The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-20

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PRINCESS CHARLOTTE IS A CIRCUS RIDER.
cavorting about a 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 enperors "who
keep their carriages and try to live dig
nifed 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 H%ohenau, who acted as
strong man and horse tanner, and the Bar
on Roeder, who was clown and rough rid
er. The princess was ringmaster n 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 its component parts were
people who are not regarded with the ut
most seriousness in court n official cir
Giles. From one of the boxes Prince Bern
hardt looked on sourly at this latest exhi-
bition of his wife's folly. Though Char
lotte is a grandmother, she Is only about
40 years OIL and certainly is handsome.
The princess came %galloping into the
ring mounted upon a magnificent stallion
and dressed in the costume of q position
of the eighteenth century. She had on a
blue "~swallowtail" coat, laced with sill
yer, and q yellow vest. Her divided skirt
was of thick white cloth, and she wore
patent leather boots reaching to the knees.
Ostrich plumes waved over q three cor
nered hat blazing with diamonds. She sat
astride her horse with a firm seat and
dashed around the ring bowling and throw
ing kisses to her friends. Everybody APP
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 Saxe-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, a product
of the Hanover stud, all the horses were
Trakehners, a breed noted for beauty of
head and carriage and for docllity OF
temper. On the heads of the horses were
feathers and r~osettes, and their white and
gold harnesses set off to perfection the
blackness of their glossy skins.
One of "Grandma" Charlotte's acts was
to give the command, Catch me If you
can-ventre a 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
shoch- gebohrene" and swohl gebohrene"
were wild with enthusiasm at this proof
of the abilities Of the princess-all except
Bernhardt, who looked thunderclouds.
A co.. Noro II,oh1r Do%o. rho oo11ntin0
horse, was exhibited. .sBernhardt, " call
ed the princess to her husband, '.can you
land me a blue rag2'" "Blue rag is
slang for a 100 mark note, and Bernhardt
frowned and fumbled slowly in his pocket.
All the party were gay with enjoyment by
this time, to which the kummel and cham
g had contributed, and the Count
Won Plueskow, seeing Bernhardt so loath
to give up a ssblue rag" threw II to the
princess. Won Plueskow is the tallest man
in the Prussian army and a great friend
Of the Meiningens, but Bernhardt was
angry and, throwing a handful OF bills
into the ring, shouted out:
81 will have that horse shot if he Is used
for any more such matchmaking scheinesF'
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 u
| of the bills, a 5 mark one, before Peter,
| the counting horse. He nodded his head
as a sign thai he understood and then
| paved the tanbark five times.
II bet he can't count till three! ~ shout
| ed the amazon's brother-in-law, Prince
| Ernest, who had ON over from Florence
with his beautiful but plebeian wife
Catharine, nee Jensen, lately treated Bar
oness Won Saal.
"What is the bet?'
"a gold crown" 30 marks.
"Takeni'' cried her royal highness,
finging one Of her husband bank notes
into Duke GuptheS.sh ax MQoxothT shall