The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-01-27
STRANGELY INTERESTING CAREER.
\ YOUNG AMERICAN NOW PRIvY COUNSEL
LOR or THE KING OF WURTEMBURG
FROM POVERTY TO OPULENCE
AND SOCIAL POSITION.
correspondence Boston Herald.

STUTTG ART, GERMANY, December %, 1881
Many an American boy, while reading
''Grimm's Fairy Tales" or the enchanting
scenes in the arabian Nights" By the fam
lily healthstone on winter evenings, has
wished that some good genie would sudden
" appear, and put him in countless treasures
Of silver and gold would clothe him in robes
of costly silks and velvets, and give him a
beautiful palace to live ina palace glitter
ing with untold wealth, where he would be
the companion of kings and queens and per
sons of great renown. And while reading
and wondering if any such marvellous for
tune could ever befall him, he has little real
lied that the good genie Of the fairy tale
might eventually single him out as one Of
his favorites, and. with its magic wand,
make him possessor of all OF part that his
Imagination had pictured and his heart de-
sired.
Almost like fairy tale reads the expert
ence of Richard NJ. jackson, late Consular
clerk and Vice Consul in the United States
Consulate at Stuttgart, Germany, whose sud
den transition from the dull routine of la
bors in a Consul's Office, to be not only the
privy counsellor, but the fayorite and init
mate companion of the King of Wurtemburg,
has been a nine-days' wonder, and has pro-
baby caused more talk and speculation in
the kingdom of Wurtemburg, and, in fact,
throughout ali Germany. than any event that
has happened for years. That this strange
procedure on the part of the king to select
20 such an important position as that of pri-
w counsellor a young American, an almost
entire stranger, should have created an i'm
mense amount of comment, and engendered
much feeling and jealousy in German So
ciety, was but natural, Tor the position was
of that high order, court minister, that it
was coveted by thousands Of aspiring Ger
mans-Germans high in rank, high in social
position, and Germans with the blue blood
of royalty flowing in their veins Before
proceeding further, a short biographical
sketch of Mr.. Jackson wiz not come amiss
at this point. He is a native Of Steubenviue,
O., and is % years Of age. His father, who
was farmer, was a relative, first or second
cousin, I believe, Of StonewaH jackson
Like most farmers sons, young Jackson
passed his early years on the old homestead.
tiIIing the soil during the summer months.
and in the winter attending the village
school. where, by his close application to HE
studies he became an excellent scholar, and
laid the foundation Of what promised to be a
BRILLIANT AND USEFUL LIFE
in the future. lie Hfterward entered one of
the Ohio universities, and continued his
studies with success for a season, but, hav-
ing a great passion for music, and wishing
to visit Europe, lie left College without grad
uating ana came to Stuttgart, in Germany.
where he entered the Conservatory of AIu-
sic, which has made the Wurtemburg capt
tai so famous. Here ne made rapid progress
as a pianist, and by hard, diiigent study,
soon acquired the German language so as to
/ speak it fiuently and write 1t without hesita-
ton. But the constant prScticing on the
piano eventually resulted in partial par
alysis OF the nerves and cords of the hands
so that he was unwillingly, and to his great
disappointment obliged to abandon his IA
vorite profession which he had planned and
anticipated for the future. Thousands of
miles from his native land, and with limited
/ resources, his situation was anything but
cheering or satisfactory. 1t was at this
/ time Gin July, 1S75,) that Hon. j. 5 Potter.
of Boston, gentleman well known and
( highly esteemed in your city having been
/ appointed by thez president United States
/ consul at Stuttgart, arrived at his post and
/ took charge Of the consulate. On his arrival
/ here ne was not received with a hearty wei
/ come by the Swabians Americans, of
whom there were 400 OF 500 in the city, were
anything but f. vorites with the people, and
/ especially of the royal family. Some young
American students at the conservatory. while
on a "lark'' had snowballed the king the
/ winter previous, in one of the the public
( parks, as if by accident and pretending not
to know the distinguished parsonage whom
/ they were peting without mercy AT an
other time, under cover of darkness of night
I American students bedaubed with white
( paint the beautiful bronze asrensfs sur
rounding the base of the monument in front
of the royal palace, erected in memory of
King William father Of the present king
Not long after this piece OF vandalism, the
king was insulteG on the street by two
/ Americans, one OF whom, on a wager, as it
/ afterwards proved, crossed the street and
requested the permission to light his cigar
from the Havana which the King was smok-
ing-a favor which his majesty granted with
the greatest civility. Several other vexa-
tious incidents occurred, which did not in
! crease the popularity of the American col
ony, or make their presence any more desir-
able in the Wurtemburg capital. This was
but part Of the dark picture in the back
ground, as Mr. Potter found it on his arrival
His predecessor in the consulate, a mulatto
! who represented the United States, having
| recalled by the Government for reason, had
left behind record and reputation of which