Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-08-21
Great Mems Diversions.

Every one knows that things ma,
appear exceedingly amusing to SOM
people which to others have not tn,
smallest element of the funno abou,
them. Not infrequently the notlor
which great men have as to what is
amusing and diverting is very hard
for ordinary people to account for
Since the death ofM. Pouyer- Quertier,
French statesman who was conspic.
uous during the war between France
and Germany, but who was afterward
almost forgotten by the French peo.
pie, some anecdotes have been told oil
his participation in the peace negoti.
ations of 1871, which reveal Prince
Bismarck's sense OF humor in an in.
teresting light.
After the capitulation OF Paris, the
French provisional government sent
to Frankfort a deputation to arrange
terms of peace with the Germans.
M. Theirs, the greatest French states.
man of the times, was at the head OF
the deputation. and another member
was M. Pouyer-Quertier.
Count Bismarck, as he was then,
monopolized the negotiations on the
part ofthe Germans; and for M. Theirs,
who was a very little man, and who
spoke in q high-pitched, aute.like
voice, it pleased the German Chancell-
or to affect a sort OF contempt.
For Pouyer-Quertier, on the other
hand, he showed constant and great
admiration. Pouyer was very large
man, with big voice; moreover, he
had a tremendous appetite; he could
drink as much beer as Bismarck him.
self, and enveloped his head in clouds
of tobacco.smoke.
All this eating, smoking and drink.
ing during the negotiations was ex-
tremely offensive to M. Theirs, who
detested cigars no less than he did
beer. Bismarck, accordingly, in his
relations with the Frenchmen, promot.
ed Pouyer- -Quertier, who was man
of inferior intelligence, to the head oi
the delegation. Hecalled him, admir-
ingly, un rude homme, which may be
translated ga terrible fellow" and de-
voted most OF his attentions to him.
Pouyer. Quertler, in one OF these
diplomatic smoke. talks at Frankfort,
complained to Bismarck of the charges
on the German railways.
"l pald," said he, "sixteen thalers
for my ticket from the frontier here.
The tare would be about half us much
in France"
Bismarck laughed. "When you con.
sider," he said, "that the sixteen dol.
lars includes the return fare, and all
other return expenses, meals, cigars,
and so forth, it is pretty cheap"
This was regarded as Prince Bis.
marck's idea of joke, as the ticket
was only an ordinary single trip one
When the negotiations were over, M
Pouyer-Quertier went to buy ticket
back to France, and was told that his
return fare was paid by the price ol
the ticket upon which he had come
He took meal at the restaurant at
the station, and payment was refused
for that. "It's all in the ticket" said
the attendant.
At the first stopping place on the
way an attendant brought q tray oi
wines and food to M. Pouyer. Quer.
tiers compartment.
''In Germany" said the attendant,
"this goes with the return ticket"
The scene was repeated at every
stopping.place, until M. Pouyer.Q Quer
tier, ''terrible fellow" as he was, found
himself in danger OF being gorged to
death.
1t was Prince Bismarck's joke. M
Theirs, as o serious man, and yet NOT
without q keen wit and strong senseoi
hunior on his own part, could only
shrug his shoulders and wonder ct thii
singular diversion on the part OF hit
nations conqueror.