The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1897-10-01
A MAD KINGS FREAKS
SOME OF THE WAYS LUDWIG HAD
OF AMUSING HIMSELF.

Amused.
If Ludwig II, the young king of Ba-
varia, was mad, it was from excess of maj
esty. The monarch of one of the smallest
Kingdoms of the world, his opinion of
himself was magnificent beyond all dreams
of grandeur. Ordinary people were not
sufficiently exalted to be his companions.
Ordinary occupations afforded him no
qualification All the .chateaus and pal
aces which he inherited when he came to
the thrcne were squalid for one so great.
Architecture and building were his ruling
hobbies, and he was thus able to crafty
the one delusion by building magnificent
edifices, the second by occupying his time
in the most extraordinary fashions and the
third by stunning society and escaping
the Inspection of ordinary eyes, either in
his gorgeous retreats or by retiring to one
of the more humble dwellings he erected
on various mountain SUBMITS, where a
few attendants awaited his unexpected
visits. Lndwig's mania for solitude took
the most unexpected twists. He enjoyed
this own company best ON those occasions
when people whose minds are less phe-
nomenally balanced consider companion
ship most essential 1t was his fancy to
have dramatic and musical performances
for himself alone. Unfortunate theatrical
managers and indignant musical directors,
not daring to resist the royal whim, were
driven to waste their talent by providing
entertainments. The theater was dark
ened the orchestra, the chorus and the
full dramatic company were grudgingly
provided, one and all detesting the work of
putting forth their best efforts for the
amusement of an empty house, save for
the solitary figure sitting silent and mo-
tionless in the shadow of the royal box.
Music Ludwig loved, and many of his
widest extrayagances and maddest acts of
prodigality were due to the influence of
Wagner, his one friend and adviser. 1t
was Wagner who prompted his most tran
scendent folly, the erection of a huge
theater at Baireuth for that composers
Qualification. One performance alone en-
tailed an expenditure of EGO, 900, of which
Els, 900 was paid by the king, the rest be-
ing barely covered by the sale of tickets.
Reared from his childhood amid the most
enchanting scenery, Ludwig dearly loved
the lonely mountains and the silent forests
in which his possessions were SO rich. De-
lighting to turn night into day, he would
order his horses after dark, and the jingle
of his sleigh bells and the big crack of the
Positions whips would bring the peas
antry to their bedroom easements to see
a brilliant equipage flash by, phantom
that vanished in a whirl of snow dust,
dream of red and gold and blue and silver,
and above the head of the silent occupant
two crowns glowing with electric light
1t was only the simple Inhabitants of the
Bavarian Alps who ever caught a glimpse
of these fairylik vehicles. The front of
one was formed by a gigantic she'll borne
by Tritons. with little Cupids seated on it's
edge, whose tiny arms carried back
wreaths to the royal occupant. The orna-
mentation of another was SO profuse that
but three small spaces were left on the
panels, and these were occupied by delicate
NEUROLOGICAL scenes painted by the hand
of a famous Munich artist. The kings
sleighs we're never drawn by fewer than
four horses He appears to have been fond
of -t+ose animals which he called his
dumb courtiers. But, ike everything.
else about him, they were compelled to
suffer in order to crafty their masters
fancies.
During the winter of 1874 instructions
were sent to the royal stables that the 80
best horses they contained were for several
days to be fed on nothing but oats. The
grooms imagined they were to be entered
for race Though binding snowstorm
was raging, Ludwig commanded some
workmen to at once set about erecting a
wooden tower in the forest adjoining his
palace, and around this tower gallery
was to run Finally when his plans were
matured he stationed an orchestra of wind
instruments near this erection, taking up
his own position On the balcony. In the
corn1elds near he had scattered here and
there drums, Kettles and some soldiers
with rifles loaded with powder, and an Or
der was given that each man should re-
main hidden and silent. At a given sig
nal the horses were led quietly to the foot
of the tower Then the king gave a sign
which was understood by the leader of the
orchestra, by the drums, kettles, trumpets
and soldiers. In an instant the most in
fernal hubbub broke forth. Each drum
mer We'd with the other to beat louder, the
trumpeters nearly burst their cheeks, there
were powder explosions, shrill whistles and
most diabolieal howls The terrified horses
broke their fastenings. Mad with terror,
they reared, wheeled, zigzagged plunging
and kicking. they galloped here and there;
with blood red nostriis and floating names
they bolted in all directions to the jeopardy
Of the orchestra and the terror of the
drums and kettles in the fields. One by
one they disappeared over the horizon,
white with foam, still snorting and rolling
their eyes 1t was days before some of
them were found Many were picked up
enfeebled, still wild and terrified. Some
had reached the mountains; others had
penetrated the woods or become engulfed
in the marshes. His majesty, however,
was well amused.
The tricks Ludwig played on his horses
he also inflicted on his servants Every
one about him was in danger Of life and
limb. He injured at least 80 persons, and
one he killed. 1t is not to be forgotten,
however, that he was mad and ought
long before this to have been under med
ical charge. For some offenses his attend
ants were confined in the dungeons of his
castles; for others they were banished to
America. One miserable lackey was
charged with looking too curiously at his
eccentric master. For this he was COM
PEELED to wear a. black mask over his face