Evening journal., 1897-11-16
FERDINAND OF BULGARIA.
4 Petty Sovereign Who Is Continuni-
~ Making Himself nfdtcuIous.

According TO the Munchner Ncuste
Nachrichten. Ferdinand OF Bulgaria
night well be designated The most alb
eurd figure among the European
princes were it not for The bloody deeds
that occur about him lend him sinis-
icrly grotesque atmosphere Neither
tie greatest statesman nor ihc hum-
blest cafe-chantaut singer is safe from
The company with which he surrounds
himself. From the legal proceedings
which have recently occurred may be
learned much OF what not yet made
public 10y the European press goes on
around this extraordinary member os
the house of Coburg"
The Vienna Zeit, too. asks who are
actually the most intimate counsclors
VI the prince. "Onc must not 60 back
too far" says that newspaper. "or one
may chance upon bandiU Leaving
the ashes OF the fathers to rest in peace.
and dealing only with the men who
form the encourage of the prince. Que
would until recently have found az their
head a French nobeman. Count dc
Forras, who was learned I'm heraldry
1nd as proud rs a Spanish hidalgo. but
lid not speak one word OF Bulgarian.
His Office was TO look after the splendor
Of the court. lie was deyout Catholic
and went to mass regularly. But now
he is gone, and in his place there is a
iovial young French count--such one
us may be met with by the dozen In
the salons OF the Partisan haVi and
demimonde. lie is a good fellow. speaks
French prettily, IS a distinguished cav
nlier a clever actor-in short. an adj
mrabe Crchton. Before the marriage
Of the prince there acted as sort Of
housekeeper a certain Countess Gren-
mud. who later married a favorite OF
the prince. DR.. Stantschof by name.
who is at present diplomatic agent in
ST. Petersburg. and whose absolute in
! significance the Bulgarians had plenty
Of opportunity to discover. DR.. Lever
kuhn. head Of the library aud of The
geological gardens. is certainly an hon
rst man. but he has nothing TO do with
politics. Very different elements play
part 10 the politics of the country.
notably those which have come TO light
during the Szimon affair. and also such
persons as Poiteschen and Noyelitsch
or the post Office assistant SiatarcfT
whom the prince has raised 10 the Dig
nifty Of his table companion. and Av-
radaliieT. who is az the head OF the
prircely secret police.
"raese are the grandees Of the now
bulgarian court. They sit i'm the gala
coaches which on state occasions follow
the prince. when they are dressed in
uniforms covered with gold lace. with
footmen in knee breeches. lace iabois.
wigs. with queues. etc. while the horses
are caparisoned with glitterng silver
harness and uodding plumes ON their
heads; and in silk and satin-nrholsiered
coaches the courtiers follow. dressed
in gala costumes. like the others. the
whole train such us the duodecimo ma
ton IS NOT worthy of; in.short. q caricu-
lure. in The peasant country OF Bull
yaria, OF princely rococo days.
There were at one time robes OF
stale designed by the prince, which
were wen fitted TO such professions.
They had train several yards long,
which. in default of pages. was wont
TO be carried 10y two pupils Of the acad-
emy. But the prince wore this opera
bouiTe mantle only once. The amuso-
ment which il everywhere awakened
induced StambuloH TO tell him the
truth. and the prince never again
wore II.
Ferdinand has introduced into dem
ocraiic Bulgaria the Kiss of reverence
From the highest official to the lowest
peasant every Bulgarian. male or fe
male, is obliged. when he approaches
the prince. TO kiss his hand. This spec
iacle may be seen at every parade. ia
iheaters. balls. at court entertainments
In short. wherever the prince shows
himself IN public The highest digni
taries in the land stand about in groups
and the prince goes from ore TO the 9th
err holding out his carcfully-gloveC
hand 10 be klssed-truly an edifyinf
picture Of the manners OF the time o
Lons Nv. leavened with Muscovit,
CTsaropapism Fear Of the prince &
only modified by the sense of his nb
surdity. which has penetrated the mos
remote strata of the population."--Chi
rago Inter Ocean.