Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-03-16
BEAUTIFUL CASTLES.
Huge and Costly Structures Built by Poor
King Ludwig of Bavaria.

III IS ullHcuiI Iof the traveller IN west
ern Europe to find matter for descrip.
ton which is not already so hack
neyed that it is impairment to say any
thing more about it. The castles OF
the late King of Bavaria therefore
afford an opportunity quite unusual,
for no Tguide books excepting those
| published within the last few months)
have any thing to say about them. All
the world knows something of the
habits of the eccentric monarch and
how his love of seclusion prompted
him to keep both his person and his
habitations jealousy guarded from the
gaze of vulgar mortals. In conse-
quence of this the castles-the expense
of whose construction has weighed
down the Bavarian budget so heavily
of late years-have hitherto been en-
tirely inaccessible to visitors. Soon
after the death of the King. however,
the Prime Regent Luitpold determined
to open the castles to the inspec-
ton of the public and they
are now attracting great crowds
of visitors from all parts of Europe.
The castles are three in number.
Schloss Herrenchiemsee, beautifully
situated on an island in the Chiemsee;
Schloss Einderhof. and Schloss Ncu-
Schwanstein. both of the latter being
situated to the southwest of Munich, in
the region which may perhaps be best
described as the country of the pass, on
play. Linderhof and u-Schwanstein
are comparatively difficult of access
the latter being reached only after a
long journey by post, and the former
removed even to a considerable dis
lance from any post road. Herren-
chiemsee. on the other hand, is easily
reached from Munich. and the entire
visit requires but a single day This
castle is the only one of which am
able to speak from personal observa-
ton.
The general impression produced by
this castle is similar to that pro-
duced by the palace of Versailles. Both
alike have marble ''cour d. honneur"
on the one side and park with arts
lically designed fountains on the other.
The two facades upon the side of the
park are strikingly alike. The interior
arrangements of Herrenchiemsee are
also similar to those of Versailles
many of the rooms in the Bavarian
palace being copied after rooms in the
palace at Versailles. with the evident
purpose of not only matching them.
but also of surprising them in richness
of decoration. Unfortunately, although
perhaps fortunately for the Bavarian
exchequer, Herrenchiemse is not COM
plete, IA whole series of halls remain
ing to be decorated by some future
monarch who may be DESTROYS of con-
tinuing the tradition of his line. The
completed apartments, which are over
twenty in number, are decorated with
II richness which defies any descrip-
ton. Paintings upon walls and cell
ings, gold work in relief, unique tap
estiy hangings, and superb vases,
mantels of the rarest marbles, and
chandeliers of Venetian glass. porce-
lain and ivory-these and all 0 her
adornments dazzle the
eye at every step, until there remains
only confused sense of having been
into the midst of such
splendors as have hitherto only been
dreamed Of We have been accuS
toned think of such scenes as ex-
is'ent in fairyland. or in arabian
Nights " palaces not in reality upon
the everyday earth.
General criticism of the work must
be confined mainly TO two points. The
decoration is overdone for the most
part. 1t is no exaggeration to say
that the decoration is much richer than
that of Versailles, but it is also true
that severe taste will find the higher
in Versailles. The second
point is that Herrenchiemsee loses
much of its due effect by its very new
ness. Fifty years hence it will be far
more beautiful than now; its gold will |
be sobered in luster, its marbles
into something more of |
harmony. Then and for centuries |
inward this and the other palaces of |
King Louis IL will be counted among
The most remarkable monuments of |
Europe, and millions of visitors will |
hrong to see them. Even from the |
economical point of view they will |
prove satisfactory Investment how
ever unjustifable their construction
may, under the circumstances, have
been. and however are already out
lated both the political system which
made their construction possible and
he political idea which they were de-
signed to perpetual e. : William Morton
Payne, in Chicago MeUs.
MIR. Staylatc has been entertain
ng Miss Lila with an account of the
longs of the KIT Carson Rif1 n Climb