The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-22

PRUssIAN PoLITIcs-THE GRAND SUB
sCRIPTIoN BALL-MUsICAL BERLIN.
Special correspondence of the ARGUS.
| BERLIN, Prus., Feb. end. 1889.
You are perhaps aware that the late
message of the Emperor has caused much
excitement here as well as unfavorable
comment elsewhere. The public opinion
here has been that it was one of Bismarck s
measures toward obtaining more complete
control, and last week the Chancellor ap-
peared before the Reichstag and in a fiery
speech denied the reports that he was
shielding himself with the mantle of the En-
peror etc, this did not act as oil to the
troubled waters of political affairs here,
and opposition to Bismarck is increasing
| on the one hand, and stringencies of the
press, on the other. Last Friday night
| the grand Public Subscription Ball took
place at the Opera House and was attended
By some 5000 or more persons, in full dress.
I was fortunate enough to obtain q ticket,
the police having found no defect in my
passport. The hall, formed by the inn
mense stage and raised parquet, was very
large and brilliantly lighted; several foun-
| tains were TO be seen at the end, and
at the other, steps leading up to the royal
balcony; the music was furnished by the
royal orchestra of sixty pieces, and one of
the large military bands. Before eight
o'clock all seats in the four balconies were
filed and but little standing room left in
+I1a &I1o
sang some hymn to the Kaiser while the
royal procession marched down the steps
from the royal balcony and through the
centre Of the hall in the narrow path which
the mass of people with difficulty made for
them; the director of the Royal Theatre
led the way accompanied by the Countess,
Hacke followed by the Emperor William
and Princess Christian of Schleswig Hoi-
stein, sister of the Grown Princess. then
came Prince William and his mother the
Crown Princess followed by the Crown
Prince of Germany and his cousin the Prin-
cess Frederick Charles; then came the
Prince of Meining and his Princess Char
lotte daughser of the Crown Prince, followed
family. The Empress Augusta, who is
seventy years old, did not accompany the
procession but remained seated with
Prince Charles the brother of the Emperor.
She had superb necklace and crown of
diamonds but looked withal very feeble.
The Emperor was in uniform and, although |
eighty five years old next month, marched |
five or six times around the hall, and look /
ed quite well and strong After the royal
family had returned to their seats the dane
ing commenced, but. till one o'clock it was
only with great difficulty, as the crowd was
so great, yet the music was fascinating
and you can imagine waltzing to strauss
music by Thomas orchestra; there were
about eight hundred officers present in
about as many different colored uniforms,
and they all danced. As to refreshments
will say that there is no en- tertainment
given in Berlin, so far as / have seen, but /
be had, from sausage and cheese to pleas
ants and oysters, from litre bowls of white
beer to champagne. As a musical centre
Berlin takes the lead, Cologne Leipzig and
others are now in the rear, the three large
orchest1as of Bilse, Tanke and Laube of
from fortv-five to sixty pieces
each, give concerts every
nigIt in their Incompatible concert halls,
admission sixty pfennigs, or fifteen cents.
Tanke's symphony concerts are simply ex
auisite. and the Wagner concerts, by Bilse,
IRE beyond all description; then there are
he rarer treats given by Joachim, Brahms,
De Alma and Won Bueiow, the superb
operas in the Royal Opera House, and 3
comic opera given every night, and there
Ire in all twenty concert balls, fifteen large
theatres and circus, with entertainments