The Portland daily press., 1899-08-18
KAISER'S AMAZON ).
When William Goes Hunting He wn
Have Regiment OF women Mounted
on Horses.


When Emperor William goes to enjoy
the hunting season in Prussia, VIII ich he
will do as soon as the yachting season
closes, he will be received by q regiment
OF 100 cavalry wome n. They are Lithn-
anian girls and are now organizing to re-
ceive the Kaiser. The regiment will | o
known as the Imperial Mounted Women
Volunteers, and of more unique body of
troops no sovereign in the world can beast.
The homes of these cavalry amazons are
in the district which lies far In the north
of the empire. between the Baltic, Russia
ard Poland. They are of the race tina;
became famous under the Jagellons.
The idea of forming regiment Is one
which the Lithuanian girls originated
themselves. When they made their propo.
sition 70 the officials of their province
they said:
1--WE make one oondit.on-our duke
(msantn the Kniser) must have no otter
booygnard. During the time OF his stay
in our country we want 60 be- his soldiers
We will garrison his castle, will :. ea >
the game for him, viii attend him on his
trlIs around the country and see him
safely home when he desires TO return
Count Bismarck communicates with tbs
whether the offer would prove acceptable
Yhe court marshal wrote:
sit all depends on the girls. Go and
look them over"
SO mis- ExcelIauoy Invited his fair petit
TONERS to meet him at TFakehen, the ceie-
brated horse farm, and at the same time
arrHnged with the governor Of the plaza
for the use Of a hall. But II the hall had
been as big as Madison Square Garden
1t couldn't have accommodated the assem-
| bly,, for every one OF the Geo volunteers
came on horseback, many bringing led
| horses, and all insisted upon attending
the council seated On their chargers.
There was An open-air msetIng thsn,
AMI Count BismaFcK, who Is aitetdv q
| little stiff in his joints, had to mount
| blooded horse, despite his rheumatism,
and make a speech from tina sad lie.
| President Hegel, of the Gumbinnen dis
| trict, translated the address into the old
Prussian tongue, for the Iiithuanians do
not understand German, and an exchange
OF views followed, with this result:
"Ihe provincial government accepts
the services of the Lithuanian women,
with view of selecting from them 600 Co
| make up regiment. The regiment is to
| be uniformed 10 the national dress of the
country and seiecI its own Officers, subjsat
| to the approval of the president of the
district. Members of the regiment fur
| lish their own horses, and each officer or
| huD-Olllcbf Is enGltleu TO nave u LED morse.
The horse may be put out to gross on the
royal estates, but oats must he provided
| by itsowner.
1.-THE name and style Of the regiment
is Imperial Mounted Women Volunteers.
| Its memhers are entitled TO the ordinary
soldiers mess, but receive no pay"
| Then tho native women gave an i'm.
proinptu exhibition OF their horseman-
ship. and, after q drink of ''mead." q
strong, fermentsd lIguor made of honey
and water, richly spiced, scampsred of.
They have been drilling under their
hetmen twice waek ever since and az
| these hetinen have invariably seen mill
| tary service either as privstes or non-com-
inissioned officers, they are well able to
| teach the girls their business. OF late
| Count Bismarck ordered reviews of the
different sluadrons TO be held under tn,
guidance of officers of the cavalry reserves
| The reviewing officers agree that they
never met with recruits exhibiting sc
| much intelligence and skill in the hand
| ling of horses and in obeying signals.
Every second girl or woman would make
an efficient s'hugelman, thsy cried en-.
Enthusiastically.
These Lithuanian women scramble
upon pony as soon as their legs are Ions
| enough to hold on; they learn to tend
large herds of cattle before they know
their prayers, and they can WELD three
yard whip sooner than cooking spoon
They wouldn't think of mounting horss
save to straddle 1t.