Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-01-17

members of the Imperial family ride
in carriages of blue with silver trim
mings; all the other court carriages
are lacquered in brown. Sometimes
their magesties drive behind four
horses without a coachman, the of
horses being ridden by jockeys. Very
| often the kaiser is driven in true -four
finland style. without outriders.
On ordinary state occasions six
horses are used. the off ones being
ridden. When there is reason for
very great display eight horses draw
his majesty. The pole pair are
managed by coachman on the box.
while the others are led by jockeys on
foot The carriage and the harness
are richly decorated with silver and
gold, The carriage horses, and those
of the positions as we'll, wear head
dress of chenille and ostrich plumes.
The liveries used for these very great
functions are so adorned with braid,
bullion, loops, cords and tassels that
the cloth is barely visible. For q
head covering the attendants wear
velvet jockey caps trimmed with
silver.
One would think that with such
magnificent horses and carriages 2
man with % stables would scorn to
take up so prosaic a thing as an auto
mobile. But the kaiser is very mod
ern in his tastes. He demands the
very newest inventions, and particu.
larly is this true with regard to any,
thing that pretains to locomotion. If
anyone should invent a practical air
ship it is reasonably certain that the
Emperor William would be the first
sovereign in the world to own one.
He is meteoric in his temperament.
Therefore, the fact that he owns ard
runs an automobile should occasion no
surprise. 1t is equally natural that it
should have been built under the
direction Of the War Officer at a cost
Of $4,000, which is a pretty st, ID
price even for a royal automobile.
The kaiser always likes to rul
things himself, and he is one of the
most self-confdent men in the world.
His versatility is truly wonderful He
is an excellent chauffeur, as he
French call those who operate motor
carriages.
Berlin has yet to see the kaiser IN
his automobile, but during the recent
army maneuvers near Stettin he was
in his machine almost constantly.
Possibly it was the novelty of the
thing that attracted him, and possibly
it was because he found that he could
get about quicker in it. It really
amazed the army officers, because
Heretofore his majesty had always
been fond of appearing on horseback.
The automobile that the kaiser used at
Stettin weighs 5000 pounds. 1t is
propelled by benzine motor and can
make about so miles an hour. He
has purchased other motor carriages
since then, and will probably use them
for pleasure driving.
The emperor has almost as many
boats as he has carriages. They
range from the Imperial yacht Hohen-
zollern, which is really good-sized
man-of-war, down to electric launches
and roWboats. He has two other
steam yachts besides the Hohen-
Zollern, and the racing cutter Metaro,
which, under the name of THISTLE
competed for the Americas cup in
1887. His gig is painted a dark blue
and a crew of one non-commissionad
officer and seven sailors is detailed 10
look after it. The kaiser invariably
steers himself, Just as he insists upon
navigating the Hohenzollern.
Only the members of his special
crew are allowed to touch the gig,
and they wear crown embroidered
tinguish them
The Hohenzollern is one of the
finest and costliest yachts in the
world, but it is hardly fair to com
pare with her other pleasure craft be-
cause she is as warlike as the kaiser
himself, and that is about the limit.
She is magnifcently fitted. of course,
and very fast.
The Imperial train is in keeping
with the other grandeurs of the
kaiser's possessions, and it is the most
remarkable collection of coaches in eX-
istence. There is not any single car
in it that equals that owned by DR..
Seward Webb, formerly the president
CT the Wagner Car company, but tha:e
is no train that compares with the
Emperor Williams. 1t was thr 4e
years in building in the Government
railway shops at Potsdam, and it cost
something more than million dol
lars. Complete it consists Of II cars,
including two nursery cars, but usual
ly it is made up Of not more than six
or seven. One car is used as a salon.
1t is adorned with fine old paintings
and statuary, in addition to the usual
| furnishings of a private car. There
is also a part of a car fitted up as a
gymnasium and another that has a
relieve the tedium of railway jour-
ney. The train has one feature that
is absolutely unique-a treasure room,
constructed on the safe deposit p-in-
ciple, with two large burglar-pro) If
safes. There is always special
guard watching over this room.
| Whenever the kaiser travels he car
ries with him his orders and decora
lions, which are worth an enormous
sum, besides a stock of presents and q
large amount of money Then there
are state papers to be carefully safe.
guarded.
When he travels by train the kaiser
is accompanied by his secretaries. his
personal adjutants, the hosuehold
physician and a large number of Sc,
| wants Including the immortal harm ar