The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-05
THEY ATE,


THBY ATE,
and they ate-ye gods, how they ate They dived
over each others shoulders and under each others
arms. They bore or topping pyramids OF plates
and sat on the borders of fountains and in shady
hooks and devoured their contents. They drank
beer and Austrian wine steadily from eight till
eleven, when the pop of the first champagne cork
was heard, and then they surged down upon the
bufYets like wolves on the fold, and the cry OF
.'Chanapagnerln "C71n.pQgnerr' was heard from
5000 throats.
In the Kur Salon. which is large and beautifully
decorated hall, there is an orchestra, led by
Johann Strauss, the iustriOus composer, good
looking, dark-haired man Of about thirty, an i'm
mense favorite with the Viennese public. His man.
OF conducting his band is simply perfect, and In
dance music he beats time with his foot in the most
animated manner, as though he could scarcely re-
strain himself from dashing or into the dance.
This night the band played several special 1avor-
ites among them "Wein, Webb und Gesang,"
and "wlener Bluth," new and very popular
waltz; but when they struck up IAN den sch0nen
blauen DOnau"
THE ENTHUsIASM OF THE CROWD
could no longer be repressed. stout, bald,
elderly gentleman in spectacles seized a naxen'
haired girl round the waist. and In an instant the
room was filed with waltzng couples. The Jete
was kept up with great spirit till midnight and
then only broke up to be reformed in smaller knots
and coteries 1t must have been well into the
small hours Of the morning before the Britannia
Hotel, which may be looked upon as the American
headquarters, could be considered quiet.
On Monday, the 18th, was to take place the dis-
tribution Of the prizes about which so much had
been said and OF which so much was expected.
People remembered the
GRAND DISTRIBUTION DIES PSIx
in Paris, In the year 1867 and the superb pageant
surrounding 1t, and looked for something Of the
same kind. All the glores Of the first day were,
we understand, to be renewed and improved upon.
all the foreign princes were to come back, all the
native Hoheits and Durchlauchts were to be there
again in fullest force. The ceremony was to be
held under the dome of the Exhibition building in
that rotuuda which has no equal in the world.
and over 1t the Emperor was to preside.
Helas! helds! phomme propose mats Dteu dis
posei The Emperor would not come back from
Ischl, the exhibitors who mad choked up the mag
nifcent rotunda refused to move their trumpery,
the foreign princes were spread all over the lace
Of the EARTH the Hoheits and Durchlauchts were
away at various watering places, and the grand
ceremonial dwinded away, and shrunk to most
miserable proportions. 1t was held in the Winter
Riding School attached to the Imperial Palace, q
poor barn of place, which had been noored over
and tawdrily decorated for the occasion. There
were two galleries filed with ladies, who seemed
suffering awfully, for the windows were all closed
and tue heat was intense, while the body OF the
hall was packed with some 5000 swelterlng men.
few ofwhom were IN uniform or court dress, but
the majority In black swallowtail and white
choker. One OF the first arrivals was
Mr.. Garretson, the United States Chief COM
missioner here, who Is immensely popular.
Austrians and the English, and who has done his
best to remove whatever unpleasantness attached
to the recollection OF the proceedings OF the nrst
commission. Precisely at one O'Clock the Archduke
Charles Louis entered, accompanied by his two
brothers. the Archdukes Albrecht and Leopold.
(Of the latter good story is told HE was for
merly field marshal, but made some serious blum
ders in the war Of 1866, so was deprived Of his
command and, as compensation made Lord High
Admiral. The first time he went on board his ship
he rebuked the captain, who was sitting in the
stern sheets Of the boat taking him ashore for in
teriering with the rowing Of the men, and desired
him to leave that thing" alone. The captain was
steering, and "that thing" was the rudder.) They
took up their positions dais at the end OF the
hall in front of a few velvet chairs and old Gen.
era Won Rainier read them an opening address.
To this the Archduke Charles Louis replied, an
nouncing himself as the Emperors substitute, and
calling on Baron Schwartz to read the list of prize
winners This dreary proceeding occupied nearly
half an hour during which many OF the people
left. At It's conclusion Herr Leuchtenburg,
prominent citizen, returned thanks on the ex-
hibitors' behalf, thee band played the volks hymn
and the ceremony was at an end.
And So once more adieu to Vienna Once again
do intend in the HERALD's service, to visit her,
at the end OF October, when e jeu est jdn ct 'ten
ne pa plus when the big bazaar puts up Its shut
tiers and Its denizens dispense to the furthermost
parts OF the earth, whence they came.
EDMUND YATES.