The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-02-14
GERMANY's BIG FEAsTs.
Impressive Ceremonies Of the Annual
Festival OF the Order OF the
DIack Eagle.


Order of the Black Eagle, This, the
greatest OF all Prussian orders, which
takes cosmopolitan rank as one of the
eight great orders Of the world. was in
stituted by Frederick, elector of Bran
denburg, on January, 17C1 the eve of
his coronation as the first king of Prus-
sia. Originally the number of knights
was limited to 80 Prussians, not includ-
ing sovereigns and princes of the royui
house. In ls47 King Frederick William
decreed that foreign princes of the
blood and distinguished men of sll ma
tions might be knighted. To-day s.most
all princes Of great reigning houses in
Europe are members of the order.
AT the annual festival the chapter of
the Black Eagle is solemnly assem- bled,
and those knights who have been ad-
mit!ed during the preceding year are
officially received.
Full dress is required OF all knights,
the military wearing white trousers
and stripes, the civilians white knee
breches, white stockings and white
shoes. Both military and civil knights
will wear the red velvet mantle Of the
order over the full dress, and over the
mantle the collar of the oroer. The new
knights will wear only the ribbon of
the order.
The emperor himself, attired in the
mantle Of the order, receives the guest.
in the wanscoted room next to the roy
al apartment. Then all ile out in SOL
emn procession to the hall Of the
knights. Here on a platform covered
with red velvet stand eight trumpeters
of the horse guards. They are dressed
in uniforms of the time of Frederick l..
Eight more trumpeters similarly at
tired, known as the Silver Choir. p"
stand on another platform.
The emperor mounts The steps Of
the throne and stands there with incov-
cred head. while the trumpeiers on the
red platform execute fanfare, which
is caught up and echoed by the trumpet
ers of the silver choir.
Then the knights who are TO be in
vested are brought up in succession 10
the throne, each accompanied by two
old knights, who act as sponsors. The
newly-made knight is clothed in the
mantle of the order. The emperor him
self invests him with the collar. then
consecraies and embraces him, aud dis
misses him to receive the salu;ations
and handshakings Of all the older
knights. A formal banquet winds up
the occasion.
Three days later will follow the Of
fetal reception of minor orders CT the
German empire. This is known as the
ordeDfest, or feast of orders. On this
day all who during the preceding year
have received any sort of decoration
from the German emperor, the only
source of spch honors, are invited to
the imperial palace. From one to two
thousand persons are thus brought TO-
gether, ranging from the select few
who have been decorated with the or
der of the Black Eagle to the hundreds
who havereceived but the simplest Ho-
henzolern house order. The guests
assemble in the ante-rooMs of the pal
ace. Here the president OF the general
commission of the order reads out the
lists of the newly decorated and dis
tributes the respective insignia. The
ladies in the meanwhile assemble in
room set apart fer them and receive
from the empress first lady in waiting
the order OF Louise.
Then all the guests, male and female
file into the chapel, where they are
joined BY the emperor ani empress
and the great court ais.
The length of the sermon in the chap
ell is fully compensated for by the ex-
cellence of the subsequent dinner in the
great white hall. The guests are seated
at series of tables. each of Which is
set apart for one particular grade, ac-
cording to the decoration conferred.
Hence for the nonce all differences OF
social rank are forgotten The staff Of
ficer of the government or the privy
councillor may be seated next 10 the
policeman or the lackey, the general
beside the simple artisan.
The emperor presides at the ban
quet and at its close proposes the
health OF the newly decorated. Then
the guests receive cornucopias, which
they may fill with fruits or sugar plums
10 take home to their relations OF chill
dren.--N. Y. Herald.
The vafhap VeIl