The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-14
ANECDOTES OF BISMARCK
CHARACTERISTIC STORIES TOLD OF
AND BY THE GREAT GERMAN.
His Love of GOssip-Used Truth Like
Trick-MOItke and Bismarck.
New york Commercial Advertiser.

was noted for his stupidity, he pointed to
the long rows of antlers used in the wall
decoration of the dining hall.
"Nobemen usually decorate their rooms
with portraits of ancestors he said. Our
friend here selected other family relics, but
they will do WELL Nobody who knows
Count X. Y. can misunderstood the signif-
canoe of those horns"
When the work of the Berlin conference
was nearly finished the crown prince pro-
posed a great farewell and peace dinner"
Bismarck was asked to consult with Lord
Beaconsfield as to the day.
"A farewell and peace dinner' said
Disraeli. why, that looks like selling the
skin before the bear is killed"
''Pshaw" said Bismarck, for all care
you may kill the bear (meaning Russia) this
very day.
Disraeli was one of the few old-time
statesmen who took Bismarck seriously
when the latter, at the outset of his diplo-
matte career, astonished everybody by
speaking his mind plainly on all subjects
Publishing ones honest opinion was un-
heard of in diplomatic circles and when
Bismarck made one of his characteris-
tic remarks his colleagues promptly believed
the opposite.
in Paris, during the exhibition of 1862. Bis
narck talked long and earnestly with Lord
Beaconsfield, telling him, among other
things, that he was to be King Williams
coming premier. Il will reorganize the
army, make war upon Austria, send the
German federation to the devil and humil-
late the petty states,'' he said. THAT done,
| will write Germany under the wings OF
the Prussian eagle
Cba dor. han he rd Of
this laughed but Disraeli said: Take care
of that man; he means what he says"
Ten years before Bismarck, who was then
plenipotentiaIy to the Frankfort federal
council, had been requested by Herr Won
Manteuffel, president of the Prussian Min
istry, to explain what he meant by telling
his colleagues of the great future awaiting
him. Il told those gentlemen OF the dreams
L sometimes have" wrote Bismarck;
dreams which tell me of five more years
of drudgery in Frankfurt, of a Vienna and
Paris campaign lasting as long and or
glorious ministerial career as a wind-up.
After that 1 hope to die gentleman
ONE OF HIS OWN STORIES.
Bismarck always told this anecdote to
visitors at Friedrichsruhe:
'They were collecting money for my mon
ument in Cologne" he used to say, and
among the subscriptions was one for twenty
marks signed by a drunken shoemaker
whose thirteen children were being brought
up in public institutions, as the parents
were too poor to care for them. The char
ity commissioners heard of the shoemaker
liberality and sent policeman to him to
find out whether he had suddenly come in
for money and intended to take back his
family. The shoemaker denied any such
Windfall or intention.
But said the man of the law, a per-
son who can afford to subscribe twenty
marks for a Bismarck monument
Yes, did subscribe
Well, then, you will have to pay
"'Oh, no. said the shoemaker, 1 am 60
RI iai1 bismarck
twenty days of Imprisonment any time T"
The chancellor received the. news of
SOME intimate friends. Bismarck was Wis
IDLY affected II told you the poor Majesty
would not outlive that dreadful operation
One of the guests said in an attempt at
joking: Your Grace will not put on mourn
ing.
deserving person. replied the chancellor
with some show of emotion. Napoleon Ill
was good man, but weak He lied to me
once only. namely, when he threatened to
make war upon us IL We entered Vienna
after KoeniggratZ. He could not have done
&c. 500 but that dd re6ad nd b 1at for n1 his i se
hood in 1901, and / shall try to forget
the incident
in Germany who fought for the retention OF
the abominable German script, which makes
the study of that language so irksome. He
opposed the introduction of the Hughes
ticker" which prints incoming kilograms
in Roman letters for long while When
at last he had to give in he S, ordered that
by hand. And not only German kilograms,
but those from foreign countries as we'll
English, French, Italian, etc. This lG1osyn-
Grassy delayed his kilograms considerably,
but the original order was never Cancelled.
Bismarck always signed his name in script,
and it gave him good deal OF satisfaction
to see that the three Emperors under whom
he served did the same.
HAD A GOOD MEMORY.
On going to Babelsberg one fine day. Bis
marck reported to Emperor William that
he missed his pencil. The driver of the
royal coach in which he was travelling Of
fered his stump of one. Bismarck accepted,
and next day sent the man a heavy silver
pencil with his monogram and the date en-
graved
After the battle of Gravelotte he bought
a chicken at a farmhouse to take home
for dinner, but at his lodgings found an in
vitation to Join the King. So he gave the
chicken to the first vivandiere he met on
the way saying: You must bring me an
other when we go back to Berlin:
The woman probably took this for a joke,
but a year and a half later received a re-
mnder in the shape Of a letter from Bis
marck demanding her to carry out the bar
gain 1t was done. and there was no more
said about it. The woman did not even
get the customary drink money" at the
This is a copy of letter addressed by
Victor Hugo to Bismarck on his SEVENTEEN
birthday:
Victor Hugo to Otto Bismarck: The
giant greeting the giant, the enemy address
| ing the enemy, the friend the fTiendi hate
| thee with all my heart, for thou hast hui
inflated France. ] love thee for j am
| bigger man than thou. When the clock on
| the tower of my glory sounded the eightieth
| year thou vert silent. L break this silence,
| for I surmise that the stolen pendule on
| your desk refuses to tell thee that thy sew
| entieth year has arrived.
Il am eighty, thou art seventy, | am
is the naught behind. What would have be-
| come of history ii we, thou and /, were a
| unity? Thou art the material. / am the
! spirit: thou art the cloud am the light
! ming thou art the power, / am glory. Who
| is greater, the victor or the vanquished?
| Neither. The poet is greater who van
| ouishes both. Great men are but the echo
/ of great poems. Still thou art great for
| thou knoWest not the meaning of the word
| fear Therefore I, the poet hold out my
! hand to thee, the great man. France trem-
| bles Germany trembles. Europe tremhles,
the whole world is shaking And we alone,
/ thou and /, stand erect, great, solitary.
| nod thou consenteth And the great union
! eternal peace of the nations becomes real
! ity. HUGO.
HOW HE JUDGED AOLTKE.
| At one moment in the battle OF Sedan
Bismarck and his peculiar staff thought for
| tune was going little against them. They
criticised the disposition and movements of
| the two armies, and some of the semi-mili-
| Friande ~ fha chauealior declared the