The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-06-24

Richard Wagner, whom Ludwig
idolized. The first stage perform
ance that the crazy king ever wit
messed was Wagner's "Lohengrin."
He was infatuated with it, and at
once became most liberal patron of
the composer and for fifteen months
he required the creator Of the new
school to reside at Munich, and only
allowed him to depart when forced
to do so by his ministers. The young
kings patronage was not withdrawn
when Wagner was forced to 60 else
where, for Ludwig's bounty not only
made the musician wealthy, but en-
abled Kim TO produce his works at
Bayreath in most lavish and ex.
pensive manner. This connection
with the great musician first. drew
attention to eccentricities Of the
handsome Bavarian king. King
Ludwig was a liberal patron of
both the music and the drama, but
"by All-Highest commanS" all the
performances he witnessed were
witnessed by him alone, and from
his royal box he enjoyed the per-
Torrance, though no one on the
stage could see him. His favorite
play was Schiller's "Maid of Or
leans" and for it's production he
had special scenery painted from his
own designs and special costumes
made. So, too, he had "Narcissee'
mounted and costumed at an ex-
pense of over 100000, and had
Charlotte Wolters, the famous Vien-
nese actress, play the principal role,
h. being the only witness. The
theater was darkened, and the per.
formance began at midnight. At its
conclusion he sent handsome dia-
mond bracelet to the actres' hotel
after she had retired for rest, and the
kings chamberlain compelled her to
rise and acknowledge its receipt be-
fore he would leave the hotel. Any
other course he announced, would
have greatly displeased the mon
arch. When Wagner produced his
famous trilogy. the final rehearsal,
which was virtually the first per-
Torrance, was witnessed by the king
alone in theater artificially dark
ened, the only lights being those on
the stage. Many other operas and
plays were produced under similar
circumstances. and in ret urn the ar
fists were recipients of royal favors,
rich and lavish, for Ludwigs .gener-
osity was unbounded. ALI of these
and similar eccent ricities wiped out
the kings private estate and entailed
the income from the civil list that
for several years he has been at the
mersy OF money lenders, and quite
recently they toreclosed on some Of
mis- property, and the government, to
save itself from bankruptcy, had to
refuse to give him any more advan-
ees, as its credit, like his, was nearly
gone. So now his wonderful summer
palace, designed to he the finest in
EuIope, remains partly finished, and
its completion is a matter of i'm
probability. A couple of years ago
King Ludwig dismissed all his body
servants, and since then his only at
tendants have been troop of light
cavalry. These have accompanied
him everywhere he went, riding be-
side him at full speed. when at mid
night, drawn by the finest blooded
horses in Europe, lie drove about
Munich. or from town to town in
sort of a steeplechase on wheels. He
stopped for nothing, and his travel
ing was like the rushing Ola whirI-
wind, often leaving destruction and
even death in its track. In win ter
he drove about in gilded sleigh,
drawn by four black Orloff stations,
beautiful, high-strung and tireless.
His ecceHtricities were numberless,
and of such character that were he
not king he would long ago have
been called a "crank.'' Ludwig's
only brother, and the next heir to
the throne, Othon, born in 1848, has
has been insane for some time, and
heretofore it had been thought
would not succeed to the throne.
The supposed probable successor was
Prince LuiLpeld. of t he same age as
the late king, and son of LudwIg's
uncle, Prince Luitpold, field m arshal
and commander of the Bavaria
army. now sixty-five years of age,
who has assumed the regency. The
young Prince Luitpold is married to
an Austrian princess, Marie Therese,
by whom he has had nine children.
The prince is liutenant general of
the army, and second in rank to his
father. .-