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

The king of Bavaria, Ludwig III.
ended his life hy suicide few days
since. by drowning in lake. His
physician. and constant attendant,
attempted to rescue him. and was also
drowned. The following sketch will
show the utterly foolish methods the
late monarch resorted to for the pur-
pose OF sqnandering money:
Ludwig II. was born at Nymphen-
bourg, Aug. 25, 1916, and succeeded
to the Bavarian throne on the sud-
den death of his father, Macmillan
II March 10, 1864. His boyhocd
was passed in virtual seslusion with
his ecclesiastical instructors. They
allowed him no boyish compan-
,ons AMI no indulgences in boy
ish sports and games. 70 these he
had resource after he assembled the
throne, and he has been known to
play at marb les for hours with his
courtiers in one of his palaces just
outside of Munich. OF these palaces
he had seven, one Of them in the
OberAmmergau bein g built in 1mi-
tation of the palace of Versailles. and
furnished in LOUIS XIV. style, in
the most extr avagant manner. Gilt
balconie s, marble statues set in gold
inches, costly Gobelin tapestries.
gems of all kinds, stoves ornamented
with agates, chandeliers studded
with diamonds, and bed which cost
$4,000 are among the features of his
palace. Not lar away is hermit
age, built exactly after the one de-
scribed by Wagner in "Die Walkure,"
and at the foot Of the meadow on
which it sta n DIS is an artificial lake,
the bottom of which is lined with tin
to prevent the water from soaking
in.o the porous soil. Some distance
from these two hermitages-for the
great palace was little else than that
he bull Moorish pavilion, which
he called Morocco, and which is re-
splendent in gold and jewelry. The
most precious ornament it contained
was alarge peacock. mainly Of emer-
aids and turquoises, suspended from
the center of the single room the pa
vilion contained, and which is light
ed by magnificent chandeliers, the
light of which is thrown back from
innumerable mirrors lining the octa.
gen on all sides. In the rear of the
palace is a cave in the depth of the
mountain, known as the Blue Grot-
to. This is reached by tunnel, and
has been converted into a veritable
fairyland, lighted and heated artifi-
cially to suit the tastes OF this
strange monarch, who would visit
the palace and cavern at most unex-
pected times. On the artificial lake,
so lighted as to resemble lake of
liquid gold, he has been wont to sail
in a golden gondola made to re-
semble swan. To presenta simula-
ton of a breeze, an ingenio us steam
continuance was constructed by
which the waters were made to
swish about as though real waves
produced by natural causes stirred
their surface. Still another palace
of this royal lunatic, massive and
magnificent, had a roof garden on
which he had reproduced as nearly
as possible the far-famed tropical
garden of Semiiamis's palace. Near
ly every tourist sojournlBg at Mum
ich has heard of these Magic
Gardens, as they are called. Ser
wants who have lived in the castle
for years have never dared to invade
the secrecy OF this paradise. Up
there the foot is said to tread be-
meath palms and the most luxuriant
vegetation, while away in the dist.
tango you can see the snow-clad
peaks of the Himalayas. Amid this
garden paradise there sparkles the
waters of n beautiful lake. upon
whose bosom white swans glide,
majestic and graceful. and birds OF
every hue of plumage flutter among
the trees and shrubs that fill this
little world. Such are the Munich
gardens of Semiramis. 70 this ar.
tificial paradise King Ludwig liked
to retire when residing at the capt.
al. There he found that perfect sol.
itude which he so dearly loved.
OF Ludwig it has been said that he
has had only ona narsopal ord inf;