The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-06-23
THE DEAD EMPEROR.
Called to the German Throne Under tn
Shadow of Death.


Emperor Frederick III. was in his
9th year. His life has been an inter
esting one, though most of his wears
have been spent in patient waiting for
the call TO the Prussian and German
thrones which came oIly when he HIM
self was under the shadow of death.
lie was born on the 18th of October,
1851, and like all the Hohenzollerns,
had thorough military education
lie was more an onlooker than an
active participant in the Danish
war of 1864, but in 1866 he was
Intrusted with an army of 5000
men whom he conducted, assisted by
Ma. Gen. Won Blumenthal, his chief of
staff, through the passes of the Sudetic
HILLS, arriving IN time to decide
the battle of Sadowa in favor of Prussia.
In the war of 1870 he commanded the
Third German Army, consisting of
three North German CORPS, the First
and Second Bavarian Corps, and the di-
visions furnished by Baden, Wurtem-
berg and Hesse, in all about 200, 900
men a,d 800 guns. To the inspiration
of his leadership is credited the Ger
man victories at Weissenberg and
Woerth. He was present with his army
at Sedan, and then proceeded with the
other armies to Versailles.
During the war he became immense
" popular with the South German
troops. In 5act he gained the admira-
ton of the whole of South Germany by
his admirable leadership, by his BRAY
cry, by his kindly care for the men
placed under his command, and by his
willingness to share the fatigues and
dangers with the troops who formed
his army. A well-known anecdote will
ura rit
Bavarians, who have never taken very
kindly to the Prussian military drill
masters. After one of the first victories
in the FrancO-German war, when Ba-
yarlan regiment was being re-
viewed, one of the men, in
his enthusiasm, shouted out {:
"Ah, your Royal Highness, if we had
had you TO lead us in the last war we
should never have been licked by those
cursed Prussians." On his return to
Germany he took the Bavarian troops to
Munich and returned them to King
Ludwig, thanking him in the name OF
the Emperor for the grand services he
and they bad rendered in the German
victories and to the cause Of German
unity
Since 1873 his life was comparatively
uneventful, with the exception of a pc
Rod in 1878, when he acted as regent
during the inCapacity of the emperor,
caused by the wounds of the assassin
Modelling. A few years ago he cement
ed the relations between GERMANY and
Spain by an official visit to Madrid, and
on his way back called on Pope Leo
NIII. at the Vatican. His interview
with the Holy Father on that occasion
is said to have contributed in great
measure to the satisfactory settlement
of the kulturkampf.
Universally beloved, respected and es-
teemed both at home and abroad, his
popularity has, if it were possible, in
creased during the past year, since the
terrible malady from which he died be-
came known. The expires ions of heart
felt sympathy were not linn ed to Ger
many alone, but were positiv, ly uniyer-
sal. After having sought reli t in Bad
Ems, in the Scotch l'ighlan IL, in the
Isle of Wight, the Tyr I'd on the
shores of the Lago Maggiore, he
finally took up his residence with his
family at San Reno at the Villa Zireo
During his stay there he was subjected
to the operation of trscheOtomy III or
der TO avoid death by suffocation. The
greatest differences of opinion existed
as to the nature of the disease from
which he suffered, some OF the physi-
clans asserting that it was cancer of tka
larynx, while others are equally positive
IN their denial. 1t was, however, adj
mitted that be was doomed to an early
death and on several occasions during
the past few months his demise has been
considered imminent