Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-11-20

not fortune, had he not been in his
own right one of the wealthiest princes
Of the old world.
He is recognized as one of the best
sporting shots in the Austro-Hungarian
empire, the walls of his home at Ko-
with the antlers Of some 1000 stays
and chamois, as we'll as with the
heads Of tigers killed in India, the
tusks of elephants slain in Ceylon and
the pelts of bear shot in the Rockies.
He is an adept in the science of zool-
ogy and natural history and is won
derfully gifted artist with the brush
and as landscape gardener. And.
last but not least, he is a thorough
soldier, having everything connected
with his profession as such at his
fingers ends. Added to this, he has
always been an exemplary son and an
affectionate brother, and his life has
been singularly free from scandal, the
one romance of his existence being his
infatuation for Countess Sophie Cho-
tex, whom he persisted in marrying in
spite of all the obstacles placed in the
way of the match.
In some respects Francis Ferdinand
is man Of stronger character than
his uncle, Francis Joseph. For where
as the latter has shown himself pill
able, and has sometimes been brought
by persuasion or by mere WEAKNESS to
yield and to accord his consent to
measures of which at heart he disap-
proved, his nephew obstinately re-
fuses to give way. He is slow and de-
liberate about taking up his position
| in controversy. He has accustomed
himself to regard it from every pos
sible point of view and to encourage
free discussion thereof In all its bear.
ings. But once he has formed his
| Judgment, nothing can induce him to
bulge therefrom. He is set in his
ideas, which are reached only after
| mature consideration, and while his
prejudices are perhaps strongly de-
veloped, they are neither numerous
nor all of them reactionary.
I Francis Ferdinand has three child
rem by his marriage who bear their
mothers princely title of Hohenberg,
with the predicate of serene highness.
The eldest is a girl, who has received
her mothers name of Sophie; and the
others are boys, Prince Macmillan
being now five years of age and his
brother, Ernest, only three. Their "a
Their is devoted to his children, and
has them with him on every possible
occasion. They even used to accom-
pany him when he went shooting in
the big forest around his stately chau-
teau of Konopischt, until he found
that this interfered with his sport,
as they are so passionately fond OF
animals that whenever any game
came within reach of his gun they
would clasp hold of his arms and en-.
treat him not to shoot the pretty ami
NAL or bird, as the case might be.
Although from an ecclesiastical
point of view the church, in the per.
son of the pope, would have the power
of relieving him of the obligations of
the oath which he made at the time
of his marriage to refrain from raising
his wife to the throne. and his child.
rem into the line of succession thereto,
yet Francis Ferdinand's sense Of
honor is so keen that there is no rea.
son whatsoever to suppose that he
will yield to the longings of his heart
and break the promise which he gave
to the members of his house, the gov
eminent of the dual empire, and to the
people. Throughout his reign, at any
rate as long as she remains unmar-
ried, his half-sister, Archduchess
Maria Annunciata, abbess of the
Hradraschin, will continue to play the
role of acting empress and Of first lady
of the empire.