Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-07-30
MONARCHS PLAY FRANKS.
Crowned Heads of Europe Frequently
Act Like Schoolboys.

The manner of their lives, separated
so largely from the comprehensive and
relaXations of life, seems to make royal
personages especially fond of a Joke.
and the rougher it is and the more it
Eartakes of hOrse-play character the
more welcome it is
One OF the most peculiar practical
jokes was that organized in the coun-
Gil chamber Of the late King Alfonso
OF Spain by his intimate friend and
companion, the duke of Tamanes, who
accompanied the Infanta Eulalie to
this country in 1893.
1t was during carnival time, and the
king had complained to the duke that
it was very dreary affair, and en-
treated the nobleman TO do something
to liven things up a bit The following
morning when the king entered his
council chamber he was almost pitched
over by most extraordinary appari-
ton, 1t appeared TO be a bag such as
millers use for flour, and it was termin-
ated by pair of bow legs that were
prancing about in every direction The
architecture of these legs at once re-
Vealed to the king the identity of the
human flour bag. 1t was no other than
the little minister of agriculture, who,
with the assistance of The duke of
Tamanes and the apparently grave and
austere minister Of foreign affairs, had
dressed himself in this odd rig. The
king joined SO heartily in the laughter
provoked by the extraordinary antics
! n 90 ho
streamed down his face; nor was his
mirth diminished when the minister,
after having eXtricaCed himself from
the bag, showed himself with his hair,
his beard and his uniform literally COW
cred with flour.
Another monarch who is very fond of
practical joking is Emperor William Of
| Germany. On one occasion, about a
year after he assembled the throne his
! right hand was seriously injured during
the rough horseplay that takes place
every St. Sylvesters, or New Years eve,
in the streets of Berlin. On that night
! no citizen ventures to appear upon any
public thOroughfare wearing a tall hat,
or even q derby. The students nave
! from time immemOrial had sort of
Unwritten right to bonnet any civilian
thus arrayed by smashing his hat with
a sharp blow of the fist upon his crown.
The kaiser, who had always Joined in
this form of sport before his accession
to the crown, on the first New Years
eve that followed the death of his la
mented father walked out with the col
( lar of his coat we'll turned up and fur
! cap down over his eyes, so as to conceal
his identity. He soon had several
/ badly wrecked hats 10 his credit. He
/ then encountered an elderly citizen Of
pOrtly figure and benevolent demeanor,
whose looks, however belied his char
acter He had been bonneted in pre-
vious years, and was resolv, to teach
his tormentcrs a lesson. So he had
made sort of leather skull cap, thick
in texture and studded with long, sharp
nails.
So when the emperor brought down
his fist with all his might on the tnof-
fensive-looking tall hat his hand was
pierced in many places by the nails
and covered with blood, the injuries at
one time threatening lockjaW. The Citi-
zen was arrested pending a decision as
to whether he should be prosecuted on
charge of "lese majestic" He was,
however, released, as his offense was
entirely an innocent one. '.,z
/ No one is more fond of practical jokes
than the prince Of Wales. In times
gone by his favorite butt used to belhis
private secretary, Sir Francis KnOllys,
and the number of apple pie beds, BOBBY
traps and hoaxes which he has been
called upon to endure with good humOr
and equanimity would fill a volume TO
/ Observation-Disclosures Tribune.