The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-05-24
Kaiser Wilhelm.

Were not the Emperor of Germany of
the most remarkable robust constitution
he certainly would have been feted to
death long ago. Seventy years of service
in the army and the eightieth or eighty
first birthday, "a one chooses to count 1t,
have given occasions for festivals so rap
idly succeeding each other, it is not to
be wondered at that the gray-haired mon
arch feared himself he would not live
through it.
The 22d of March brought him an ova-
ton such as Berlin has never seen before,
and not Berlin alone, but every city and
town in the empire strove to surpass the
other in doing honor to the day. AT
8 O'Clock in the evening immense bon
fires were built in all the mountains, and
the heavens were all aglow with the ra-
dance The festivities commenced the
evening before with a concert in the palace
to which 1000 invitations were issued.
Each train brought princely guests from
every province in Germany and Embas
sailors from all the courts of Europe, so
that the streets were fairly alive with coro-
nets and all the insignia of royalty.
ARRIVAL OF THE GUESTS.
At s o'clock on the morning Of the ED
a choral was played by the trumpets of
the different bands from the tower'of the
old castle At 10 o'clock the open space
before the palace was filed by the filing
in of one after the other of the magnifi-
cent gala carriages with their handsomely
appareled horses, forming a cava!cade,
the grandeur of which is utterly indie
scribable. Row after row as far as the
eve could reach of carriages with silver
and gold coronets, footmen, coachmen
and adjutants in silver striped livery, the
inwoven black eagle alone making it en-
durable to the eye. The green or white
plume of the adjutants floating in the
breeze, the champing of the horses in
their glittering harness and deckings Of
plated scarlet and crimson cords, the
handsomely dressed Princesses, and the
gay uniforms of the soldier Princes, made
it all look like the story of Cinderella.
Most OF the carriages had but two or four
horses, but Princess Frederick Karl,
with her guest, the Queen of Saxony,
drove up with six dark brown bays that
fairly danced along as though the earth
were not good enough for them and the
beautiful burden which they bore. The
ladies all carried magnificent bouquets,
and the windows of the palace were soon
filled with the most exquisite flowers.
Each hour brought its different set of
guests, diplomates, officers, professors,
the lower class of nobility, up to 3 O'Clock.
The Emperor shook hands and exchanged
some words with each one of his guests,
a.lI he In ~
American oratory, she still lives
FAIRY GARDEN.
The grand equestrian statue of Fred
erick the Great, directly in front of the
palace, was, during the night, converted
into a fairy garden by the superintendent
of the Thiergarten. At each corner stood
immense laurel trees, and the entire ped
estal and figure, up to the three-cornered
hat of the old hero, were terraced with
flowers that filled the air with their per-
fume When the Emperor took his &C
customed stand at the window, instead
of the solid bronze figure of his noble an
cestor he was astonished to see a pyra-
mid of beautiful flowers, the fragrance of
which hoated 10 at his open window. TIE
Deums were sung in all thechurches, and
1T the same hour salute of 101 guns
was fired in the koenigplatz. The
same number of guns are always
fred at the birth of prince to
the royal house. / asked an officer once
why 100 did not suffice, or why the odd
one was added. He answered with a
significant toss of the head, "Oh, 100
are fred for Processes; the extra one is
added for Prince" To which could
not resist maliciousIy replying, II think
you misstate the matter; one is fired for
q Princess, and the extra 100 is for q
Prince"
The illumination in the evening was
exceedingly brilliant. The Emperor's
palace and that of Prince Karl were the
only buildings in the heart of the city
that were not lighted. The public build
ings were really miracles of gas flames
and electric lights. Thedome Of the OBJ
servatory represented the heavens, with
the stars and planets In brilliant ruby in
As Prince Hohenlohe- Langenburg, Wee
President OF the Reichstag, entered with the