The record-union., 1899-07-24
Queer sprigs of Gentility.

queer Spr1gs or Gent1l1ty.
While riding in the Thiergarten Park
the other day William II. of Germany
turned a corner just in time to witness
bad carriage accident, due to a
cyclists impetuoSity. He dismounted,
raised the coachman, who had received
serious wound in the head, and re-
manned kneeling, mopping the blood
with his own handkerchief until the
return of his valet, whom he had dis
patched for aid. The "cabby'' was re-
moved to a hospital, where he was
daily remembered with large bou-
quet from the royal conservatory, and
he has written the Emperor a note
in which he congratulates himself on
having been the victim of an accident
which incurred SO many marks of i'm
perial attention.
When the accident occurred, the
cyclist, evidently aware of the Kaiser's
attitude toward bicycles and bicyclists,
sped off as fast as his wheel could
carry him, and has not yet been traced,
although the Emperor, highly indig-
nant, has offered a liberal reward to
any person discovering his identity.
1t is generally known that William
has no regard for bicycles, and though
the young Princes have wheedled him
into buying them wheels. they ride only
on one condition-that they exercise the
greatest care.
"One accident alone, attributable to
your imprudence, is all that will be
necessary to deprive you of the ma
chine"-such was the paternal injunc-
ton. And if the Kaiser possesses but
little love for bicycles, he has even less
for automobiles, so that though he has
followed the Cars example in build
ing new stables, he will certainly not
copy the latter in having a room re-
served for the storage of these dan
gerous, noisy, badsmelling things" as
he terms them.
These sentiments are also those of
his British grandmother, who, when in
the Midi, was known on more than
one occasion to cut short her after
noon drive, complaining that the un-
expected toot-tOOt and whiZzing by of
automobiles, first on one side, then on
the other, made her nervous. While
she has most peremptorily. forbidden
the young Princesses ever to set foot
in one, she knew "Berties" tempera-
ment better than to issue similar or
ders in his case. So she asked the
Prince of Wales, on the ground of filial
affection, never to ride an automobile
The Prince evidently made the mental
reservation Gin England" for on the
continent recently an automobile ex-
cursion was organized in his honor, and
in the country the royal passenger in
sisted on driving the carriage himself,
Iia1, 1,1 f0,
difficult road with all the skill of an
old hand.
To return to the Kaiser, this acci-
dent in the Thiergarten makes the sew
enth he has witnessed there this year,
to say nothing of the many more that
have fallen under his notice in other
quarters of the city; for, unlike the
majority of royal personages, William
frequents the more modest neighbor-
hoods, and that almost without visible
escort. Knowing how the Kaiser COM
pels officials to toe the mark on every
occasion, his own subsection to the
laws of the protocol, and his fondness
for display, one is astonished at the
apparent simplicity and absence Of GER
emony in the imperial promenades All
this simplicity, however, conceals one
of the most important and methodical
organizations ever established for as
suring a sovereign's personal safety
a fact which few foreigners or even
Germans know. With William every
thing goes like clockwork. The mo-
ment he decides to go out, and the
notion often takes him very suddenly,
the police authorities receive telephone
warning, and it requires just four min
utes for all the streets and avenues
to be lined with policemen in civilian
attire. On no account may they leave
their posts until another signal informs
them of the Kaiser's return to the pal
ace. Others occupy the middle of the
street, arranging so that one side re-
mains Free while at each crossing
stands a uniformed policeman whose
duty is to stop all carriages on Will
Jams approach.
If there is one thing his majesty can
not endure it is driving slowly, and
the royal carriages dash along at such
rate that often when seen in the
distance they have been taken for fire
engines. Though it might be supposed
that all these preparations would
themselves create no small excitement,
they do not; and it is truly surprising
how quietly all are effected Once past
the palace gates, another signal runs
like electricity down the line Of po-
licemen. Usually when the imperial
carriage arrives at the top of Sieges
avenue-that is when the Empress is
along-the Emperor gives orders to
stop, alights and starts off into one of
the pretty shaded footpaths, the En-
press walking on his left, while on
each side of the royal couple stalks an
imposing aid d-de-camp.
AS his majesty rarely neglects his
custom of paying an afternoon call on
the royal Chancellor, they return along
Lennestrasse and Koeniggratzenstrasse
until the small gate of the chancellery
is reached. This is guarded by one of his
fathers bodyguard, while opposite, on
the other side of the street, are sta
toned an official and two policemen.
Once through the gate, inside the
chancellery garden, the aid-de-camp
salute and retire, leaving William
alone to cover the few yards to the
side entrance. Unless something of
unusual Importance is to be discussed
the interview rarely exceeds fifteen or