The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-30
THE KAISER'S JOB
Is NO SINECURE
Royalty fn His Case Not a FInwery Bed
OF Ease.
HARD WORK AND PLENTY or IT
Graphic Picture of His Extraordinary
Labors and Burdens--An ACCOM-
pIishcd Linguist and Scholnr--A
Soldier, n Sailor, and n Statesman,


Soldier, n Sailor, and IA Statesman,
The Figaro gives in the following
condensed form the most interesting
chapter Of bright little volume Just
published in Paris, entitled "Gaillaume
il. Intime." by Maurice Leudet, which
is bound, it saws, to have a brilliant
success de Curiosite.
The activity of the German emperor
is proverbial. He Is never at rest. lie
has a horror to idleness, and his en-
durance is prodigious. In his imned-
late surrounding it is feared that his
health may one day suffer from his
constant efforts to examine personally
into all the affairs of the empire To
rest his weary head he takes a great
deal of physical exercise, and he eXcols
ia athletic accomplishments.
The emperor arises at O'Clock in
the morning. The moment he gets out
of bed he takes n cold bath. His
mother, who is the daughter of Queen
Victoria, and consequently English by
origin, taught him from his childhood
TO love cold water. After the bath lie
dresses rapidly, and at half past he
takes breakfast.
Immediately after breakfast the cm-
peror goes to his official quarters,
where heaps of letters and documents
await him. The emperor. who attends
himself to all these affairs, has so
much to do in the line of reading docu-
ments and examining everything in
detail that he has hardly an instant's
rest. He rarely puts off the eXamna-
tion of any matter, attending to every
thing on the spot, even when 10 do so
# is necessary to take two Of three
hours from his sleeping time.
The adjutants on duty are at their
posts at half past 6. The emperor dis
cusTes with them the movements of
that day, and then he goes to see his
children.
SCRUTINIZING ACCOUNTS.
After that he goes to his own apart
ments, where he receives tie reports
of officials and conferS with the func-
tiOnaries of the grand master of the
palace. He looks after all entertain
ments and solemnities, the programme
and the opportunity of outings, the
expense to be incurred. etc In the
same way during the morning he sees
to the affairs of the imperial house
hold, scans the accounts, authorizes
the orders given by the grand mar
shal: in a word, looks into the matters
of the domestic life Of the castle.
In important cases he receives at s
o'clock his ministers and cOunscllors,
the prefect of police, the generals and
high officials. All these gersCnages
give orally briefs of the reports which
they present to him for his Signature.
He has made it a habit To wade
through all the reports which come in
during the day and to examine them
thoroughly. He Cften says to the Of
ficials working with him: / know
very well that l am giving you a great
deal of trouble. but / cannot help It. I
am imposing a burden upon myself,
for my conscience will never allow me
to come to a decision precipitately,"
1t often happens that the heals of
departments present him with twenty
documents for his signature. Zach one
of them is examined carefully, and out
of the twenty papers it rarely happens
that he signs more than three or four.
AS for the others, he wants additional
details.
At O'Clock in the morning the en-
peror has already accomplished n
heavy piece of work. The weather
and season permitting, he takes Il ride
in a carriage, which is followed by a
long promenade on foot. If the wealth
er is not suitable for that exercise, he
goes horseback riding for three-uuar
ters of an hour.
The emperor is q good SWOrdsman, a
good horseman and an excellent hum
ter. When on horseback he likes to en-
counter difficulties. He jumps not only
hedges and bitches, but also hurdles
with the greatest facility.
On the days of inspections. when he
is obliged to be in the saddle for a
considerable time, he omits the car
riage ride. He often remains i'm the
saddle five or six hours continuously.
AGAIN AT WORK.
At IL o'clock the conferences and re-
ports are again taken up. This is also
the time for audiences. The officers nt
high rank and also the functionares
who have just been promoted are an.
nounced. He receives also the envoy
and representatives of other states
princes and grands seigneurs. William
II. chats with each Of them for few
moments. At these receptions the en-
perOr displays toward his guests at
tentions that are quite original. Fur
example, he changes his uniform six
or seven times. If the son of an artil-
lery general comes to announce tn
death of his father the emperor never
fails to don the uniform of an artillery
general in order to pay respect to tn,
officer who died in his service. He ap-
pears i'm the uniform OF an artillery
general, of a general of cavalry or OF
infantry or even i'm the uniform of an
admiral according to the rank of tn,
person whom he receives.
If the emperor receives representa-,
tiVes or military attaches Of foreign
countries, he wears the uniform Of IN
foreigner that he receives, or at least
the decorations of the country Of thai
foreigner.
All this tiresome ceremony lasts un,
til ? O'Clock in the Afternoon. The en-,
peror then goes back to see his chill
dren, who are already at table ana hC
takes lunch with them. Then he sees
the high officials, the generals anC
ministers, and discusses with them tn,