Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-12-10

AsAO' CetS - "A OAOAt LlHIC bAHOC, 40
am informed by = private letter from
Paris, a number Of literary Behemians
were assembled at Jacques Offen-
bach's cosy little sitting room in the
French capital talking sprightly Of
everything in general and nothing in
particular. Gradually the conversa-
ton drifted into a sort of argument
to the effect that the most popular
incidents travestied on the comic
stage we're really based on some ac-
tual occurrence in life. This was
doubted by some, and one Of those
introduced the character of Fritz in
the "Grand Duchess" as SO ridiculous
and absurd, especially his being run
through al grades of military pro
motion to the highest in Eve minutes,
that anything remotely like it conld
never have really happened. Offen-
bach smiled at this assertion and cut
the debate short by saying that the
incident was taken from actual life.
This was a stunner to the company,
who all asked for the proof, which
Oftenbach at one gave by telling the
following story:
"Years ago." he said, he was ex-
amining the treasures in an antiquar-
ian's store in London, when work
attracted his attention, bearing title
like the following: "The Life, Habits
and Manners OF Peter the Great,
Gar Of All the Russias, with Many
Truthful Anecdotes Never before
Printed.n This book, ne said, was
published in London about the mid
die Of the last century ana was now
, very rare. He bought it, and IN it
was told the very incident after
which the affair Of "Gen." Fritz in
the "Grand Duchess" was patterned.
One day, so runs the anecdOte, q
young recruit was standing guard
before the door of the entrance to
Peters private chambers in the pal
ace at st. Petersburg. He had re-
ceived orders to admit no one. As
hc-was slowly passing up and down
before the door Prince Mentchikof,
the favorite Minister of the Gar, ap-
preached, attempting to enter. He
was stopped by the recruit. The
Prince, who had the fullest liberty of
calling upon his master at any time,
sought to push the guard aside and
pass him, yet the young man would
not move, but ordered His Highness
to stand back.
"You foolw shouted the Prince,
"don't you know me?"
The recruit smiled, and said, "Very
we'll, your Highness; bit my orders
are peremptory to let nobody pass"
The Prince, exasperated at the low
fellows impudence, struck him a
blow in the face with his riding
whip.
"Strike away, your Highness," said
the soldier, ''but I cannot let you go
in."
Peter, in his room, hearing the
noise outside, opened the door and
inquired what it meant, and the
Prince told him. The Gar was
amused, but said nothing at the time.
In the evening, however, he sent for
the Prince and the soldier. AS they
both appeared Peter gave his own
cane to the soldier, saying:
"That man struck you in the morn
ing, now you must return the blow
to that fellow with my stick"
The Prince was amazed.
"Your Majesty" he said, "this
common soldier is to strike me?"
"Imake him a Captain" said Peter.
"But l am an officer of your
Majesty's household" objected the
Prince.
81 make him Colonel Of my Life
Guards and an officer of my house
hold" said Peter, again.
"My rank, your Majesty knows, is
that of General again protested
Mentchikoff.
"Then I make him General, SO
that the beating you get may come
from man Of your rank"
The Prince got a sound thrashing
in the presence of the Gar; the re-
cruit was the next day commissioned
a General, with the title of Count
Oromizotf, and was the founder of a
powerful family, whose descendants
are high IN the imperial service of
Russia.
This recruit" said Offenbach, sis
the original of my Gen. Fritz