Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-01-04

merely in German pie, but likewise
also in great many foreign ones, has
found time nevertheless to learn Swc-
dish, and during his recent visit to
sweden for the purpose of shooting
over the immense preserves of Count
Thott, was able TO converse quite
huently with the crown prince Of SWe-
den.
1t was on the second day OF his visit
that while sitting at a table in the
evening dinner, he suddenly, dur
ing pause in the conversation,
volunteered the remark in Swedish
that the weather throughout the day
had been abominable, but that he
hoped that it would prove fair on the
following day. 1t seems that the
Swedes present, the crown prince first
and foremost, looked at the emperor
for couple of minutes with open
mouthed and open-eyed establishment,
unable to believe their eyes, until the
emperor continued to talk about other
matters, still in the most fluent Swe-
dish. Just as if he had spoken the diff
fcult language all his life. Naturally
the SWedes appreciated the delicate
compliment paid to them by the kaiser
In taking the trouble to learn their
language, and before they rose from
the table their qualification found eX-
preston in a speech by the crown
prince and some very hearty cheering.
The kaiser has already during the last
| n GtilI
difficult Russian tongue, as well as a
sufficient amount of Hungarian to be
able to converse in that language,
while his French and his English are
absolutely faultless, his accent In Eng
llsh being, indeed, less cultural and
less foreign than that of the prince of
Wales William II is, of course, well
acquainted with ancient Latin ANA
Greek, having pursued the usual
course of classics in the Gymnasium
! (coIleee) of Kassel, in Hessen.
A Paternal Potcntate
According to an article on KING
Menelik of Abyssinia in the Windsor
Magazine, it would seem that this
"paternal' one. II chief has dis
pleased him in some slight manner he
calls him to the palace and settles the
score at once with a heavy cane. lie
does not rebuke the offender, nor put
him to public shame, but in a truly
fatherly way, gives him Il sound beat
ing with is own strong hands, and the
chief departs the better for it. Again,
instead Of getting reports about occur
rences in the city from his policemen
or other Subordinates, he tinds OUT
what is going on himself with the help
of "A powerful pair of field glasses.
With these in hand, he spends many
hours in tower built for the purpose,
from which he can sweep the principal
streets and open places. And as the
people never know when the emperor
may be watching them, they are care
full what they do.
King Mcnelik, moreover, is constant
ly supervising all that goes on III the
palace making his tour of inspection
at all times of the day or night Now
he stops at the kitchen, which is
building by itself, and sees what the
cooks are doing: now he looks in at
tho treasure house whore the gold and
precious things Of the kingdom are
uuarded. now ut the soldiers aud
hlacksmith's, now he watches the We
mon making hdrOmel, and now the
children chanting their reading lessons
IN dull sngsong. Or, again, he walks
through the gardens, where acres OF
fruit trees are growing, many of them
spcciallv imported from Europe. lie
loves every detail Of gardening, and is
oartinlarly interes ted ia experiments
in IRRIGATION. fe~tiizing and the like.
The Engine n Africa.
The children Of tho desert were
filled with awe when ..rst the silence
of the primcval solitude wa. broken by
the putting steam engine. Gown at the
other end of the Cape to Cairo line the
simple Matabelos, when ilrstcontronttd
by locomotive, were cereain that the
strange machine was worked by the
labor of an indefinite number If oxen,
which they assumed were shut up in
side. Hence, when the engine stopped
they gathered in curious crowds wait
! ing to see the door open and the oNeh
/ come out, nor could they for many
days be persuaded that the power OF
the locomotive could come from other
than the strength of the OK. The
/ Arabs Of the Soudan, more imaginative
than the Matabele, saw in the tire
horses OF the railway one OF the
pjinns OF the Arabian Nights har-
messed by the magic of the iniidel to
, the long train OF cars. The steam en-
CINE was to them a living, sentient be-
Ing. Of which belief there is curious
evidence in the fact that on one ocea-
sion a sheil made an impassioned re-
monstranre AGAINST the craety Of MAX
Ing so small III engine draw so huge
i train,
Naccinated Firearms.
Much discomfort was aroused ameng
the blacks Of German west Africa
When Il short time ago orders We're is-