St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-08-10

its breath. His voice was peculiar, high |
pitched and not very powerful 1t was by |
some spoken of as a thin voice, but that ex-
presses only one of its qualities. 1t was the
voice of young man, and one hearing it
for the first time without seeing the speak
err could hardly believe that person long
past middle age was talking. A POLITICALLY
inclined writer once likened his speech 10
a forest stream running over stones and
roots. A more scientific observer described
it in this way:
II think know better though rather
technical mparison-namely, his speech
is like quicksilver drawn out. Take drop
of quicksilver containing some lead orzinc,
put it on IA pane of glass and hold it slant
ingly The drop swels and rolls, but pres
emily it stops, becomes thinner and longer,
remains immovable for IL moment, gathers
new strength to flow, becomes thin once
again, and so forth Thus it was with the
chancellor's words-frst, if sentence came
out, then he hestated, stopped or uttered
a short, inarticulate sound and went on
again. 1t was always evident that to speak
was physical exertion, but even when in
first rate form he did not talk fuently"
Close observation disclosed the fact that
the reason for all this was that the form of
his speech was always improvised on the
spur of the moment that, unlike many ex-
temporaneous speakers, he did not use the
first expression coming into his mind, but
while uttering the first half of a sentence
he was thinking how to shape the second
half in order to exactly express his mean-
ing. When making joke or some lighter
remark, there was no hesitation, but when
he turned to more serious subjects the halt
ing form of speech always returned.
1t follows that it was no easy task to re-
port his words Even the official stenog-
raphers used often to trip on his words, and
before their work was passed Bismarck
always personally revised it,
During debate he used to make frequent
notes in a coarse, scrawling hand. When
attacked by some keen opponents, he grew
nervous and shifted in his seat, his pen
shook between his fingers, and very often
his hand went menacingly to his sword
hilt, for Bismarck, while the first civil Off
Ger in the empire, was at the same time a
general of cavalry and always wore his I'M
dress uniform in the reichstag.
When aroused, his ebullitions of passion
were frequently terrible. He was merciless
in retort, unsparing of persons, no matter
their age, their personal services to himself
or to the empire He possessed caustic
humor which he used with great effect. A
master of invective, his coarseness of speech
very often defeated his own object. One
of his countrymen speaking on this point
described him as ian Achilles in courage
he is Thersite in debate as often as the
candid censure Of friends or the vicious
taunts of foes goad him into the loss of his
temper"
Bismarck's Last Interview With the En-
peror Was Most Dramatic.
1t was at 8 a. m. on Saturday, March Is,
1890 before he was yet out OF bed, that Bis
marck was notified that the emperor was
waiting to see him in Count Herbert Bis
marcks apartments in the office of the sec
rotary of state AS soon as the prince en-
tered there was an outburst of imperial
wrath Bismarck was upbraided because
the ministers We're not allowed to report
direct to the emperor and because of oppo-
sition to his majesty's policy regarding the
labor problem. In vain did the chancellor
defend himself on the score that it was law
that the ministers should not report direct
and that concerning the labor problem il
would be we'll not to be too precipitate--
that certain notifications of the imperial
programme might be wise
mo, no; no notifications, F." interrupted
the emperor II wish my orders to be car
ried out just as give them"
The severity of this expression of his will
nd ,., .
think can perceive that my services ar
not fortunate enough to please your males
ty," he said, land that some thoughts ex
list of. getting rid of me-" The emperor her
made an asserting gesture.
Then Bismarck pleaded-think of Bis
marck pleading!-to be allowed to remain
in Office until May in order to be able to de
fend that years military bill, but to n,
avail mo, no." was the emperor's con
slant and only reply, and when Bismarck
ceased speaking and stood with bowet
head his master began again and took hin
to task for holding conferences with Wind
thorst. This angered Bismarck greatly
and he replied with much heat, charging
the emperor with putting spies on his track
ut is my right" said Bismarck Ito hav
whether they be members of parliament O
not, and nobody, not even your majesty
will be able to prevent me from doing so.
After these words, spoken in the creates
excitement, the emperor dismissed tn
chancellor with simple movement Of tn
head.
A few days later-March 30-the ex-chan
cellor made his exit from the scene of hi
triumphs, little doubling probably that h
would soon be recalled. He had alread,
taken leave of all the royal princes, bu
there remained one member of the Hohen
zollern family to whom he owed farewell
-Emperor-King William l, now lying il
marble state beside his royal parents in t.,
mausoleum at Charlottenburg. Thithe
Bismarck drove, and alone he entered tn,
tomb. BY the side of the sarcophagus b,
knelt, and on its lid he laid few roses
Then he went away as silently as he hat
come There still remained the leavetak
ing with the Berlin populace. 1t was ,
most impressive one. A correspondent say
of his progress through the streets to tn,
railway station, where he was to take tn,
train for Friedrichsruhe:
"As If the funeral Of some great ant
deeply mourned man were afoot, Berlin haf
poured out all the best elements in its pop
ulation to weep and wildly wave their hat.
and handkerchiefs, to scatter flowers ant
to struggle to shake and kiss the hand O
the man who was about to pass from theil
midst and be lost to them"
1t was only with the greatest difficulty
that way could be made by the police fol-
the princes passage through the crowd