The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-10-06
A GIDDY PRINCESS.
The Sister Of Italy's King Outs q
Caper on Wheels.


Bicycles caused no end of bad blood
in more senses than one, it is to he
feared-before finally obtaining the
right Of citizenship among orthodox
vehicles of the road; and, universal
though they have now become among
ordinary mortals, they have still deal
of uphill work to accomplish before
acquiring status among the surround
ings of royalty. Of course, a prince or
king may bestride wheel" and do
anything but break a record or his
neck; but were a princess so far to for
get what she owed to her house, her
dignity and her long line of ancestors
as to patronize this democratic means
of locomotion, the whole civilized world
would be expects to stand aghast at
the desecration of royalty implied by
the act. And this is the horrible deed
that has just been announced by the
telegraph, and has thrown Italian court
circles into ceremonial convulsions.
The catastrophe, says Rome CORES
pondent OF the London Telegraph, oc-
CURED in Turin. and the heroine and
victim-the lady is both-is the pretty,
accomplished young widow, the duchess
Of Aosta, who is staying at the castle
of Stupi1igi. Princess Maria Loetizia
is sister-in-law Of the present king OF
Italy, she having married in 1888 his
brother, Prince Amadeo, duke of Aosta,
who died in 1890: This lady, who is q
Bonaparte, is not merely accomplished
and pretty, but is brimful of life and
fun, and takes a positive delight in
tramping upon the rigid court ceremo-
nial of past ages The last OF her
frolics was executed on a bicycle made
for one.
She set out few days ago on one
of these tabooed vehicles, accompanied
by maid of honor and two court cav
alters, and after long ride the party
were flying up one of the shady ave-
nues leading to the palace Of the dukes
of Aosta, when company of soldiers
commanded by a major met them half
way, glanced at them furtively, and
perhaps trifle too ~curiously or crit
ically, and marched on without making
sign. The duchess, rendered more
sensitive than usual by the conscious
ness that che was transgressing the
bounds of court etiquette, felt hurt at
not being saluted in the approved fash
ion by the major and his soldiers. This
was perhaps human nature, and, as
such, excusable. But the lively lady
went much further; she actually COM
planned of the conduct of the major,
who had, she affirmed, culpably neg
lected to salute her. The commandant
of Turin, Gen. d'Oncian de Ia Batin, at
once summoned the officer to appear
before him and explain his conduct.
The major said he was guiltless OF any
offense, as he did not recognize the
high born lady. oddly dressed and
seated between two wheels, and would
never have permitted himself to think
of her highness as severe bicyclist.
Had he known or suspected it was
she, Of course he would have, ETC.. etc.
Gen. de la Batin, uncertain what course
to take, appealed to the Solomonistic
wisdom of the war minister, to whom
he forwarded detailed report Of the
whole occurrence, asking for instruc-
tions as to the punishment to be meted
out to the major, whom he meanwhile
kept in arrest The minister of war,
if not precisely a Solomon, was at least
quite shrewd enough to see that the
ground he was treading was courtly-
il not holy-and instead of taking the
responsibility upon himself demanded
an audience Of the king, before whom
he laid the report of the commandant.
The monarch cut the Gordian knot in
a twinkling He sent q telegraphic
sov.
from arrest and entirely generating
him in the matter. This, however, was
the solution of only one-half Of the
question; the remaining moiety con-
cerned the lively young widow; and
the king sent his blcyc!e-]cvinR sister
in law an order forbl!ding her to at
tire herself in red court costume for
the space of two calendar mor las.
prohibition which. is. equivalent to
strlst domestic arrest for that period
The princess is therefore absolutely in
Visible to the good citizens OF Turn.
who were wont to watch and salute
her two or three times daily. as She
rode or drove or walked about the
streets Of the historic old city.
The inhabitants console themselves
by gazing for hours through the win
llows of the photographers shops,
where a.series Of ten magnificent por-
traits in various positions and costumes
attract hundreds of loyal sympathizers.
DOW learn that sentence has also
been pronounced on one Of the court
who accompanied the duchess
on her bicycling expedition. The mar
quis of Moncrivello has been summarily
from his post by order OF the
king, who is said to be extremely an
noyed at the evident determination OF
his sistcr-in-law to put al traditional
notions of court etiquette at naught,
and to have announced his intention to
punish more severely all future trans
gressions.
In the matter Of modern conven-
fences ALASKA is emerging from it, OBJ !
scurity and ranging up abreast Of the !