The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-08-31
Short Story Of German
Military Life.
It Is Believed to Be from
the Emperor's Pen.
The Hero Spendthrift officer, a Tyre
Which the Kaiser Thinks Is
Too Numerous.

AS a strategist and sportsman, artist
and soldier, preacher and virtuoso, af-
ter-dinner speaker and debater, as
architect, composer, stage manager,
censor, diplomatist-in all these var
ious roles, the readers of the World
know and have watched the Kaiser,
who is as versatile, if not as crafty,
as his great ancestor, Frederick the
Only, the name given to "Old Fritz"
by his faithful Germans.
AT this present moment his majesty
is about to pose before his subjects
| as a short story writer, a writer Of no
mean merits, either. A book now in
the press, ''Tales, Legends, and
Dreams the title page Of which bears
the name of Count Gutenberg as au-
| thor contains, among Other things, a
| remarkable nara tive, said to be from
Williams pen, that cannot fail to
make a deep impression. 1t deals with
| the topic, so much in evidence on the
continent and especially in Germany,
| Luxury among Army Officers" which
| the kaiser once before discussed in a
general order three years ago.
Members of the court and Berlin So
ciety accrediting to the emperor the au-
| thorship Of the story, "a Letter." In
the book fathered by Count Gutenberg,
give as one of the reasons, the fact
| that his majesty is almost fanatic
on the question of reforming his off,
GERS corps. He discusses it on all
occasions, and am incident, such as re-
| lated in "a Letter." has actually hap
pened in the artillery regiment of
which the kaiser is colonel.
Count Gutenberg is the German Am
| bassador at the court of Vienna. He
| belongs to the ancient nobility. and for
many years has been the kaiser's close
| personal friend. William calls him
my Votaire.' He stands in the same
relation TO the emperors literary and
musical efforts as the French philoso-
pher did tc those of Frederick the
| Great, with this difference, however,
| that the kaiser allows his co-worker a
| fair share, or even more of the honors
Jointly earned. 1t will be remembered
| that the haiser's musical composition
| recently made Known, mentions the
count as the author of the text.
| Gutenberg IS spending his vacation
with his majesty on the Hohenzollern
bound for North cape.
The scene of the story, "a Letter,
| is laid in a fashionable Berlin restau-
rant, name not given, but easily rec
| ognized as Borcharts, on Charlotten-
strasse. 1t is, by the way the only
| public supper room ever frequented
| by the kaiser. His majesty was
breakfasted at Borcharts some time
| ago by the officers of the guarde du
corps, and when later on he learned
| by accident, of the enormous cost OF
the banquet, he became very much
| enraged, saying it was small wonder
| his officers were never q penny above
a beggar If they paid SO extravagantly
| for food and drink.
Here follows the story:
"a LETTER."
| "In q restaurant not a thousand
PAGES from the Linden, the most pa.
latial thoroughfare of any European
city, with the monumental Branden-
| burg gate at one end, and at the other
the venerable HoheaZollern Schloss,
| there assembled the other evening q
gay company of army officers, young
| men and old, most of them in uniform
and all distinguished for a certain all
| Of refinement, the result of birth and
| education. The resort Is known as one
of the most aristocratic in the city
| probably because the prices charged
by the proprietor are high enough te
| frighten away ordinary citizens, who
| earn what they spend, without re-
course to patrimony, found by more
fortunate persons at the side Of theil
cradle.
'Is it right to style them more for.
tunate, or extol their good luck, as Ii
| were? The question has been asked
| again and again, philosophers have de-
tol ta1 mo
despise those born with a silver spoor
in their mouth, as the saying Is. Wht
shall decide what, after ALL is matter
of individuality? A strong mind Is no1
easily swayed by good fortune, a weak
one often perishes under a small loa6
Of adversitieS.
| 1.-The two foremost PrusSian mon
archs, the Great Elector and Fred
erick the Only, spent their youth III
comparative penury; they were de
prived of the benefits that usually fal
to the heir of the crown, but these cir
cumstances, which most of their con
! temporaries styled misfortune, only
tended to strengthen their characters
to increase their vigilance, to make
them most expert students Of human
nature. And when they finally entered
| upon their inheritance, they did sc
| with a will to defend what was theirs
| to assert their rights.
ST am not wandering off my subject
The remarks, though apparently forced
eminently apply to the party of gentle
men we meet at the gilded resort
am about to describe. It has none OF
| the outside glamour by which similar
establishments attract customers; its
location in building bearing a strong
| resemblance to a private residence
| guards against unwelcome intruders
| and insures exclusiveness. There are
no show windows, no tempting plac-
| ards or signs; the door keeper in fault
less evening dress receives agreeable
guests with a low bow, and frowns
| others away. I heard story the
other day in one of the military ca
sinos to the effect that certain sa.
| loon-keeper in New York selects his
German walters among the staff off.
| GERS enigrated to thak strange country
! in preference to men below the rank OF
| captain. In similar style the proprie-
| tor of these supper rooms distinguishes
| between men of the aristocratic and
the nouveaux riches classes. / do not
credit him, however, with disbelief in