During
these three hours all the members of his military
and civil cabinet who accompany him on his
travels have to be present in the Badeschloss, subject
to the Emperor's dispositions. He receives the regular
reports from Lieutenant-General von Albedyll, chief
of the military chancery (sometimes called the " Vice-
Emperor "), through whose hands every change, air.
pointment. and promotion in the army pa,ses, from
Herr von Wilmowske council of the civil cabinet, Herr
von Billow, representing the Foreign Office, Count
Wedel, the military representative at Vienna, and the
otber officers and officials of the different departments.
After completing all current affairs of state by three
o'clock, the Emperor rests half as hour and then changes
his dress for dinner, which begins punctually at four,
and at which all the members of the Imperial suite
attend. Prominent personages present in Gastein also
receive special invitations, and there are seldom lese
than ten, but never more than fifteen persons seated at
the Emperor's table. The daily menu consists of the
folloviing eight courses : soup, fish, boiled beef, two
entries, roast, pudding, desert and fruit. This dinner
is furnished by the hotel proprietor, who receives 12
florins per cover (225. 6d,), while the wine is taken
from the Imperial cellars. After one hour at table all
retire to the smoking room for another half hour's con-
versation with coffee and cigars. At six the Emperor
takes his carriage-drive, usually to the English coffee-
house or through the charming Bockstein Valley, re-
turning by seven, when he attends to any later and
pressing affairs. Every evening between eight and
half-past his Majesty proceeds to the " Solitude " of
Countess Lehndorff, wife of his adjutant-general,
where he passes the evening, and meets the German
and Austrian nobility present in Gastein. There are
music, recitations, and occasionally a short comedy.
At ten o'clock regularly the Emperor returns to the
Schloss and retires to bed. According to a statement
by his physician in ordinary, Dr. von Lauer, his Ma-
jesty's .tate of health is at present "as good as, or
better than, for many years past."