The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-09-24
From Our Regular Correspondent

! Oep'' ~, 'SSi'
Few, indeed, are those who can boast of hav
Ing seen King LOUIS Of Bavaria in one Of his
summer retreats, and it is only by combining
various accounts and rumOrs with the result,
of short ocular glimpse at the Lndenhot
that am able to sketch out family for your
readers some of the wonders of that iairy AL.
pine nook, without, however, vouching abso.
lutely for the correctness Of all details.
The ODER .Ammergau is known to many of
your readers, but few may have felt tempted
to follow the river Ammcr three miles further
up and to enter the broad and green Graswaag-
thai, which, rising gradually, stretches of III
south westerly direction towards the noun.
tain peaks of the Tyrol. And yet this portion
of the Bavarlan highlands cOnceals strange
things, and an account of the Lindenhof
sounds as an echo from the Arabian Nights
There stands palace an imitation Of the one
at Versailles, Gigantic caryatides supportthe
projecting part of the edifce. Gilt balconies
and inches rich with marble statues enlven
It's front, and allegorical figures Of all kinds,
the seasOns the four parts OF the world, yea
Louis Quatorzc himself, are distributed IN the
trance Is copied from the beautiful porch of
the Cathedral at Rheims. The interior of the
chateau is furnished from Paris, In the gor-
geous STYLE of the Rcnaissance. Costly Gobe-
Inns deck the walls, numberless agates orna-
ment the stoves, embrOiderles Of rare and ex-
pensive kind meet the eye everywhere and the
bed IN which the King sleeps Is of so mag
niticent a construction, the gold embroidery
on the red velvet curtains SO elaborate, that
1915 900 are said TO have been spent on this
article of furniture alone.
But all this splendor SINKS into insigniti.
canoe before the marvels IN tho park. Mem
cries OF ancient Greece rise up before US as we
behold on the hillside temple OF Venus, and
in 1t beautiful statue of the goddess, in the
purest marble of Carrara. Behind it tunnel
of great extent leads US into the bowels OF the
mountain. Here all the waters descending
from the klammspitz and the Heanenkopf
have been caught up and gathered INTO an ar.
tIfcial subterranean lake, already the subject
Of legendary lore. The cavern is coated on
the inside with tufaceous limestone, and is
known by the name of the Blue Grotto owing
to the blue resplendence Of the water in it in
former days. But now the resemblance of
Capri and It's cave has vanished. The Royal
ty inhabiting this fairy palace causes the cave
to be lit up by day and by night with artifi.
cial flames, protected by globes or plates OF
gilt glass, and thus 1t is on waves of liquid
gold that glides along the swan-shaped gon.
dola and Its solitary occupant, girt may be
with Lohengrina armVg. An ingenlls con
trivance, driven by steam, agltates the waters
OF this still cave. and produces the semblance
of the effects Of u breeze. No human eye be.
ing allowed to gaze on this strange boating ex-
ercise, the life of the Royal hermit was in no
engine created veritable storm, and the
barque was capslzed. 1t has been limited
that the artificial moon which casts its light
on the Royal slumberer IN his palace in Mu.
nich has chance of being transported hi,her
to grace these subterrancan scenes. The cave
is heated the whole year round in order that
the Royal owner may, even on sudden and
unexpected VISIT find the temperature to his
taste. The lake serves TO feed numerous foun-
tains irrigating and decorating the park, and
surrounded by brilliant 1ower.beds. The
chilly atmosphere not being propiuous for
training flowers, they are reared in nursery
gardens tar away in the plains and mysteri-
ousy planted before day break by the hands of
gardeners, who withdraw during day time in
order not to break the spell of the all pervad-
ing silence. A flight of 200 marble steps,
fringed with beautiful flowers, takes US down
the hill to the famous old linden tree, which
has gwen Its name to the place. We observe
a fountain sending up jets of water to unusual
heights, and, finally, we come once mole upon
the fine bronze hons holding watch near the
gate. Rocky peaks and mountain wilds sur
round the park, and prohibit profane eyes
from partaking in pleasure unique in the iull-
est sense of the word Two spots to the south
of the palace still require mention. Below
the Drc!thorspIiz mountain, on a solitary AL
pine meadow inaccessible to tourists, untrCd
den 10y any common mortal, a hut has been
built. M described Nv R'chard Wagner in hls
opera "Walkure," u true "Hundngshuttee" of
trunks, branches aud bark. Above il lies
hermitasc 5c s!miar construction, aud in front
OF II n tiny lake, sides and bottom laid out with
tin. to prevent the waters from escaping
;.r1cah - 4. Iors soil. So lpueb Is the spot
that the chamois comes there TO drink Less
simple IN style Is a Moorish pavilion, sur
named Morocco, standing IN the mids, Of dark
frs, but respleBdent with RolG and Jewelry.
The most precious ornament il contains Is a
large peacock, rich IN emeralds and ,urquois-
Is, suspended from the midst of the ceiling,
and lit up 10y magnificent chandeliers, the
! light OF whicn u thrown back from innum-
merable mirrors lining the octagon on all