Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-06-25


and his history will prove of striking
interest at this time.
Ludwig was born August 20, 1915,
apd succeeded his father, Maximillian
H., March 10, 1864. Soon after conf
mencing his reign he entered upon the
inordinate folly of building palaces, in
spite of the fact that not less than thirty
chateaux built by his ancestors were
standing untenanted and useless.
Three years ago want OF funds COM
PEELED him to suspend work on his new
castle on the Chiemsee, which was to
rival in splendor the chateau of Yer
sailles and the era of Louis XIV. The
spot chosen for his new Versailles was
little island in the Chiemsee lake,
with beautiful view of the Bavarian
Alps. Here he intended TO reproduce
the palace and park of Versailles. for
which object he went incognitO to
Paris ten years ago. The work was in
progress five or six years before his
money was exhausted. This was not
the first castle that he had commenced
and then left unfinished. Several
years ago he began to build new cas-
tie on the Felsenburg, close TO his cas-
tie of Hohenschwangau, and after
spending nearly a million of dollars
upon it, he gave it up after the work
had been carried on for eight or nine
years. His favOrite places of residence
have been the chateaux at Linderhoff,
at Hobensch wangau, in Schlossberg,
on Lake Starnberg, and occasionally in
the residence ut Munich. Linderhoff is,
according to all accounts, curious and
even marvellous place, displaying in
credible luxury of ornamentation in
gold, porcelain, silk and gobelins in the
apartments. In the garden stands an
old friend, the Oriental kiOsque, which
was the wonder Of the Paris Exposition.
DR.. Strousberg was the original pur-
chaser of the beautiful structure, and
when the famous railroad king had to
be sold out, King Ludwig purchased it
for his Alpine retreat. The strangest
thing that Ludwig has done at the Lin
derhoff, however, is to excavate an i'm
mense cave in the mountain side, which
he has fitted up with marvellous taste
and comfort. The vast interior Is as
rich as the tabled home of Barbarossa in
the Koffhauser, but much more COM
Portable, being warmed all the year
round.
Another marvellous place is the Magic
Gardens, under an immense arched
glass-roofing, covering the royal resi-.
dence in Munich. Beneath this crys-
tai vault is the Kings private winter
garden, a miniature paradise, which is
seldom or never trodden by strange
feet. Servants who have lived in the
castle for years have not dared to in
wade the secrecy of this Eden, nor have
travellers ever been admitted to 1t.
A recent writer thus describes fairy
grotto which the king had cut into the
mountain side. 1t is reached by tun-
mel:
''It is spacious stalactltic cave with
many offshOts, secret inches, and OBJ
scure recesses, before which you stand.
From all corners, inches, and clefts Of
the rock-from many recesses covered
with colored glass, to right, to left,
above, beluw-streams Il sea of light,
now yellow, nov green, now violet,
rose, red, or blue. suffusing all parts
with an indescribable splendor. Above
all this flaming beauty a rainbow
spreads its lovely light. The principal
cave is about fifteen metres in diameter
and ten metres high. From the back
ground rushes, like liquid silver, gilt
tering and breaking into spray, beau
tiful waterfall, which falls in bubbling
cascades down the face of the rock. 1t
feeds a little pool, occupying three
quarters ofehe floor of the cave, whose
clear surface reflects the blending lights
with enchanting beauty. On the lake
is golden skiff, covered with rose or.
naments, the hinder part of which en-
larges into shell. Standing on the
bow Of this diminutive boat is Amor,
spanning his bow. Right and lef: the
boat Is adorned with red coral. A pair
of doves, whose bills are united In kiss
es, are shown in the act Of alighting
upon the left side OF the boat. Two
golden oars await the appearance Of the
mariner. Above on the rock rests the
bewitching siren, combing her golden
waving locks with golden comb. On
the wall of the cave, too, is Hackl's
beautiful picture of ''Tannhausee Slum-
bering in the Lap Of Venus" There is
also n mirror three and a half metres
high and two metres broad. Three
plates were broken in transit before
this one was safely affixed to the rock.
Near the place where the mirror stands
a small stair with wooden rails leads to
the Kings seat. 1t is seat some two
metres in length. the back pal Of which
is formed out Of giant shell, while
roses and rushes entwine it all around.
Here Klpg Louis III. loved so to sit and
gaze at once on pictures of life, love,
and beauty"
Castle Berg on Lake Stamberg, where
Louis met his death, is beautiful villa,
the white rurreted castle standing close
to the water's edge. Thence he went
when he had been deposed early 10
this month.
These are some Of the palaces Of the
dead King. and there are others hidden