The Somerset reporter., 1889-12-12
TIE ROYAL BOAR HUNT.
GERMANY's EMPEROR AND HIS CRU
NEWALO FRIENDS.

NEWRGO EnlCNOO.
An Imperial Meet which Is Held on st
Huberts Da,, tho Third of November
A Zig Jollincation. Where Only tbs
Journalists Are IN Full Dress
A blast Is heard from the gamekeepers
outside, announcing that the boar has
been loosed Fifteen minutes more passed
and then the master Of the hunt, Count
Richard Donna SchlobltteI, advancing
TO the prince, salutes him and says
Your royal highness, 1t is time FOR the
hunt to begin Prince Frederick Leo
pold raises his hand, Herr Palm salutes,
and then, lifting the waldhorn 10 his
lips. blows IA long and pow erful note that
re-echoes shrilly throughout the castle.
The hunting park is right In the mid
die OF tho Grunowald woods. A little
distance from the castle Ia the wide and
deep river Havel, along whose banks
there is abundant cover. Should the
boar, however. take 1t into his head to
cross the river. he is practically safe
from the hunters, for, long before they
could cross in boats. he would have dis
appeared in the forest. But the hounds
are oil on keen scent. and as they pick
up the "faehrte" OF tho game they give
cry that tells the hunters whes. to FOL
low.
Now tho whole field Is In rlIli chase,
Hofjagermeistor Graf Won Donna lead
ing calamity on his powerful black
horse Presently no turns and makes
room for the ladies', for tho chase 1. yet
young, even though tho joyous bark Of
dicating that they are still on the track
Tho prancing OF some OF the horses rid
den by the ladies causes a delay.
Tho emperor is exceedingly partial to
Prussian horses, and this fact has set the
fashion, where heretofore there were
many English horses used in the hunt
ing field. Our Prussion breed is slow
but more enduring than the English, and
in every way better adapted Tor the
rough work of a boar chase.
The supreme moment Of the hunt is
when the boar lies bleeding and dead
and the princes aide-de-camp with his
hunting knife cuts from the nearest pine
tree bunch OF needles, which the prince
gayly distributes to those who happen to
be present the moment the fang"
or dagger stab in the lungs, 1.-THE
coup de grace" is given. None who
are not on the spot at the in
slant of victory may share the "bruch.
As each Of the fortunate hunters places
his spray of pine in his hat or coat the
bugles sound the "Hallalli lIallallil
lIallalli!' the signal OF the death OF the
boar This brings all the laggards to
the spot, hot and breathless with riding
and their horses flecked with foam.
Then with his hunting knife Herr Palm
the "curee' to the dead boar,
cutting it open with a single dexterous
stroke. One of his assistants then takes
out the liver and intestines, which are
flung to the pack of dogs and quickly
devoured.
After the chase all return to the Castle
Grunewald, where dinner awaits them
Merry and hungry, chatting gayly over
the successful sport, and without even
an attempt at toilet, the hunters sit
down, this time to a regal table. Unlike
the lunch in tho forenoon, which was
eaten in the courtyard, the dinner Is
stately and imposing affair, tho sole pc
being the utter absence OF even
he semblance of preparation on the part
IF the diners, They sit down just as
they come in from the forest, their
hunting suits torn and bloody or soied
by tumbles from their horses or contact
with trees and bushes. Even the ladies
ook slightly bedraggled, some having
heir long habits and their hunting
gloves stained with the marks of the
,hase; but all are pleased, and it Is
happy party indeed which, disregarding
he conventionalities, begins to do jus
ice to the good cheer their imperial host
sets before them.
To the rider who grasped the boar be
ongs the honor of toastng the emperor,
lfter the solid dishes have been disposed
If. This ceremony, from time imme.
norial, has been done in peculiar
Drew called est. IIubertus Grunewald
,unch."
There is one unique feature of the an
lnal hunting dinner. For many years
t has been the custom to invite as guests
not to the hunt, but to the feast that fol,
owed it, a dozen of the most prominent
journalists of the capital. These spec
acled professional gentlemen, who
would be sadly out of place in a hunting
ield, contribute in no small degree to
he entertainment of the dinner, where
present is supposed to help
llong the merriment in Bohemian way.
t falls to the lot of some journalist, des-
grated in advance by royalty itself, to
prepare and read to the members of the
Iubertus run "agd Protokoll," or yer.
flied narrative Of the hunt, and this,
With many other similar productions, Is
1ept as memorial at the castle. For a
lumber of years this pleasant task was
performed by the late DR.. Louis Schnei-
Ter. The newspaper men are really the
,nly well dressed men at the dinner.
They attend in full evening costume and
heir elaborate toilets furnish strange
contrast to the rough, dirty suits, frowsy
lair and muddy skirts Of the merry fol.
overs of the boar.
With the emptying of the punch bowl,
md when the last shout over the news
,aper mems verses has died away, the
hunters who reside in Berlin or Potsdam
,egin to think of home. 1t is quite dark
outside the castle, but these jewellers
hink nothing of an evening through
he somber Grunewald woods. In pairs
II groups they walk or ride home, max
ng the air merry with their songs and
aughter as they go. The ladies who do
lot stop over night at the castle &C.
them. Every hunter carefully
hows his or her bit of "bruch," for it is
matter Of custom that it must be worn
i'll one goes to bed. At the same time
he crowds of people who spent the day
IN the Grunewald turn Berlinward, and
Don the dark woods are once more
ilent and deserted.-Cor. Philadelphia
Times.