Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-11-05
POOREST PRINCE II EUROPE.
Montencgro's Rulers Purse VIII BE
Filed by His Daughters Marriage.

uerOr Nicholas Of Russia, Princess
Helen Of Montenegro, stalwart and
stately brunette, with cOal-beck hair,
flashing eyes, a superb figure and a
stature Of neary six feet, Is about to
marry the crown prince OF Italy, mar
riage which practically assures TO her
the eventfu dignity of the queen OF
Italy.
II Is impossible to imagine any coup e
less physically suited to one another
than this strangely pair. The heir to
the throne of Italy Is a dwarf III
stature, being less than five feet tall.
His physique is so frail that it was
feared for many years that he would
never live to manhood, and even now
the idea of his marriage appears pre-
posterous and inConBruouS.
He has been rejected by every mar
riageable European princess. Princess
Helene of Montenegro no doubt ac-
copied him because her father, the
ruler of Montenegro, Is pauper, de
/ pendent upon the bounty of the car.
I 1t is fortunate for Princess Helene Of
Montenegro that she mas been reared
under the supervision of the now
widowed c2arina Of Russia in the i'm
pcrial palaces of St Petersburg. 9th
or wise the transition from the sordld
and cheap surroundings OF her fathers
court to The palaces Of the king of Italy
at Naples Rome and Florence might
dazzle her.
1t is difficult to conceive amy grGaI er
contrast than that which exists be-
tween her p o5ent abode at Cettnj and
the superb Pitt palace at Florence,
filled with priceless art treasures, which
is to be her home after her marriage u
few weeks hence to the only son and
heir of the king Of Italy
j Her fathers sovereignty would be
opera bouiroish were it not for She
nercencss Of his warliko retainers and
for the bIood-staned pages in the his
tory of the Black mountain. The pop
laton of The coultry does not exceed
two hundred thousand of which
scarcely thousand reside ut CcttlnJe,
the capital. The lGtter has but one
street, Il single inn, no bank or theatre,
and no houses worthy of the name,
save the shabby villa which forms the
palace Of the reigning prince.
Prince Nikita Of Montenegro sue
cecdcd TO the throne on the aSsdSsina-
ton of his uncle in 1860. He is about
iifty-hvo years Of age, 10 very tail and
somewhat stout. His musache and
whskers are trimmed in the style af-
fccted by the late Alexander H. His
strength Is prodigious, and he IS skilled
in all sports.
Once finding his subject, unwilling
to perform manual labor the prince
followed the example Of Peter the Great
spent an entire day in hammering
iron and shoeng horses thereby sue
cossfully proving to the Montcncgrans
that 1t was not beneath the dignity OF
a warrior to soil his hands by welding
a hammer and bellows.
Prince Nikita next turned his atton-
zion to shoCmaking, 4 trade which he
could not get any of hi, subjects to re
gard AS compatible with their dignity.
He worked all ono day mendmg shoes
in II cohbler's shop, which sh0med his
subjects and induced them to learn
shuCmaking
The princes good points are offset
by his passion for gambling, his heavy
drinking and his dis ClutC habits, AS
soon as the I o'clock dinner Is COM
plotted the prince and his friends ad-
iuurn TO the billiard room, on the
ground floor where he generally re
mans till near daybrcak playing bill
lizards first and then cards, at which the
prince loses considerable sums. The
prince rarely goes to bed sober.
il is owing o these losses at cards
that he is always hard up, Ills civil
income il ouly about $4,000, and SO he
is almost entirely dependent upon the
allowance of 100000 per annum he re-
rrtNcs from the priyy purse Of the EN-
pcror Of Russia, In fact the entire
rcipuing family of Montenegro are de-
pendent upon the bounty of the car,
An the princesses have been brought
up ut St Petersburg a the expense Of
the now widowed c2ar'na.
Whenever the prince and his family
lluNb IL dptNl ttulplt u - INV III ItihlH Wy
Russian Ambassador of the capital
whore they may happen to be staying
who pays their hotel bills on behalf OF
the car, Towards the close OF his
reign Alexander III, grew very tired OF
the princes constant appeals for money
and manifested dispC to close
his purse 10 him, The present EN-
perur, having iilt al Princess Helene,
feels bound in a measure to atone H.
naugally for his breach OF faith, and
Is therefore more generous There is
political reason for this aid, because
Montenegro, being upon the frontier
of Turkey would be exceedingly use
full to Russia IN the event of war.
Moreover Montenegro has all dong,
tharks TO Russian subsidies. been the
nucleus of the Rllkauis confederation,
! In which bulgaria aud SelNia are in
, Guided, which is devoted 70 the polttt-
cal interests Of Russia
Prince Nilltta has mary enemies