Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-28
CROWNED HEADS
And Princes of the Empire
Crowd Streets of Berlin,
To Help the Emperor Celebrate Seth
Birthday Anniversary.
Seldom Has The Capita! Seen So Much Pomp
and Splcndor.

Berlin, Jan, a7.-Emperor William has
made his 36th birthday celebration an
agreeable spectacle. Apparently his OBJ
iect has been to dazzle the people and dis
pei their suspicious of tho strife between
him and the other allied monarchs in
Germany Only ON supreme occasions
has the city seen such gathering t
crowned heads.
The Kings of Saxony and Wurtcmburg,
the grand dukes of Baden, Hesse and
Oldcnburg and dukes of SaXc-Coburg-
Gotha and Mccklonburg Schwcrin arc
here. Every noteworthy German prince
except the regent of Bavaria has come to
lend pomp Ia the fetes. With the princes
and suites there have arrived many fami-
lilies Of court nobility who have filed tho
big hotels and oyerilowcd into the privats
palaces OF high Berlin society
All yesterday the city had a holiday as
carriages with outridors rolled along tho
double row Of lindens The larger bust
ness houses put up their shutters carly
and let their employees out to sec the great
people from the provincial capitals. Dec
orations transformed the Fricdrichs
strassc Loipsigcrstrassc and Inter Den
Linden. Every house and street of pre-
tensions was gay with flags of all the fed
eral states.
Evening brought the finest illumination
seen since the old Emperor's Goth birth
day anniversary. All the big buildings
were ablazc with electric lights, arranged
in patriotic designs. The finest effects
were produced on the large government
building but the illuminations Of tho
Dresden bank Hamburg American steam
ship Co, Hertzogs Bazaar and electric
ity offices, were hardly less splendid.
AT o'clock some artillery salutcs an
nounced the opening of the birthday fcs-
tivitics. Then the massed bands of tho
garrison regiments marched into Inter
den Linden and up to the Lustgnrten,
where they played the reveille. The streets
through which they passed were filled
with early risers, among whom were hun
dreds of excursionsts from nearby towns
The Emperor began the day by attend
/ ing religious service, after which he, tho
allied monarchs and the princes of their
families and suites went to the arsenal.
There the royal visitors and assembled
officers of all troops stationed near Berlin
heard the Imperial order to this effect;
with view TO giving the troops visi-
bic sign of the proud memories left them
by the glorious war of % years ago, all
military standards and flags, whenever
unfolded between July 10, 1896, and May
TO- 1896, shall bo decorated with fresh
oakleavcs. Moreover, the first guns OF all
batteries which took part in the campaign
etween July Is. 1870, and May 10, 1871,
shall be wreathcd in oakleaves, whenever
used or displayed in public, during tho
period already named.
The weather has been very favorable
since early morning, clear, sunny and
exhilarating There is some snow in tho
streets but not enough to keep anybody
at home. As the day advanced, tho
crowds in the streets increased Tho
police did not enforce the Sunday closing
law and many shops did an enormous
business The Emperor was chcorcd loudly
whenever he appeared in public. The Reich
sanzeiger publishes this letter, which
the Emperor addressed to the Berlin city
government:
"It is quarter Of n century since the
German nation, In obedience 10 the sum
mons Of its princes, repealed unitcdly, the
foreign aggrcssors, and gained those glor-
Gus victories for unity and the fathcrland,
which led to the rc-establishment of the
empire. As o lasting monument 10 tho
glorious pat / will erect out of my own
purse. statues of Brandenburg's and
Prussia S princes from Margrave Albert
to Emperor William ], in Victoria avenue
in Thiergarten. Each stituo will be
fankcd with the figures of men especially
renowned in the period in question"
The Emperor win decree that the min
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