New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-27
THE PRINCE AT HOMBURG.
A TARGET FOR OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
A DISTINGUISHED CONCERT.

|
MANY as are the attractions OF this most charni-
| inc If German resorts, that which most strongly
! anneals TO the multitude at present Is eihsie
member of that great army Of visitors. NOE -
no nv any means a strange figure here. Tn tne
contrary he is one of the most familiar vi vl'o
regular annual frequenters Of the place. iet the
divinity that doth hedge the Prince OF wales
possesses such strong magnetic quaiiCy c'"'
nearly every one else in Homburg is rresSuoS
drawn into his train Nor does his magnetism
appear TO possess any negative quality whatever
| No one could mingle with the thronE more uIi-
| restrainedly than he does, or show himself niore
approachable. At half past seven every MORN
ING he strolls toward the Elizabethan Brunnen TOT
his morning drink. Generally the crowd parts
| admirinOlv al his approach II not he does not
hesitate TO ioste elbows with the others In tte
most unconventional manner imaginable. There
is absolutely nothing about him to distinguish INN
from any fat and good-natured English gentle
man but one thing. and that is that the waiter
hands him his glass of water on little silver
tray
/ After his morning drink the Prince Joins com
| many with two or three friends and stros about
listening to the music. His constant attendant
on these occasions is beautiful foX-ferrer. Inc
dog does not belong 30 the Prince and is hot
brought by him to the garden But 1t meets nm
there every morning as regularly as clock-worK'
and kesps close to his heels all the time he is
there When he leaves the garden, the Prince
stoops and strokes the dog on the head as token
of parting, and the terrier then trots away con-
tented and is seen there no more until the next
morning On his part, the Prince then goes to
his villa for breakfast, TO return to the garden
again in the evening. In the afternoon one may
generally find him on the tennis ground, where ne
! is far more apt to be a spectator than player.
He is fond of the game but seldom takes part IN IT,
! This is probably because he no longer possesses
the AGILITY of Youth Some have said it is because
no one who played against him would seriously
try to beat him. but such reason is scarcely to be
credited The Princes opponents in other games.
at any rate have not carried their respect for
ROYALTY so far. At baccarat they not only try to
| beat him. but very often do beat him, and make
him paw over his stakes like the mereSt commOner.
II must be said, however. that the Prince is not
| good loser. When a game goes against him. ne
is very apt TO lose his royal temper which is not at
all pleasant for those playing with him. II Is an
omen question whether this irritation arises simply
from the loss of the game or from the loss of the
stakes.
| In one respect Homburg might to advantage
| emulate the example of some American watering
places by excluding from it's precincts the photo
graph fen1. AS it is, that interesting nersonage
| has here a free hand, and he improves his oppor-
tunities with an assiduity that would make the
proverbial little busy bee turn green with envy.
| The Prince, of course, is the chief target. The
moment he appears in the garden in the morning
dozen photographers, each with different style
Of detective instrument, strives TO get in range
and snap his machine at him. The Prince does
not seem to object TO it, though he certainly does
not encourage it, No one has ever yet known
| him 70 nose for moment for the benefit of these
surreptitious artists. On the contrary, he seems
| 10 make it a point to keep moving about and so
! minglng with the crowd than an unObstructed
view Of him is almost impossible TO secure. When
he does stand still for a moment, or sit down, it
is almost certain to he in some unconventional
attitude and in close proximity TO or actual con-
tact with some other person.
Before the Prince came here it said that
be was out Of health, ont of spirits and out of
temper. and that he would not be a particularly
genial member of society. 1t is evident that this
did him great injustice He appears to be In his
normal health. Certainly no one could he iii
better spirts or display more amiable DISPOSE
ton than he. In the two weeks and more OF his
stay here no one has for even a moment seen
a frown upon his face, or heard cross word from
his ips Nor has he in the least sought 10 seclude
himself from any of his numerous friends and ac-
| ouaintances Indeed, he never was ap-
nroachable, never more genial and never a more
| apreeable member of butterfly society than this
year
There are many other notable personages at
| ITomburg, though none who attract attention
comparable with that bestowed upon tine Prince
| Of Wales. The most important of them is the
Princes eldest sister, the Dowager German En-
press Frederick. 1t has long been her favorite
resort, ever since her long stay here during the
Franco-German war. She is now building near
here at Kromberg, a splendid palace called
| Frederic<shOf. To the erection OF this edtce
she is paying close and constant attention, visit
ing it every day and personally directing many
of the details Of the work. 1t will ne year more
before the castle is finished and furnished, and
Her Majesty is sparing neither expense nor pains
in the qualification of her artistic tastes The
spacious grounds are being laid out in the style
Of an English park The Empress personally pur-
chased these lands from the peasants who for
merly owned and farmed them, paying them their
| own prices although these were in many cases
| exorbitantly high. There are rumors that she
intends TO make this place a second Weimar, and
| TO aather about her here circle Of the choicest
| minds in literature music and art Her Majesty
drives back and forth between Homburg and
| Frederickshof every day, and is often seen drlv-
ing elsewhere in the vicinity of these places.
There are many peasants cottages where she has
stopped more than once on some kindly errand
| Of charity But she is never seen in the gay
throng al the Kursaal, or in the garden, and may
he said to be stranger in the fashionable society
| Of Hombnrg.
Another distinguished guest is the Grand Duke
of Mecllenburg-Stre For about quarter of
a century he has been an unfailing yearly visitor
here He is now quite blind, but is TO he seen
every day walking about the garden leaning on the
ann of some relative or friend ard he is often a
member of the Prince of Wales's party. The Duke
OF Cambridge has also been here, and so have the
Dukes of Abercorn and Rutland. and other mem
hers of the PeeraGe too numerous to mention
One other highly distinguished guest deserves