The Lambertville record., 1911-09-22
His Castle on
the Rhine.
And How He Sold 1t to a
Descendant Of Its First
Owner.
BY F. A. Mitchell.
by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

z citation, 1911. T
s+s+*****.**.
On the left bank of the Rhine Is the
ruin of one of those old castles which
have stood In that region for centuries.
This particular castle some years ago
was bought by Carl Bishoff, German
American who had made n lot Of mon
ey brewing lager beer Bishof bought
with the castle a few pieces of furni-
ture, pictures and other curiosities that
were several hundred years old and
had been handed down from one pur-
chaser to another. With the decay OF
the castle and the gradual breaking up
or loss of these articles all that re-
mained had finally been concentrated
in one room, which, when the owner
was there. he used for a living and
bed room In this apartment was an
antique fireplace big enough to roast
an OK. over the chimneypiece hung
a picture that was especially priced by
Carl BishoH
Bishoff was an admirable amateur
chess player. Indeed he had on sew
eral occasions tackled professionals
with fair success. The reason he
priced the picture that hung over the
chimneypiece at his castle was be-
cause 1t represented n curious position
between chess players. They were In
a
thin with a black heard, the other
stocky whose beard was fiery red
The dark man wore his beard at
point. while his mustachios We're turn
Cl upward. giving him malignant
expression. The red bearded man
was OF n pleasant couatcnancc The
picture represented him looking on the
bosrG. evilrat,Y troubled ut a prospect
of being checkmated by his antagonist,
who was regarding him with an ex-
preston of triumph. On a plate at
tached TO the frame was the name of
the picture in German, "Checkmate In
Six Moves" There was legend con
nected with the painting that the man
who had built and owned the castle
would some day return TO rcpossess it.
Nheh ne caile-so tue lesehd SAID
ne "ouiu aSSulhe the posltloh Vi the
reu pearaed man III the picture, ana
instead of being checkmated in six
moves he would checkmate in the
same number
BlsioH eha'El'd ut TINS legend say
ing that II "AN one could get his castle
III that way he was welcome to do so.
lie had studied for hours trying to
discover Il IheIh"d hy which the short
Hinn "uld "iNe hlniSelf ana had
failed. lie tollsldrred the problem In
soluble, and several chess experts who
h"d seen M picture had agreed with
hiLl
one autumn HiSholf, who had run
ave" from America to Berlin con
cluded to ply visit to his castle to
see TINT al was ready Tor the coming
winter y eare'nker liVed III room
that hnd been repaired ana furhlshed
for nm ana ms Wlte ana eouid pro
vide what hiShoh required IN the way
of refreshments. BiShoH would be
obliged to spend one night IN the cas-
tie and would dn so In the room al
ready described.
1t was lowering afternoon wheh
he reached tlpr '&St!e' clouds hanging
low about q lmtt!ements. After max
ing an insHr i'7n ana taking over the
conditions VI! NJ rar'taker bishoh'
VIII" had q "" 'rd NE De pulIt Ill
his ohnmhr' d'iti there ana When ne
had lniS' 81 I'D n'% armchair up
before tn lH1l"@ logs MOI teeilhg
eSre i3iiN h"!t" III ms gloomy apoue'
he dire tod is.% '2frtaker 10 make MN
hot pun II MS WAS SET on II tapie
beside him, ana as the hours SLOWLY
passed he drove on MS ioHeiiheSS WI"
frequent potAtl"hS.
Presently ne te.I INTO " uose, ho"
long lie slept ne dldh KNOW, put 'he
hrst lhlhs ne uiu MN" 'ie 49, ""'
opened ana man ''ile iii'o ''ie 'oo,n ~,
Blshof iookeu vi" eAl'e','nS " 'ee ,., rne
caretaker lie WIS h'i9'"Ne' nc
person VINO enter'u was "'', ne "'S 90
-, - ,,,a ,,.,,,, n nor
WIN ou's'' e'' '''u -, ....,'....,,o.o
ulaiity 'hut Seeile' ii0ir ~. app. w, -, ~
Tor Iost tn'i d su'at' ! nen le ~ s% ~.
eiair ~ io'e 'ne u'e' va. - niru Ia h,S
hahdS ahu' ''NiilE i''i' ''''i -''
l'oche'' ueS"" va ~ ''i' ~ p,-..s ..his 90
wen ne '"'u .,tpo',4 i,,,+ ,,,aasont
uisli"i ,.'1 ",N LA a"u,va mode vorr