Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-27

PRINCESS CHARLOTTE AS CIRCUS RIDER.
cavorting about tan bark arena, with
top boots reaching to her knees and riding
stations imam fashion, " would have been
more startling if the aforesaid grand
mother had not been Charlotte of Meinin
gen The old dowagers of Europe have
been shocked so often by Charlotte and
the first class kings and emperors "who
keep their carriages" and try to live dig
nified lives have despaired SO often of her
that it takes a pretty good stunt from
her highness to make royalties" talk.
But Grandma" Charlotte did it this time.
The princess was aided in her circus by
Count Bill Hohenau, who acted as
strong man and horse tanner, and the Bar
on Roeder, who was clown and rough rid
er The princess was ringmaster and ex
hibitor of trick horses She had assem-
bled a lot of people to see her performance.
Most of the titled persons had brought
their wives. and the assemblage was bril-
liant, even if It's component parts were
people who are not regarded with the ut
most SERIOUSNESS in court and official Cir
cles. From one of the boxes Prince Bern
hardt looked on sourly at this latest exhi-
bition of his wifes folly Though Char
lotte is grandmother, she is only about
40 years old and certainly is handsome.
The princess came galloping into the
ring mounted upon IA magnificent stallion
and dressed in the costume of position
of the eighteenth century. She had on a
blue 'swallowtail'' coat laced with sill
yer, and yellow vest Her divided skirt
was of thick white cloth, and she wore
patent leather boots reaching to the knees.
Ostrich plumes waved over "a three cor
nered hat blazing with diamonds. She sat
astride her horse with "a firm seat and
dashed around the ring bowling andsthrow-
ing kisses to her friends. Everybody ap-
plauded and waved greetings to her except
her husband, who looked more glum than
before. Loudest in the applause were the
Duke Of Sleswick and his girl wife,
Dorothy of Sake -Coburg, daughter of the
unhappy Louise of Belgium After this
greeting the princess rose in her stirrups
and ordered her trick horses to be brought
in. With the exception of one, product
of the Hanover stuG, all the horses were
Trakehners, a breed noted for beauty of
head and carriage and for docility Of
.sinper. On the heads of the horses were
feathers and rosettes, and their white and
gold harnesses set off to perfection the
blackness of their glossy skins
One of Grandma" Charlotte acts was
to give the command, "Catch me if you
can-ventrs terre;" and go dashing
around the ring trailing her long whip
after her, her horses following and trying
to seize the whip in their teeth. All the
''hoch- gebohrene'' and "wohl- -gebohrene''
were wild with enthusiasm at this proof
of the abilities of the princess-all except
Bernhardt, who looked thunderclouds
After Nero Hneher Peter, the counting
horse, was exhibited Bernhardt," call
I'd the princess to her husband, can you
lend ne blue rag?' blue rag" is
slang for a 100 mark note and Bernhardt
frowned and fumbled slowly in his pocket
All the party We're gay with enjoyment by
this time, to which the kummel and cham
pagne had contributed, and the Count
Won Plueskow, seeing Bernhardt So loath
to give up ''blue rag" threw one to the
princess. Won Plueskow is the tallest man
in the Prussian army and great friend
of the Meiningens, but Bernhardt was
angry and, throwing q handful of bills
into the ring, shouted out:
81 will have that horse shot if he is used
for any more such blackmailing schemes! !''
A shout of laughter went up at the threat
of the prince, though it was evident he
meant what he said. a groom gathered
up the bills which Bernhardt had thrown
into the ring and handed them to the
princess, who smiled sweetly as she dis
mounted from her horse She held one
of the bills, mark one, before Peter,
the counting horse He nodded his head
IS a sign that he understood and then
sawed the tanbark five times
Il bet he can't count till threel" shout
I'd the amazon's brotherin-law, Prince
Ernest, who had come over from Florence
With his beautiful but plebeian wife
catharine, nee Jensen, lately created Bar
oness Won Saal
"What is the bet?''
"a gold crown" 90 marks).
"TakenP' cried her royal highness,
finging one of her husbands bank notes
into Duke Gunther's box. Dorothy shall
be the stakeholder. Who else will bet?''
Offers came from all sides. Princess
Marie of Meiningen bet so marks against
her sister-in-law, Prince Radolin 100,
General Count Perponcher 80 marks, etc
until Dorothy had her lap full of coins