The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-09-25
SPANS KING IS READY.
Chicago Tribune.

Precautions Of the most unusual and
extraordinary character we're adopted
for the protection of the young king Of
Spain and of his mother and sister
when they left Madrid for San Sabas-
Sian the other day. Not only were the
railroad stations all along the line
cleared of the public and occupieud
by the police until the royal train had
passed, but the entire route from the
metropolis to San Sebastian was
lined on both sides of the track by
sentinels, stationed at a distance Of
ten yards from one another, with Or
ders to shoot any stranger who per-
sisted in approaching the line after be-
ing challenged and called upon to halt.
These precautions were adopted in
Difference to the queens wishes. In
proportion as the time draws near for
the surrender to the son of the reins
of government on the attainment Of
his majority next spring the more ap-
prehensive does she become lest some
thing untoward should happen to pre-
vent the fulfllment Of the task which
she took upon herself as sacred duty
at the time of the birth Of her boy
namely: the preservation Of his throne
to Spain at the conclusion of her
regency with king qualified both in
BODY and in mind to assume the gov
eminent Of tie most sorely tried
country in Europe.
Unless some unforeseen catastrophe
occurs between now and next spring
she will be able to step aside with the
knowledge that she has nobly fulfill
ed her arduous task. that she has
steerel the Spanish ship Of state for
sixteen years safely through every kind
of danger and of difficulty, including a
disastrous war, for which she was in
no wise responsible, and she will be
able 90 feel that he has not only done
her 2rty toward the boy, but that she
has likewise fulfilled her trust toward
the Spanish people.
For no sovereign has ever assumed
the reins Of government N Spain who
could boast of being 50 we'll equipped
for the task as Don AIphonso XIII.
He has been brought up among the
most pure and healthy surroundings,
whereas his father, his grandmother,
Queen Isabella, and everyone OF his
predecessors on tie throne were
reared in an atmosphere Of profigacy
and vice, to which they were initiated
long before they grew up.
The young king, instead of being
spoilt, cas- been educate dwith degree
OF STIFFNESS altogether new in the an
nails Of Spanish royalty, compelled to
submit to discipline which would
aave been resented by many a lad of
less exalted rank, and taught to alb
stain from posturing and from
manifestations of conceit and OF
vanity, and remain modest, and above
all frank and unaffected. No1 only
has he been most carefully instructed
in the history Of the past and of the
present, so as to be able to form a sen
sible opinion of things around him,
but he has likewise gone through such
an excellent physical training that
his former delicacy of health, which
he inherited from his puny father,
has disappeared, and he has developed
into an unusually well set up, stalwart
and tall lad, who bids fair to become
in course of time as big as his
mothers brothers, who are the tallest
and stateliest princes of the reigning
house Of Austria.