Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-06-23

The suicidal death of King Louis l., by
drowning himself in Lake Staberg, was
after all, no more tragic than his life has
been for years. 1t was strange ending for
a King and yet no more strange than his
whole career has been.
Too eccentric to be conscious that his
wild whims and caprices were abnormal,
the shock which followed his deposition
from the throne perhaps had partially re-
stored his mental balance, and overwhelm-
ed by humiliation he killed himself.
King Louis /, popularity known as the
Emusic mad monarch Of BAVARIA" was born
in 1915, and succeeded to the throne in 1864.
He was man of genius, of romantic nature,
and an artist, with rather capricious opin-
ions concerning political questions. King
Louis was an example of the type of virile
ideal beauty thought Of in connection with
the heroes of the "Nibelungen," justifying
his appellatiOn of the "Knight of theSilVer
Swan" Tall, with magnificent auburn hair
and mustache, with soft deep blue eyes, his
embonpoint, which only began to show four
years ago, added to his majesty, and to his
stature, and made him look the wished-for
champion of outraged innocence. Louis
lived in deep secluson in his magnificent
palaces, spending the greater part of his
time on music and painting. The descrip-
tion of the lakes which many of his palace
grounds contain, with their consolidated
boats drawn by living swans, in which the
king reposed, may be below or far surprising
the reality. Very few have ever seen them,
one was the actress who created the role OF
"I'seult." The king was SO charmed with
her singing that he invited her to ride in
one of his boats and repeat her great aria.
Becoming too enthusiastic, she was about to
fling herself into the royal arms, but their
owner merely chucked her into the lake and
left her to get out as best she could. 1t
should be added that the diva was Of dark
complexion and anything but comely. In
1867, while he was visiting Paris and the
Exposition, he became passionately enamor-
ed of the Empress Eugene. In accompa-
nying him to the station, upon his depart
ure, the Empress embraced him, it is said,
and since then he has never allowed the lips
of another woman to brush his face.
On account Of his passion for music the
composer Richard Wagner, gained con-
siderable influence over him in the first
years of his reign. The people however
rose against the composer and Louis was
compelled to send him from court. He
sometimes arranged great theatrical per-
fOrmances, at an immense expense, at which
he was the sole spectator. Notwithstand-
ing the whimsical nature and spend thrifty
habits of the King, in the internal Bavari-
an politics he showed himself equal to
all occasions, looking through the plans of
the various parties and trusting none of
them. In the affairs of Germany he also
played an important part, giving substan-
tial aid to Prussia in the late war with
France. After the war he visited Paris
and Versailles in order to study their works
of art. Another popularity ofLouis was his
enthusiasm for Louis XIV. He initiated
that monarch studiously and required SINH
lar worship from his courtiers. Louis new
er visited theart studios with which Munich
swarms, which his predecessor made hab-
it of doing. He disliked all festivities and
was indeed "Roi Soleil." lie was unmar-
ried.