Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-11-24
The Prussian Kings Tall Beauties.

During his fathers life time, Frederick
William J of Prussia, had commenced the
formation of u regiment of tall recruits,
which he had been obliged to keep scdu-
lousy concealed from the pateinal eve.
exercising them privately at Mittenwalde.
and q ing orders that if the king should
pay one of his infrequent visits to that
place, they should instantly conceal them
selves, and remain till his departure. On
Frederick William accession he had felt
deeply grieved and astonished that the
citizens of Berlin should refuse to receive
his pet giants into quarters among them
The great elector had built q house and
laid out gardens in the Dutch style at
Potsdam these gardens his grandson
turned into parade grounds, and here he
established his "blue children" as they
we're called, on account of the color Of
their uniform. Belefeld gives a descrip.
ion Of this regiment Of giants. "Natur', -
he says, who has been lavish to them in
one respect, has been but niggardly step
dame in Others. They had ethics ugly
faces crooked legs, or some other defect. -
However, Frederi k William lavished
enormous sums upon them some Of the
peculiar giants has as much rs two form
per day, and were allowed to carry on 4
trade besides No sum was considered,
by the usually pdrsimonious king, too
large to be poid for a huge grenadier, and
those potentates who wished 10 he on a
friendly footing with the king of Prussia,
had nothing to do but to search their do
minions for the tallest specimen of human
ity contained in them.
A present of recruit of six feet might
be surely counted on to secure Frederick
Williams friendship; of six feet two. his
warmest alliance and so on with proper
tion. The tallest and finest of these gren-
adiers was an Irishman, by name James
Kirkland, whose procural and transmits
sion from his native bOgs to the parade
ground at Potsdam had cost frederick
William upwards of twelve hundred
pounds sterling But no one whose stat
ure bad attained more than ordinary
growth was safe from the hands of is
Majesty's recruiters. At one time young
man by name Schindorf, who had been
prosecuting the study of law for
five years, at Halle, disappeared sudden,
ly; he was avery tall man the dreaded
! tGl ulllllR w uEtll luNl bttI seen III luc
neghborhood the combination was easy,
the deduction certain. The college sent
up remonstrance, March 10, 1881, upon
this Interpretation of mind to the mere
purposes of matter. The kings answer
was very quickly given in his usual con-
else style: "Shall not reason That is
my subject" His passion for tall soldiers
led him to wish to recruit his great reg
iment without trouble. One day in the
of Potsdam, meeting a very
tall and well made village girl. he asked
her to take note which he wrote upon
the spot, to the captain of his regiment
Either suspecting something, or being in
hurry, the girl gave the note to little old
whom she fell in with, and charg
ed her to deliver it as directed This note
an order to the captain to have
the bearer instantly married to the tallest
nan in the regiment, whose name was
specified. On being acquainted with his
fate and introduced to his bride, the poor
Young fellow was in despair. He begged
and entreated, tell on his knees and wcpt. |
but all to no purpose: the kings will was
law, and the matrimonial moose was tied. !
However, the king, on hearing OF the cX-
change OF brides that had been made, al
owed the marriage 10 be Dissolved. ME- |
noirS Of tie Queens Of Prussia.