Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-09
A VENERABLE
BARGAIN HUNTER
King Christian, the Greatest Dane of
the Century, Crowns a Remark
able Career With a Master
Stroke of Policy.

SIS lillS ololCo IL u LIZ
Mckinley and his people can raise the
price. This is meant not in jest but in
earnest. The United States offered a sum
which the Danish government refused
and over which the United States de-
clined to go. Now the Danes have come
down from their high estate to a certain
extent and ask the president of the Uni
ted States to kindly name a price, the
highest possible one, which he will give
for the ownership of the most desirable
little group in the Antilles.
If the sum is not too small it will be ac-
cepted and the title and right to the ISL
ands will pass into American hands,, The
islands are several in number, rich in
produce and inhabited by the most
thrifty of all people.
The Danes, like their cousins the
SWedes, are noted for their industry and
frugality, for their habits of cleanliness
and for their love of work. They areialso
noted for their types of urban beauty, as
their cities will testify; and for the in
nate refinement which pervades them
and their homes. Thus a very desirable
class of people will be found upon thei ST.
ands which may soon pass over to us.
So KIM Christian, heavy with years
~N~ NS> "Ash Az olAo Sofu, III
forgotten his old tendency toward hunt
ing bargain. nor will he, even in his
old days, let or Incidence in
fuence him into making a sale which
does not seem to him the best for Den
mark and it's people.
When he was a young man, Christian,
duke of Observation-Disclosures
Glucksburg, had no idea that he would
ever buy a nation Or sell one. He rose in
the morning, looked after his farm, led
his wife out into the sewing arbor under
the stately elms which stood grandiy.
over the old home of the Schlesw wigs, near
Copenhagen; and then retiredskte his
study to read and write.
The wife, Louise of Hesse-Cassel,
seWed in the arbor and made dresses of
bright stuff for her three pretty daugh-
tiers and dreamed her own dreams.
At las it camel! Tha which hey had
long expeced was realized. Frederick
VII, king of Denmark, died; and a cour-
Ter came riding swiftly to the villa to tell
the news to the duke and toe ry ''The
king is dead; long live the king" Fred
erick had died without heirs and the
succession came to the duke of Schles-
Wig-Holstein. Y .
There is a Danish law that the king
must always be known as either Fred
erick or Christian; the two names torbe
used alternately. Thus Frederick being
dead, the next king had to be a man
named Christian, and the luke of Schles-
wig straightway became Christian TX. of
Denmark.
What a packing up now took place In
the small country house and how urgent
were the many errands to Copenhagen!
For years the family had lived on the
slenderest allowance and had been guilty
OF little makeshifts which were to cause
unspeakable modification in the years to
come. OF gowns the three pretty girls
had none worth Mentioning; and of jew
els there was not even a brooch except
the few antiques which the mother had
guarded religiously for them from their
illustrious ancestors. Telling of it after
wards Queen Louise said that never in
the 20 years of their married life had they
received over 5000 per year upon which
to live and raise a family.
A GREAT CHANGE.
But now all was different. The father
and mother with their six children moved
Into the handsome old castle at Copen-
hagen and a reign of triumph began.
Always clever, Queen Louise now ex-
erted herself to her greatest efforts and
Christian seconded her in his handling
of matters of state. !.
That same year the queen married her
eldest daughter, the handsome Alexan-
dra, to the prince of Wales; and a little
later she married the second daughter,
Dagmar, to the car Of Russia. Then
she capped the feminine climax by giving
Thyra. the youngest of them all, to the
rich luke of Cumberland, a man who was
a king until the forming Of the German
empire and who retained his kingly for
tune. surprising many a crowned head
in worldly possessions.
In 1863 George, a younger son. was
elected king of Greece and Wildenlar was
appointed prince OF Bulgaria. an honor
which he temporarily declined but may
yet accept. Besides these there In Fred
erick. the prince royal, who VIM succeed
the father. Christian. tsf
A wonderful family, truly. One that
reflects much praise upon the parents
Though It gained for them the ~unenxiahla