Bisbee daily review., 1910-08-19
AGED EMPEROR
 OF AUSTRIA |S
 8O YEARS OLD
Every Town and Hamlet in the Country SuSpendS Bus mess and Gives Honor to Francis Joseph.

VIENNA, Aug. 1S:-In every town and village of the posygot dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary the eightieth anniversary of the beloved ruler. Francis Joseph 1. was observ- cd today by popular demonstrations Of loyalty and devoton All public and many private buildings were pro fusely decorated with the national colors and portraits of the venerable monarch were displayed in great m all the churches and business, everywhere. was at a standstill. Pat riotic exercises and military parades formed the salient features of the celebration in all larger comfunities As usual in deferenee to the wishes of the aged ruler. comparatively lit- tie money was spent for displays while large sums were contributed toI the fund for charitable and philan- thropio institutions to which the en- peror salso literally subscribed.
 The official celebration in the cap ital included the usual receptions of the diplomatic corps. the heads of the parliament and the diets, the mem bers of the two cabinets. the chiefs | of the army, the navy and the various fiscal apartments and of the mayor and other officials of the city of Vienna. In the morning the emperor attended mass and in the afternoon the customary review of the garrison ended the official part of the eele- bration.
 Francis Joseph l. was born. Aug ust IS. 1880 and ascended the throne in the early winter of 1S4S. He is the nestor among the worlds rulers and it is a curious fact that, with the | exception of the King of Greece and | the Sultan of Turkey no independent
 monarch reigning today was alive even when Francis Joseph became Emperor-King after abdication of his
 weakling uncle Ferdinand during the ' stormy days of the revolution. Not
 withstanding his advanced age and in
 spite of the chain of sorrows, dis appointments, misfortunes and even
 career and saddened, if not embitter- ed his life, the emperor Is still hale
 and hugger Of health and capable of
 enduring hardships that would tax the sthength of even a younger man
 Hunting in the mountains where the
 nimble game leaps from crag to crag
 is still the favoriJe recreation of the
 emperor, who has always been a
 mighty nimrod and an exceptionally
 fine marksman. It is probably due
 to his love of outdoor exercise and
 the simplicity of his fare that he has
 retained his healtL and strength to
 such a remarkable degree.
 The emperor's path of life has been neither smooth nor strewn with roses. ,I He ascended the throne at a critical
 period, with all odds against him, and , his reign has been a continuous strug- pie against unfortunate conditions ever since. That he succeeded not
 only to maintain his throne under the
 most difficult conditions, but also to win the universal love of his subjects
 conciusively proves him a man of un usual ability and force of character one of the greatest rulers of modern ? times.
 The fates seem to have conspired to make Francis Joseph the most un
 happy and most sorely tried of all
 modern monarchs. Not only did they surround him with difficulties and obstacles of a political nature which , frequently threatened the stability oi his throne, but they visited him with |, a long seres of domestic misfortunes which disrupted his family. deprived him of those he most tenderly loved and loaded him down with grief and , sorrow
 , The unhappiness of his marriage l to Elizabeth, the younger daughter . of Duke Maximilian of Bavaria, was
 his first great trouble. There have been many theories advanced as to
 the causes of the alienation of the
 affections between the emperor and
 the empress. Whatever may have been the actual cause, it continued until Elizabeth was assassinated in 2 Switzerland by the hand of an an } archist
 The next tragic event in the emper , or's family came when his brother
 Maximilian, the puppet emperor of l Mexico. was executed at Queretaro Maximilian's wife became insane and
 is still living ignorant of her bus
 bands fate The saddest blow was
 the mysterious death of his only son
 crown prince Rudolph, at his hunting
 lodge near Meyerling A few years later the emporer's sister-intlaw. the } Duchess d'Alencon, burned to death , al a charity bazar in Paris Ahchduke Johann a nephew of the emperor