The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-05-09
ANECDOTES OF NAPOLEON.
lie Had a Great Memory and Was a
Great Einancisr.

lie Had :. Great Memory and was
Great Einancier.
In his LES Origines de Ia France
Contemporaries" NJ. Taine gives
number of anecdotes illustrating the
marvellous intellectual grasp and mental
power of the first Napoleon. The his
torian SAYS that Napoleon had in his
mind three aliases, eacn Of large pro-
portions. distinct and kept carefully up
to date. The first, says Eugene Field,
OF a military character, contained an
enormous collection OF maps on the
minuIest scale, with a plan OF all fort
resses, on which were marked the pos
tons of all his forces by sea and land,
his regiments, batteries, arsenaia, mag
azines and all appliances Of war.
The second contained a complete
account of all the finances of the
empire, receipts and expenditures,
together with his whole administrative
staff. senators, deputies, ministers, pre-
iects, bishops. professors and judges.
The third was a gigantic biographical
and moral dictionary, in which the
lives and characters of all those with
whom he had or Was likely TO come in
contact were carefully described
Willie he was concluding peace with
Austria at the palace OF SchWnbrunn
he was writing at the same time on
the Walchcren expedition the right OF
the state to public lands. on naval ex-
petitions to The colonies, on the budget
of the year, on the number of arms in
the public arSenals, on composing
treatises about the art OF war ana the
history OF the papal see, about minute
ecclesiastical arrangements. While
at >chWnbrunn, too, he superintendent
.a.I,x 8 ~ :;
Italy, turning his attention at one time
to the bikes of the Parmesan, Al anoth-
er TO the bridges and quays of Lyons.
Scgur once made careful report of
the condition of al the Notifications on
TIE north coast of France. II have
read your accounts" said NapOlton;
they are exact Nevertheless You
have forgotten two tour-rounders at
Os.end; they are on the high road be-
hind the town"
When he was consul he frequently
presided over committees OF the hrne
office from 10 O'Clock at night till >
O'Clock III the morning. Should any
one fall asleep Napoleon would arouse
him by shaking him and calling ont:
Come, come, citizen, wake up, 1t Is
only > o'clock. We must earn the
money which the French people gives
Us -
In 1909 Napoleon said 10 RWderer:
Il am always nj work reflect Il great
deal. If | am always ready to answer
every question and to meet every dltii-
Guilty it is because before undertaking
anything | have reflected long over it.
= < Z / am always at work-at dinner
and at the theatre. At night | get up
to work Last night ] got up at >
O'Clock, sat down Ill an armchair before
the fire and read my army returns which
the minister of war sent me Yesterday
evening. | found twenty mistakes. the
whole OF which have sent to the nln-
ister who is now occupied in correcting
them
\ writer in the Athenpum tells of
how he once crossed the great It. Bcr-
nard in company with a peasant, who,
as a boy Of l., had led Nurat's horse
across the pass. This peasant remcm-
bered Napoleon well-his small stature,
his little black cooked hat and his gray
oycrcoat But what most struck him
was that from the appearance of the
great general on the scene all disorder
ceased, plumber came 10 an end, requIsl-
tons we're paid for, and all operations
assumed the guise of regularity and or
der"
As fnancicr Napoleon seems never
10 have hnd an equal. Before 1889 a
Frencllman paid II per cent. Of his
revenue to bis lord, the same proper
ton to his priest and % per cent. Il the
state, keeping only Is or ~ per cent.
for himself. But after 1900 he paid
nothing to the clergy or his lord, only
II per cent for imperial and local tax
alton. while he kept - per cent IN his
own pocket.