Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-06-03

who could not understand word
said. 1nvulnerable by every tongue a
my command, he must have his way
There was no recourse but to resigna
ton, and what a comfort there is il
that-sOmetimes. | subsidized and soor
did not care whether Vienna wer,
reached the next day or the next week
Down the slope We bowled toward the
hamlet, reaching the center of which
the driver reined up in front of stone
cottage. A little girl was at the dool
and she was requested to call an elder
There came out an old man who vel
coined us in German, and to whom
told my troubles, together with tht
lear that the driver had gone astray
,"Ah! no." said the old gentleman
=" this is the dorf OF Pratzen, and it wa.
the very heart of the great battle
You were fortunate in coming here"
His story was long but l was vel
pleased to listen. On the morning o.
the day OF the conflict, Napoleon hat
ridden to the highest part of the vii
lage. hastily scanned its apparen,
point of vantage and then retired
saying that he would leave that tc
the enemy. His practiced eye dis
cerned that it would prove trap into
which his enemies would unhesitating
ly step. Our informant pointed to the
spot where Napoleon was compelled t
leave his brother Joseph for nearly an
hour upon the brink of defeat in order
TO better support Marshal Soult wht
was laboring under the heaviest bur
den on the field.
The description was long, circum
stantial and exciting. In the din
distance, in a depression by the way
side, was the spot where the Czsl
Alexander sat bemoaning his fate
while his magnificent army, with
which he had swept down from o.
mutt on the preceding day, was scat
tered like leaves among the hills OF
lay in heaps at their last hopeles:
stands. Yonder, over the hill and out
of present view, Napoleon intercepted
three thousand fleeing Russians, who
in struggling lines had ventured upon
Satchan Lake, and, by a few shots
from his artillery, shattered the bridge
of ice and drowned the unhappy fugi
tives.
The story is too long and there i.
not room here to repeat it. History
has cared for it, and this recital relate:
only to hurried tour. 1t would moi
be fair, however, to let it pass without
n comment on the greatest battle tha,
was ever fought north of the Alps
Hardly day had passed before Nspo
Icons imperious hand was busy read
justing the map of dszed and trem'
bling continent. Dynasties were ex
tinguished; Prussia was disgraced
the Muscovite was ordered to his lair
Austria shrank down the Danube and
the Holy Roman Empire vanished
from Europe. There was "crum-
bling of thrones everywhere" 1t was
in this fierce light that Victor Hugo's
picture WAS drawn. "Men saw him
standing erect in the horizon with a
flame in his hand, resplendence in
his eyes, unfolding in the thunder hi:
two wings, the Grand Army and the
Old Guard, and he was the archangel
Of war"
Upon bidding the eloquent old mar
rator at Pratzen goodbye, l requested
him to instruct my driver to take me
to the Castle of Austerlitz. After au
hours drive we went dashing through
the gate of the castle. Greatly to my
surprise, there was no sen ntinel at the
gate. In q very unsoldierly way. and
in striking contrast to the general
conduct of the Austrian sentinel, he
had stepped aside for few seconds to
regard something that drew his atten-
ton. He succeeded in halting the
driver, however, whom he gave fierce
round OF invective in Czech. allght.
ed and stood at attention. The only
word that 1 could understand was
"Amerikaner" from the driver. The
sentinel saluted me and passed on
up to the door of the Office of the com.
mandant. to whom handed my letter
of introduction. Doubtless the senti.
mel was shocked at the plebeian char.
scter OF my equipage. l afterward
learned that had it conveyed one OF his
own countrymen it would have been
turned away. A short time previously
l was coming out from an hours
visit to castle and seeing two lines
of people waiting as if desirous ol
entering / asked of one in line the
cause of the refusal to admit the peo'
pie, remarking that was admitted
without hesitation. "Of course you
were," was the reply, can American
can 60 anywhere"
The cOmmandant OF Austerlitz was
very busy in an angry alteration with
some men in uniform. He hastily
welcomed me and excusing himself
handed the letter to his wife who was
within beck. She favored me with a
few minutes OF pleasing chat and then
ordered q guide to conduct me through
the castle. 1t is Q vast, rambling old
palace, full of objects OF interest. II
contains many Napoleonic souvenirs,
for it was Napoleon's headquarters
while he held the country. The bed
which he occupied is shown, although
it's position has been changed to an
other part of the castle. The guide
opened q door and turned me into the
banquet hall in which, on the day be-
fore, had feasted large company o
ROYALTY aud guests from Vienna. The
room was in the confusion in which
they had left it, aod it looked like &
haunt of bedlamites.
At that time 1898, there was hold
ing at Vienna what was termed q Ma
poleonic Congress Exhibit; that is.
grouping from every part OF Europe
all the objects that could be obtainet
bearing q relation to Napoleon. l
was highly complimentary to France
Upon the request Of the Austrian EN-
peror the Republic OF France loaned
train load of valuable mementos, will
guards, care.takers, and educated
guides for the explanation OF all thai
could be desired. 1t was certainly
feast for the historian. There wer'
thousands OF objects and large cata
loRues had to be printed. Even Rus
sia sent large number of objects, tax
ing care that somesof them came iron
No.o1aoppc NompeIa Of dis