The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-02-12
POtsdarn's
Palaces ~
Especial Letter.)

tOpeclal Letter.
Three days should be devoted to the
palaces and the other attractions of
Potsdam. The average traveller, how
ever, tries to cover it in one days
exploration. The man or woman who
attempts to see five big palaces, several
castles, churches, and the parks which
make the city celebrated, in ten hours
will be a fatigued mortal at night,
with only a jumbled recollection OF
what has been so hastily viewed. Take
your time IL you mean to fully enjoy
the magnificent scenery, the exquisite
glimpses of water, hill and dale, the
historical buildings that hold so mucn
Tor the seeker after knowledge
The old royal palace, where Freder-
lex the Great passed SO many years, is
a venerable-looking pile three stories
high, with noble portico. Here was
also the abode Of Queen Louise, who
made the court respectable after the
voluptuous reign of Frederick William
the Second, who was the most licen-
tious of Prussian sovereigns. The
apartments of the Queen, who expired
in 1910, are left just as they were at
the time of her death, by order of her
imperial son. The rooms contain a
fire screen of needlework embroidered
by Louise; chair made by Frederick
the Great, and a gentleman on horse
back painted by his imperial father.
The room where Napoleon slept is also
visited
The Castle at Babelsburg.
The rooms in the palace are in sill
yer and light blue, and are small and
home-like. A departure is one of
brown inlaid, known as the Pompeiian
room. Queen Louise's apartments,
where she expired, show age. The
walls were covered with white null
and are now turned black with age.
The Castle of Babelsburg, built by
the grandfather of the present EN-
peror, is on slightly point overlooking
picturesque stretch of country. 1t
llies mile away from the roadway, not
ifar from San Souci in the midst of a
great park. The castle is of medieval
style and has been untenanted since
I the death of the son of the Emperor
builder Father and son were fond of
the chase and trophies of their skill
with the rifle, in the way of deers'
heads, are plentifu1ly distributed
through the castle. There are historic
furniture and trinkets. Brown wood
predominates in the ornamentation.
Two rooms are finished in marble and
gold. Several shields are suspended
from the walls and unique gift are
the two porcelain elephants three feet
high, which were sent by the Chinese
ruler to the Emperor three years ago.
Where William and Bismarck Met.
The room in which Emperor William
and Bismarck used to hold their con-
ferences is arranged just as these dig
nitaries left it the last time. There is
no pretense at luxurious furnishings
in this apartment; everything is Sc
verely plain. The table at which they
sat, the chairs and the position they
occupied, the furnishing of the room
all are the same as when these mighty
personages formulated plans for the
advancement of Germany. There are
newspaper prints and clippings on the
wall that seem strangely out of place
in the temple of royalty, and engrav-
iings that bear on the battles with
France in 1901. Singularly enough,
the old Emperor had at his side copies
of the celebrated canvases from
'DEtaille's brush of the engagements
in this conflict, and which in the ar
rangement of figures favor the French
soldiery. These pictures are such
splendid reproductions of realistic
warfare, filled as they were with spirit
ed scenes, that even when the painter
inclines to his own they are appre-
!ciated by those who fought against
them.
The room where the founder of the
empire yielded up his spirit remains
just as it was when the peaceful ira