Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-08-24
AMAZONS ON CHARGERS
WILL ESCORT TIE KAISER

Five hundred peasant girls in the
province of Prussia are forming into
a cavalry regiment to offer to Emperor
William a right royal welcome when
he repairs to his summer hunting
grounds. in Rominten Prairie. at the
close of the yachting season. They are
Lithuanians-of the race that became
famous under the Jagellons-and their
homes are in the districts of Gumbin-
min and Koenigsberg, between the Bal
tic Russia and Poland. They told their
councilmen and parsons: I'VE make
one condition-o Duke (meaning the
Kaiser) must have no other body
guard. During the time of his stay in
our country we want to be his sol
diers We will garrison his castle,
will beat the game for him, will at
tend him on his trips around the coun-
try and see him safely home when he
decides to return" Count Bismarck
communicated with Emperor's court
marshal to find out whether the Of
fer would prove acceptable. The court
marshal wrote: 1T all depends on
the girls; go and look them over" So
his excellency invited his fair petit
TONERS TO meet him at Trakehnen, the
celebrated horse farm, and at the same
time arranged with the governor of the
place for the use of a hall. But IL the
hall had been as big as Madison Square
Garden it couldn't have accommodated
the assembly, for every one of the 600
volunteers came on horseback, many
bringing led horses, and all insisted
upon attending the council seated on
their chargers. There was an OPEN
air meeting then, and Count Bismarck.
who is already little stiff in his
joints, had to mount blooded horse,
despite his rheumatism, and make a
speech from the saddle President He
gel of the Gumbinnen district translat-
ed the address into the old Prussian
derstand German, and an exchange of
views followed, with this result: "The
provincial government accepts the
services of the Lithuanian women.
with view of selecting from them 500
to make up regiment. The regiment
is to be uniformed in the national
dress of the country and select its own
officers, subject to the approval of the
president of the district Members of
the regiment furnish their own horses,
and each officer or sub-officer is enti-
tied to have led horse. The horse
may be put out to grass on the royal
estates, but oats must be provided by
their owners. The name and style Of
the regiment is Imperial Mounted
Women Volunteers. Its members are
entitled to the ordinary soldiers mess,
but receive no pay"
Then the native women gave an inn
promptu exhibition of their horseman-
ship, and, after drink of mead" a
strong fermented liquor made of honey
and water, richly spiced. scampered OFF.
They have been drilling under their
hetmen twice week ever since, and as
these hetmen have invariably seen
StANitt either dS pI1NdleS OF
non-commissioned officers, they are
well able to teach the girls their bust
ness. or late Count Bismarck ordered
reviews of the different squadrons to
be held under the guidance of officers
Of the cavalry reserves. The review
ing officers agree that they never met
with recruits exhibiting so much in
telligence and skill in the handling of
horses and in obeying signals. Every
second girl or woman would make an
efficient "fugelman," they cried en-
Enthusiastically. These Lithuanian wom-
en- scramble upon a pony as soon as
their legs are long enough to hold on;
they learn to tend large herds of cat
tie before they know their prayers, and
they can WELD three-yard whip soon
er than a cooking spoon. They wouldn't
think of mounting a horse save to
straddle it, Count Bismarck says:
"The Lithuanians are a small race.
compactly built; they have limited
stretch of limb, men and women being
much alike in outward appearances.
Yet these girls have what cavalrymen
call an iron seat. They seem to
maneuver their horses at viii. though
scorning stlrrups and spurs and whip