Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-14
headed whips, and above all their naughty

poId has arrived. and it looks as this |
CI9sus among the Prussian princes had |
squandered a fortune on the equipage. |
whose SIX black stations are driven from |
the saddle, and pioneered by buglers. !
Another call; this is the Princess Freder- |
lex Charles. by her late marriage, Baron |
ess Won Wangenheim, who is noted for
her tall ''caros siers" Six of them In
golden accouterments, with ostrich plumes
on their heads, strut before the gided
chariot, which Is completely filed by the
lady's court train and furs. The emper
ors only unmarried sister, Princess Mar
guerite, arrived In coach Of equal splen-
uor, but unattended by her mother, who
is still indisposed.
1t was now 80 o'clock and the guests
began 70 appear in large numbers at the
door of the ''Saal," where they were re-
ceived by ehamberlains all in silks and
gold lace, swords studded with precious
showed each one his or her place, and fire.
quently whispered "a final instruction to
the younger people. The tables were set
in a square Of two long and two short an
giles. 1t is impossible to describe the pomp
and magnlfcence Of their decoration
Candle abra. weighing hundreds of pounds
IN solid gold, with silver pedestals, al
Uernated with flower and fruit stands Of
| the same precious metal. Then there were
beautiful SeVres vases, set off by gold
bronze, and show pieces of wonderous de-
sign. Tue service waa OF gold and enam-
Ell, the linen silk-like in texture and the
porcelain hand painted. The scent OF
lowers fioated through the mighty room, at
whose furthermost end two fountains of
aromatic waters were playing in a beo of
greens. Now Prince Stolberg, the grand
chamberlain, taps his golden staff on the
parquette, the guarde- du. corps musicians
divided IN two orchestras and stationed
opposite each other on the galleries,
place their silver corpetS (also an inheri-
lance Of Caetano-FrederickI J to their
mouths, dead quiet eusles the court is
about to enter.
Thirty to forty pages in red and silver
doublets, velvet knickerbockers, white silk
stockings, and gold shoes, headed rhe
procession, followed at a measured dis
lance, by the grand masters of ceremonies,
stewards, gentlemen, ushers, ETC., all in
elaborate costumes. The Emperor, con-
Quoting his aunt, the Princess Frederick
Charles. came next, the empress, at the
| side of Prince Frederick Leopold, and a
L
Military Household" AMI detachment
Of body guards. wearing the pic, uresque
costume of the great Frederick's tines,
bring up the rear. The moment the
kaiser appeared ., fore his guests a brilli-
ant fanfarons de was enacted by the TWO
music corps, while everybody bowed low
and smiled serenely. Kaiser and Kaiser
! III took their seats under The tnrone can
/ on no 1SrbS IF tl,o hol
all around to greet their friends. Not
until all royalties and the chancellor we're
seated, did the other guests attempt to
| follow suit. Immediately afterwar6 the
serving Of the meal begun.
The menu was quickly gone through
with, and as | viewed the rapidly with
which the Dishes were changed, I pitied
| those who perchance had come real hun
| CRY to the feast.
| The imperial family were waited on by
| the pages, who received the silver and gold
plates from the hands Of the liveried KAN
merjaggers. This is a curious title for
'butler," to be sure.
| The literal translation is chamber
| hun sman, and describes an occupation
which, am glad to say, has gone ont of
| date long ago-at the European courts, at
| least. The office and the title were ere
ated In those good old times when nobody
e er dreamed of taking bath. Of these
lackeys there was an almost endless vari-
ETY.. To each guest was allotted one for
personal service, that is about 900
on this particular occasion, besides an
army Of supernumeraries running to and
fro.
Chancellor Won Capriyi and the old
10
| their majesties, With whom they convers-
ed in quite chatty style. There was not
much ceremony wasted anyhow. Every
body laughed and talked as he or she
pleased, in quiet manner of course, but
yet without special reserve. Only one
custom struck me as reminiscent Of the
stately Old etiquette. When the emperor
intended to drink guests health be cali
ed out the name Of the person, who stood
up in military fashion and drained his
glass while looking the kaiser full in the
face. The empress, who looks best when
she smiles, appeared to great advantage
throughout the dinner. She wore sea
green watered silk, cut very low, leaving
her wonderful bust free. Her jewels were
pears and diamonds, with a brilliant
studded feather in the tiara. The Prin
cess Frederick Charles, once the beauty
par excellence, and still a fine woman, dis
played, as usual, her penchant for royal
ermine and purple. The face Of the
Kaiser's sister, the Princess Meiningen re
minded me strongly of the iamented Fred
erick III. She has beautiful, soulful eyes
and a mild mein. Size is slightly above
medium height ana som 3what slim. This
young woman abhors royal romp in dress
the fashions of the day are good enough
for her. Her jewelss were saphires and
diamonds.
The dinner lasted for about an hour,
during that time the music corps played
merriiy. At the dessert | observed that
the emperor abstained from conversation
and nervousIy crumbled pieces Of bread in
his hand. Suddenly he rose, clincked his
glass against crystal caraffe near by and
began speech, the opening lines of which
we1e almost uninteligible. His voice,
hewever, gained with every sentence, and
finally rang out clearly and with almost
cutting sharpness. He carries his charac
fer in his voice, and is fine speaker, even
from an Americans standpoint. Some
twenty minutes after the kaiser bad finish
ed. the company broke up to assemble in
the dancing hall, whittier [ was not per-
mitted to follow. HENRY w. FIsHRR.
Family Anniversaries.
AS people we pay far to little attention
to birthdays and other family anivertarias
Too much cannot be done to make nome
attractive, so that our boys and girls will
prefer it to all other places, says an ex-
change.
This has been the incest day l ever
knew" said boy to his other one even
| L ,. L. =,