The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-08-18
Anniversary Of Birth of Emperor
Francis Joseph Of Austria Hun
gary Celebrated in Dual
Monarchy
is STILL IN GOOD HEALTH
Despite Sorrows and Misfortunes in
His Life He is Still Hale and
Hearty = Took Throne at
Critical Time.

Vienna, Aug. 1s.-In every town
and village of the polyglot dual mon
archy of Austria Hungary the eighth
eth anniversary of the beloved ruler.
Francis Joseph l. was observed today
by popular demonstrations of LOYALTY
and devotion. All public and many
private buildings were profusely dec
GRATED with the national colors and
portraits of the venerable monarch
were displayed in great number. Te
Deums were celebrated i'm all the
churches and business. everywhere
was at standstill. Patriotic exercis
es and military parades formed the sa
lient features of the celebration i'm all
larger communities. As usual, i'm de-
ference to the wishes of the aged
ruler, comparatively little money was
spent for displays, while larger sums
were contributed to the fund for char
liable and philanthropic institutions to
which the emperor also literally sub
scribed.
The official celebration in the capt.
tai included the usual receptions of the
diplomatic corps. the heads of the par
lament and the diets, the members of
the two cabinets, the chiefs of the ar
my, the navy and the various fiscal
departments and of the mayor and 9TH
er 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 Of
fetal part of the celebration.
Sketch of the Emperor.
Francis Joseph !. was born August
Is, 1880, and ascended the throne i'm
nestof among the worlds rulers and IL
Is curious fact that, with the excep-
ton OF Greece and the Sultan of Tur-
key no Independent monarch reigning
today was alive even when Francis
Joseph became emperor-king after the
abdication of his weakling uncle Fer
dinand during the stormy days of the
revolution. Notwithstanding his ad-
vanced age and in spite of the chain of
sorrows. disappointments misfor-
tunes and even tragedies which have
marked his career and saddened, If
not embittered his life, the emperor
is still hale and rugged of health and
capable of enduring hardships that
would tax the strength of even a much
younger man. Hunting in the noun
tains, where the nimble game leaps
from crag to crag. is still the favorite
recreation of the emperor. who has al
ways been a mighty nimrod and an ex-
ceptionally fine marksman. 1t is prob
ably due to his love of outdoor exer-
else and the simplicity of his fare that
he has retained his health and strength
to such a remarkable degree.
Man of Great Ability.
The emperors path of life has been
neither smooth nor strewn with roses.
lie ascended the throne at critical
period, with all odds against him, and
his reign has been continuous strug-
gle 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 sub
jects. conclusively proves him a man
of unusual ability and force of char
acter, 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 OBJ
stacles of a political nature which fire.
quently threatened the stability of his
throne, but they visited him with
long series of domestic misfortunes
which disrupted his family, deprived
him of those he most tenderly loved
and loaded him down with grief and
sorrow.
Tragic Events in Career.
The unhappiness of his marriage to
Elizabeth, the younger daughter of
Duke Maximilian of Bavaria, was his
first great trouble. There have been
many theories advanced as to the caus-
es of the alienation of the affection be-
tween the emperor and the empress.
Whatever may have been the actual
cause. ii continued until Elizabeth was
assassinated i'm Switzerland by the
hand of an anarchist.
The next tragic event i'm the en-
peror's family came when his brother.
Macmillan, the puppet emperor of
Mexico. was executed at Querretaro.
Maximilan's wife became insane and
Is still living. ignorant OF her hus-
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 la
ter the emperor's sister-in-law, the