The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1910-03-31


iamin Thompson, Graf Won Rumford.
II you ask almost any inhabitant OF
Munich who he was, you will receive
the answer that he was an English
man who did away with beggary and
unemployment, and gave to the city
"the English Garden" and, except
by the few, this is all that is remem-
bered of man who did more for
Bavaria and for Munich than any
other man,
That he was an Englshman is only
so far true. Born at Woburn, in Mas
sachusetts, in 1853, before the
Declaration Of Independence, he was
a subject Of the British crown. More
over, rs he grew TO mans estate and
the rebellion broke out, all his SYM
pathies lay with the mother country,
and he was unable to see that the
colonies were justified in going to war
over their grievances.
Fleeing from the country he took
service with the Elector of Bavaria,
who made htm colonel of a cavalry
regiment and his aide-de-camp. The
condition of the army was deplorable.
II was not only subjected to pedantic
and Anticipated routine of no earthly
advantage, but it was wholly inefii-
cient. The Minister of War, Count
Wilderbusch, had directed all his ef-
forts to the reduction of the cost of
the army; the discipline was bad, and
il was neither well armed nor well
fed or clothed, and was thoroughly
unpopular as a profession. The state
of affairs was so deplorable that the
Elector required Thompson to inves-
tigate into its condition and to sug-
gest remedies. This he did, and sent
in his report on February 7, 1888.
Carl Theodor at once raised him to
the rank OF major-general and APP
pointed him Minister of War.
Thompson had now a free hand TO
carry out his reforms. His great aim
was TO make Of every soldier a pa
triotic citizen and OF every citizen a
possible soldier. He did away with
a host Of abuses; he raised the sol
dier's pay, had him well clothed, we'll
housed and well fed, and allowed him
as much liberty as was consistent
with discipline.
There was a wide tract OF desolate
land, rubble and marsh, along the
Isars bank, wholly profitless and i'm
practicable fer agricultural purposes.
At Thompson's desire some five miles
of IL was secured for the town,
drained, laid out, planted ind trans
formed into what is now the beauti-
full English Garden, perhaps the most
extensive park possessed by any cap
ital.
The Elector at this time possessed
four cavalry regiments. They were
distributed over the land. so that in
every village there should be FIVE or
at least three men, who were to pa
troll the country from one station TO
another; and nothing was to be ex-
acted from the peasants but to house
these men. Forage for the horses
and food for the men would be paid
for. The object of this measure was
to insure the arrest Of every beggar
and loafer in the land
For the relief Of the needy Thomp-
son relied on a contribution from the
Elector and on pooling the charitable
offerings of the citizens. But that
was not all. In the Fauborg Of Au,
beyond the Isar, was a ruinous fac
tory. Thompson bought it, rebuilt
and enlarged it, and converted it into
a workhouse supplied with all sorts
OF workshops for every kind of trade,
and over the door was inscribed in
large letters, mo aims given here"
When all was ready, on New Years
Day, 1890, the officers OF the three in
fantry regiments stationed in Munich
took up their appointed positions in
the streets in await further orders.