The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-29
LONG-LIVED RULERS.
The German Fatherland Has an
Abund ance of Them.
A Dukes Golden Wedding-The Benign
Ruler of MecklenbUrg-Streli Alb
sented Himself, Thus Saving
His People Expense.

There seems to be something yer
salubrious in the climate of Germany
particularly for persons of royal blood
if one may judge from the ripe old ag
to which the heads of the variou
kingdoms, duchies and principalitie
| have attained. The celebration of tn
hftieth anniversary of succession t,
the throne has been conmemorated Il
several petty states of the iatherlant
within the past few years. The duls'
Of Saxe-Coburge-Gotha. brother of tn.
! lanented prince cousort Of Queen Vic
toria, is beyond the Biblical limit By
several years. The grand duke O.
| SAKE Weimar, who lived in the beauti
! full town made famous by Goethe
Schiller, Herder, Wieland and List
has reigned mare than fifty years, anc
has celebrated the ffticth anniversary
OF his marriage. The prince regent OF
! Bavaria has also lived more than three
| score years and ten. The king OF
| Saxony is white haired and seventy
and the grand dule of Baden and the
! duke of Meiningen are men approach.
| ing the time when they will be called.
The prince of LippcD died only
few weeks ago, at the age of seventy
seven.
But none Of the petty German SOW
/ ereigns who took part with Emperor
William l., his great chancellor and
his immortal field marshal in the re-
creation of the German empire is more
popular than Grand Duke Frederick
William, of Mecklen burg Strelitz. Only
recently he celebrated the semi-cen-
tennial anniversary of his marriage to
Grand Duchess Augusta, his cousin,
who was born princess of Great Brit
ain.
The grand duke, says the Chicago
Post, is closely related to the present
generation of the Hohenzollerns He
was born October II, 1919, and was the
son of Grand Duke George, brother of
the famous Queen Louise, the mother
of the first Emperor William, and
Grand Duchess Marie, daughter of
Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel After
thorough preparation for university
course by the professors of the gym
nasium at Neustrelitz he entered the
University of Bonn in 1896. He was
one of the first rulers sons to be en-
relied at German university and his
a:trent at the old institution was dis
cussed far and wide. His example has
been followed by hundreds of princes
since that time and to-day it is as
much a matter of course that the scion
Of ruling house spend several years
at a university as it formerly was that
he entered the army. The sons of the
present emperor are not only to be-
come students at Bonn, but are to at
tend the gymnasium or college at
KEEL for nine years, taking the full
course of the institution.
The young grand duke hereditary of
Mecllcnburg- Strelitz spent several
years at Bonn studying law, history
and political science. After leaving
the institution he passed year in
travelling in Italy and Switzerland.
At the suggestion of his cousin, King
Frederick William ", he then en-
tered the Prussian army to prepare
for an active military career.
In 1912 the prince hereditary became
engaged to Princess Augusta, daugh-
ter of Duke Adolf, of Cambridge.
the son of King George III. of Eng
land and Queen Charlotte, who
was born princess of Mecklenburg-
Strelitz. In September, 1860, he sue
ceeded his blind father as grand duke.
Since that time he has devoted himself
assiduously to the welfare of his little
country. Many of its most famous in
situations are due to his liberality.
He took an active part in the wars of
1866 and 1S10-1 and then gained the
lasting gratitude of Emperor William
and his supporters.
The report that Duke George of
Meiningen intended to abdicate in
favor of his son, the brother-in-law OF
The German emperor. has been official
y denied. The rutnor arose from the
from the army of the duke
hereditary and his return to Mem
ngen. Few people in Germany, how
,ver would be surprised if the runner
should prove to be founded in fact.
The reigning duke has long suffered
rom illness and has been unable to
spend more than few weeks each
ear in tie beautiful capital of the
title duchy. The duke was married
norganatically several years sco-af- |
er the death of his wife-to Fraulein |
Helena Franz, member of the famous
,Ieiningen theater. She was created |
"a rOness de Heldburg upon her mar
iage. The couple have lived happily |
ogether, caring little for society or |
ne pomp of court lie.
The prince hcredifa-v. who viii sue
ccd his father sooner or later III the |
ontrol of the duchy. i 4 man of 1t
rary rather than niiIitarv instincts. |
lis wife Charlotte, tie eldest sister of
he German emperor and known be- |
ore her marriage as the Venus of |
he Hohenzollerns." was never deeply |
4 love with her husband, and the mar
iage in consequence has been unhap-
y. Her cleverness and beauty have
rought mary men to her feet. The |
uke would have been engaged in /
nany Guels had il not been that his /
tation in life precluded his giving or
ccepting challenge. He cared little
or his military duties, although he
ED the rank OF lieutenant general.
nd secured so many leaves of absence
hat he was rarely with his division.
lie is by no means a handsome man.
lis dislike of the soldiers life does not
did to his popularity in a country SO
evoted to militarism as is Germany.
lie is d clever man, however, com
oser of merit and the author OF
lumber Of plays which he has trans
ated into modern Greek. Although
@ Is more yOpular in Athens than in |