Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-22
THE -FOUR TOWERS.
An Old Historic House iN the valley
of the Lair, where
1.-The sun falls on castle walls
nd mil D1d in,

over the portal tells us, did Hans Karl
Baron Won Thuengen, Field Marshal o
the Holy Roman Empire, lay the founda
ton stone of the Four Towers, little
dreaming perhaps that it would become
the favorite abode of royalty in Bad Ems
From the year 1848, when the widowed
Duchess Of Orleans, fleeing from Paris
with her two sons, Phillip, Count Of
Paris, and Robert, Duke OF Chartres
took refuge under its roof, down to the
present time, the Four Towers has shell
tered from time to time, different mem,
bers of almost every reigning family ol
Europe, to say nothing OF t1e nobility
and gentry who have dwelt within Its
walls.
The Count of Paris spent part OF June
and July OF this year in the rooms now
occupy. A quiet, reserved man, Keep,
ing aloof from the gaiety of the Knrsaal
and filled with tender memories OF the
mother, who came in fight and sadness
to this house some forty years ago. A
peerless princess, that Helene OF Meek
lenburg-Schwerin most worthy to have
worn the crown of the Capets and wife
to prince who, but ior an untoward ac-
cident, would, if his biographers speak
truly, not only have saved Louis Philip
pc from the loss of a throne, but would
have established in France a constitu-
tional Monarchy, so respected by the
people that there would have been no
thoughts of anarchy or rebellion. His
early death and the youth of
his sons prevented the accomplish
ment of this design, but, though it
was not given to the Duchess to aid in
shaping the destinies of France, she yet
Wore with special grace, through all her
troubled life, the crown of pure and
noble womanhood, and here at Ems,
even as in her native land and in her
adopted country, there are none but low
ing words for her, none but tenderest
sympathies for her misfortunes.
In the year 1S49 the Count and Count
ess OF Chambord, representatives of the
direct and legitimate line of French roy
atty, held sort of court at the Four
Towers, and, strange to say, at the same
time dwelt within the same walls the
Spanish Countess Montijo with her
daughter, the future Empress of France:
now the pereaved and childless widow,
sometimes, perhaps, looking back
through all the glamour of her Paris life,
with its sad ending, to the bright, un-
shadowed days when, free from care, she
wandered through the pleasure gardens
of Ems.
The Queen Olga. once regarded by
many as the most beautiful princess in
Europe, has been an inmate OF this
house both before and since her mar
riage. The Gar Alexander: III, too, held
his court during five successive seasons
in the -Four Towers, and delighted the
hearts OF the sojourners at Ems with
gayeties, festivities and illuminations,
which are still the town talk.
Edward Bulwer Lytton's name is on
the register of the year 1871; he also be-
ing king-crowned of Genius and meet for
such princely companionship. But should
attempt to tell you of all the royal and
the roof of the Four Towers during the
season at Bad-Ems, guests world-re-
nowned by other and nobler gifts that
mere inherited grandeur (for 1 lay no
stress on transmitted glory, like Eneas
of old I should not finish before the even
ing star would close the gates of day.
So 1 will only add that the
from the fact that the late Emperor
Frederick inhabited it during the month
of April, 1887, on his last visit to Ems.
He too, like his father. is the we'll be-
loved OF the Emser people, sharing the
loyal affection, which it takes no deep
hearts given, not to the ruler, but the fell
low creature, great in all the qualities
that make man dear to his fellowman.
The guide books merely tell us that the
Four Towers is the most aristocratic
private hotel in Ems, and add that even
in our age of ease and luxury, no loftier
or more comfortable apartments can be
found. This is certainly true, but, for
myself, 1 wanted to know what led the
General to build this stately house bear
ing on its front the baronial crown above
the united arms of Thuengen and Schom-
berg, so far away from his ancestral
home.
Through the kindness of Frau Becker,
the excellent hostess of the Four Towers,
got access to an old German book, a
very treasure of gossip, and there found
just what l expected, namely, "that
there was woman at the bottom of it,"
But if you expect ME to tell you the story
that waded through pages of antiquated
German IA great deal worse than old
English) to pick out. I shall have to
say: "Entschuldigen Sic mich'-at least
for the present. However, 1 found that
the distinguished Field Marshal came to
Ems when there was no dwelling to re-
ceive him, the Kurhaus being reserved
for princes alone. But already the fame
OF the healing waters had spread far and
wide, and the whole bank of the Lain
was lined with tents, in one of which
Hans Karl was fain to take up his resi-
dence, but alas like all terrestrial enjoy.
ments on the Paradisical order, the gay,
rollicking life within those linen walls
soon came to an end, in the case
of Hans Karl, to very sad one.
He left Ems, but it seems that the sunny
landscape, with the brigAt flowing Lain,
the vine and the forest bedecked hills,
and, above all, the gushing thermal
waters, had made an impression that
even his unfortunate adventure could not
efface, and so, after an interval of four
teen years, Won Thuengen, now an old
and celebrated General, returned to Ems
to visit the Elector of Frier. The result
of the visit was the beginning of the
building ever since known as the Vier
Thurme.
But now comes ghost story. Baron
Won Thuengen had presided at the court
martial which condemned the Count
d'Arco to be beheaded for the too hasty
surrender of Breisach. At the place OF
execution the Count made a melting
speech protesting his innocence and cali.
ing upon God to forgive those who had