The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-10-09
HAD 1T TO BE?
Curious Pamphlet Telling of the Mad
Kings Queer Freaks.

| curious document, namely, an apony-
nous pamphlet relative to the late
King OF Bavaria, published in Ger
many, and bearing the title, "Mustees
so Kommen?" Had it to be?) The
sale and circulation of this little work
| are prohibited in Bavaria; and with
reason. Apparently written by some
| one who was behind the scenes of the
royal tragedy, it gives by no means a
favorable account OF the mental con-
dltlon Tor years past of the unhappy
King. lE fact, the author fixes the
year 1870 as the date at which his
| faculties fi1st began to 60 astray.
Much space Is taken up with the his
tory OF his Wagnerian infatuation and
with that of his passion for building
and for theatrical representation at
which he was the solitary spectator,
OF all which has already been pub
| llshed. But some of the anecdotes are
new, and are sufficiently interesting to
merit translatipg.
Among these is full account of the
famous lake, constructed On the roof
OF the royal palace at Munich, on
which the royal Lohengrin used to 60
sailing in a gilded bark drawn by
swans. The water in the tank proved
too transparent, and the king wanted
it to be blue. One of his suite con-
ceived the idea OF putting into it an
enormous quantity of vitriol. The
water was changed to a dark, deep
and most magnificent blue, but the
salt of copper soon corroded the metal
OF the tank, several leaks were formed.
and the water made its way through
the roof of the palace and inundated
the royal apartments. The damage
was repaired at great expense, and an
apparatus was put up for shedding an
azure tint upon the lake by means OF
colored glasses. Then the surface of
the tank was too smooth, and King
Louis wanted some waves. So anoth-
er machine was constructed which i'm
parted, by means OF a Wheel a beauti-
full ripple to the surface of the water.
But the waves proved too small and
weak to suit the royal navigator, so
the size and power of the wheel were
augmented. Then the waves became
too strong; they upset the royal bark
and Lohengrin got q good ducking.
Now, as no mention can be found in
the legend OF the Swan Knight OF his
ever having fallen into the water, his
knightly representative gave up his
pastlme OF sailing about on the palace
roof. Then he took it into his head
to try to fly, and used to be carried
about IN a sort OF car, attached to the
top OF long poles, by means of which he
was transported from place to place by
lackeys who wore felt shoes, so that
their steps might be noiseless and the
illusion complete. Onre he caused q
regular flying machine to be construct
ed for his own use. But having that
day, as our author says, "method IN
his Madness he gave orders that a
luckless peasant should make trial of
1t before he attempted to use it. The
poor fellow did so, and was killed on
the spot.
The Kings adherence for the fair
sex dates from the very beginning OF
his malady. 1t was accentuated by
the breaking off of his negotiations for
his marriage to the present Duchess
d'Alencon. For years past he had
consented to see only his mother, and
that at long intervals, and occasional
ly the Empress of Austria. One day
he said to his private secretary, who
was married, and who with his wife
had rooms in the palace: 81 have
seen your wife's face" The secretary,
not knowing what to understand by
this remark, made answer merely by q
low bow. 81 have seen your wife's
foce," repeated King Louis, in d tone
OF great severity. The secretary, final
ly comprehending the cause of his mai
esty's Indignation, apologized profuse-
ly, and declared that such a thing
should never happen again.
The decorations and furniture Of his
fairy palaces were nearly all executed
in Munich. The artists to whom the
execution OF the fresco paintings on
the walls ana ceilings was confded,
were forced to submit to various re-
strictions. They were commanded to
maintain an entire secrecy regarding
their work, and no human being was
to be permitted to see it even when
completed. Once it was finished, the
King came at night and alone to IL
spect it. II he was not pleased with it,
he would cause it to be at once de-
stroyed and another begun. He had,
strictly speaking, no tastefo art. He
did not care for historical pictures,
genre pictures, or landscapes, no mat
ter how admirably they might be exc
cuted. Heonly liked allegorical repre-
sentations OF the glory and the might
of kings, or scenes from his favorite
operas.
Toward the close OF his life the roy-
al maniac had become a furious and
dangerous madman. He gave orders
that every person who displeased him
should be incarcerated in the Bastile,
the idea tnat he owned that historical
prison being one of his delusions. His
Wallets fell under his displeasure for the
most trltilng fault, and were often
cruelty lashed with the royal riding
whip. He poured down tie neck OF
one unfortunate lackey the whole con-
tents of a tea-kettle full OF boiling wa
ter; another had an eye put out by a
thrust from a cane. The list OF the
Kings servants who suffered wounds
and personal injuries at his hands
comprises thirty-tWo names. The on.
ly one OF them that escaped scot free
was his barber, Hoppe, on whom he
conferred the post OF prime minister,
with orders to assasslnate the whole
or the existing cabinet. During the
last years OF his life he drank ICON
trary to certain rumors on the sub
iect) very little, and then only the
lghtest of German wines. Bat, on the
other hand, his appetite had increased
prodigiously, and he ate to excess OF
the richest food. Had ne not been
King. and had he been put under re-
straint at the beginning OF his malady,
under proper medical care and subject
to iudicious treatment, who can say,
in view of mis- youth and splendid con-
stitution, that he might not have been
cured, and restored sane and well to
the nation that adored him?
As a singular specimen OF red tape
management, it is stated that origin
ally the name of the seat OF justice for
Rawlins County was spelled Atwood
with two cts" Three years ago, at