Huntsville gazette., 1884-11-01
THE KING OF ITALY.

archs-POpularlty Of King Aumberl
He Commands Both the Respect
and Affections Of His SUbjects-A
Gracious Queen.
The doings Of two monarchs are
brought into startling contrast just at
present The Emperor of Russia is WIS.,
itingsat different points in his realm,
and his approach brings as much terror
to the unfortunate inhabitants as would
the coming of the cholera. At one
point one thousand people were impris-
Oned, while all were put under what
was practically termed military law.
The executioner travels in the Emper-
or's wake. AS Richelieu says, "Be-
hind thee stalks the headsman." How
long would the people of the United
States stand such ruler? They would
hardly 20 to the trouble of making a
! glass bomb, if a good stout tree branch
and suitable rope were available. If
the cowardly Russian gets blown up, it
will be largely his own doing. The iron
hand, without even tie velvet glove
over it. is his method.
The King of Italy at the present mo-
ment is in the thick of the cholera in
tested region of Naples. Wherever he
goes crowds follow him, and he is to-
day the most popular man in Italy. 1t
is astonishing that kings are SO slow to
learn that the surest protection they
can have is to take away the desire that
anybody has to shoot them. Nobody
wants to shoot King Humbert, and he
is safe unguarded in any part of his
kingdom. On the other hand there
must be thousands of victims of En-
peror Alexander who would be only too
glad to have shy at him.
have no desire to seize on this occa-
sion to ventilate the fact that have
frequently met Kings. A newspaper
man Is thrown into all sorts of COM
pany. ] never had the pleasure of
dining with any of the European mon
archs,. probably because they didn't
know was in town then, or perhaps
their cooks had day off at the time l
was in the capital. Still l had once a
very good view of King Humbert, and
the party was with had the pleasure
of seeing his Majesty make them very
low bow-and it isn't every day King
takes off his hat to you. .~fs
Mr.. Whitney and family. of Bryn
Mawr, Pa, were seeing Rome under the
guidance of their guide, philosopher and
friend, Rev. DR.. Van Meter, who for
many years had been establishing free
schools in Italy and doing good gener-
ally. This reverend gentleman had
presented very fine American copy of
the Bible to King Humbert, and had
also given a nickel-plated plow, made
in Illinois, to Prince Torlonia, under
the hope that it would do something to
improve the agricultural methods of
Italy. The Prince, besides being the
richest man in Italy and the most devout
Catholic, owning in his own name a
dozen splendid churches in Rome, is the
most extensive farmer in the Kingdom,
and he thinks much Of his handsome
American plow. But of this more some
other time. My business to-day is with
the King, not with the Prince. AS the
carriage drew up in front of the hotel,
which is diagonally opposite the Bar
berins Palace, and before any of us got
out, the coachman pointed up the hill
that passes the Barberina Palace, and
said: ..De King, he come" Then he
made the same remark in Italian,
which was generally better understood
than his Eng gIish. ol
:. Down the steep cobble-stone hill
came four coal black horses. They
i were the most fiery animals ever saw,
and most of the time couple of them
were on their hind feet, paving the air
with their front legs The vehicle was
= wagon with high seats and of very
strong workmanship, but highly finished
and polished. The King was the driver,
and he sat on a seat that was slightly
above those occupied by his three COM
panions. His sturdy legs we're firmly
braced against the bottom of the strong
dashboard, and he held those four wild
horses with his left hand, while with his
right be frequently raised his hat to his
cheering subjects. Anyman who could
mapage with such ease, by one hand,
four such horses, that were evidently
mad for runaway, had no little nerve
and muscle. The King was dressed in
dark suit that differed in no particular
from the costume of any other well
5 dressed gentleman. The hat he raised
was an ordinary $2.50 plug, and when
he took it off he showed bullet head as
closely cropped as if he had just got out
of State Prison. Each particular
hair'a-what there was of it-'.stocd on
end like quills of the fretful porcupine. "
His face was one Of great firmness, and
there was little in its lines to show that
he would risk. his life freely for his
felIow-men in the slums of Naples-the
.yilest spot on earth, as far as my
observation goes. His huge mustache,
which swept from each side of his face
like the wings Of bird, gave a fierce
military air to his appearance. He
seemed to me q man who would stand
no nonsense, and would relentlessly have
his own way about everything. We
were all standing up in the carriage as
the horses came prancing past and the
ladies enthusiastically waved their
handkerchiefs, while we men folks took
es-a hnk