Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-12-22
s-s~ -
BISHOP sTRossMEYER.
The Great Hobby of One of EurOpc's Mos
Famous Prelates.

The Great Hobby Of One of EurOpe's Most
Famous Prelates.
One OF the strangest and most re-
msrkabe figures OF the Austro-Hun-
garian Empire is Mgr. Strossmeyer.
the turbulent and powerful Bishop OF
Diakovar. In perpetual conflict with
the Government for more than twenty
years past:no attempt has been made
to deprive him OF his see. AS recog
nized leader OF the eighteen million
Slavs, who constitute an integral por-
ton OF the population of Austro-Hun-
gary, he is blindly obeyed by his fol-
lowers, and any attempt to discipline
him would result in an immediate in
surrection OF the whole Of Croatia and
Esclavonia. Although venerated al
most MS a saint in the two provinces
just mentioned, he is but seldom to be
seen at the altar, and excepting on
rare occasions, he disdains the use of
the cassock, which constitutes the GUS
tomary garb of the clergy in all CathO-
| lie countries. AS rule, the holy man
| is to be seen stalking through the
streets Of Agram and Diakovar, boot
ed and spnrred. dressed in a coarse
dark-gray shooting jacket, a soft felt
hat perched rakishly on one side OF
his head, hunting-crop under his
arm, and cigar in the corner OF his
mouth. Although over seventy-three
years Of age, his bristly, bushy hair
shows but slight tinges OF gray. Oh
commanding stature and imposing
presence, his aspect is much more that
Of a soldier than OF priest. The See
Of Diakovar is one OF great wealth
and, during his twenty years tenure
thereof, Bishop Strossmeyer has de
veloped its resources in such q re
markable manner rs to place almos
unlimited revenues at his absolute
disposal. On every side he ha'
founder agricultural and industrial
enterprises of the most varied nature
The episcopal mines are among thu
most productive of the empire, tn,
fame OF his breeding stud is known t.
all lovers of horse-hesh throughout
Europe. and the vastness OF his opera
lions as u timber merchant wOul,
make even the princes OF the Chicag
lumber trade open their mouths witt
establishment. The resources thus oh
tanned have been developed by tn
Bishop to the reconstruction OF tn
Croatian and, in fact. all the Sla
races in Austria, into one politica
unity, and to their rescue from the M
palling ignorance, moral degradatio
and barbarism for which they wer
proverbial during the first half Of tn
present century. His cathedral d
Diakovar bears an inscription over ii
central portal to the effect that it ha
been designed, built, and sculpture
for the greater glory of God excl
sively by Croatians. No one was a
lowed to put his hand to the work III
less it could be shown that he had Sla
blood coursing through his veins: FL
! several consecutive years the Bisho
: kept men travelling through til
country collecting all the old Sla
legends, popular songs. poems, etc
! which, after being carefully revised b
, the prelate himself, were printed an
distributed gratis everywhere.
order that, in the words Of the Bishol
1.-THE people might no longer be Q:
posed to hearing those hateful Germa
. and Hungarian songs which contai
nothing but curses for Croatia. "-Sd
: | E'runriScO 4r1Ou1Ht