Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1873-07-17
Helena, Montana, Thursday, July II, 1873.
The Emperor of Austria's Stables.

| c. e. F. in The Baltimore American.
Having procured tickets of admission we
proceeded this morning to the Royal Stables,
and were astounded at their dimensions.
stated in a former letter that these buildings
covered ground about four times as large as
Franklin square. We found upon entering
them that eight times the space of Franklin
square would be nearer the correct figure
The number of blooded horses in the stalls
is four hundred, and they are all, with few
exceptions: English horses. Here were the
Emperors horses, and the Emperors riding
and hunting horses. the Empress ponies, the
Prince Imperials riding and carriage horses
and ponies; white horses to the number of
over one hundred for the royal carriages On
State occasions; over hundred brown and
sorrel horses for light carriages, about fifty
coal black horses for funerals and when the
royal family is in mourning and about twenty
mules, including several pet mules belonging
to the Queen. The number of royal coach
men is seventy, postilions forty, and two
hundred grOOms for the horses, with about
fifty stable boys and laborers. Emperor and
Empress are both passionateIy fond of horses
and can ''lalk horse" with the best jockeys
i'll the land. 1t is evident that they do not
intend this to be regarded as zone horse
country There is a hospital for horses,
with professor and students, and a large
horse apothecary shop among the buildings.
We were next taken into the carriage loft,
and here were two hundred carriages, about
one-third of which were immense and pom
derous vehicles. covered all over with gilt,
some of them especially for grand State oc-
casions, and others for daily use, all as bright
and beautiful as if just from the factory.
There was also the grand gilt chariot, built
for Maria Theresa, the panels of which were
painted by Reubens. Then there were the
gilded sleighs and the smaller chariot of the
sainted Maria, with a dozen little pony phae-
tons, used in their day by the Emperor and
Empress and a host of other great folks when
they were little boys and girls There was
also in this loft the mourning hearsc upon
which the remains of Maximiian were con-
veyed to the tomb, and the mourning carriage
in which the Emperor. and Empress rode on
that occasion. In another building we were
shown an immense array of gilded harness,
hundreds of sets, all ready for use, with the
suits of livery to be worn by the coachmen
and postillions, with each set of harness.
Then there were a vast number of sets of
harness for funeral and mourning occasions,
light harness. saddles, ETC., innumerable. The
saddle used by Macmillan in Mexico was
also shown us, with other matters pertaining
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We also visited, in large building, the
royal riding school for use in winter, where
the boys and girls of royal blood are taught
to ride on horseback. 1t is an immense hall,
240 feet long by 120 feet in width, with a
canopy box for the Emperor and Empress to
sit and witness the performance. 1t has a
carefully prepared turf floor, and the walls
and ceilings are elegantly ornamented. This
being only for winter use, furnaces are placed
under the floor, with flues for heating it.
The whole establishment is almost as elegant
as the palace, and everything clean and in
fine order. The horses are all kept in broad
stalls, with cushioned sides to them swinging
from a bar. The main building is about as
long as from Forth street to Eutaw, and there
are half dozen immense buildings in the
rear. Carriages with the royal coachmen and
posUllions can be seen flying about the city
at all hours, and the Emperor and Empress,
and the father of the Emperor appear almost
every day either on the streets or at the
Pratcr.