Bisbee daily review., 1912-08-11
BULGARIA CELEBRATES
 KINGS ANNIVERSARY
Ferdinand l Rounded Out Quarter of Century of
 Remarkable Rule

VIENNA. Aug 1O.-Tomorrow Fer dinand l. will round out a quarter of
 a century as ruler of Bulgaria. The anniversary recalls much that is of interest IL also serves to show that political prophecies often go wide of the mark
 , Twenty-Five years ago last month there came to Vienna a Bulgarian statesman. NJ. Stoiloff, envoy Of Stam-
 boulOff, the d:ctator Stoiloff was searching for a prince who would
 deign to accept the Bulgarian crown The offer was not very tempting. The fate that befell the unhappy Alexander of Battenberg. the first prince Of Bull
 garia, made it hard to find his sue Cessor. ..
 After several princes had been ap- preached without success, StambOulOf and Stoiloff thought of the Coburgs.
 who had already furnished several kings So Stoiloff iou.neyed to Eben- thai. near Vienna. and appealed to the youngest cleyerest, and most attTac tive of the Coburgs. Prince Ferdinand his mother, Princess Clementine. was a daughter or Louis Philippe. Ferdi-
 hand was a nephew of the king of the Belgians and related to the queens of England and Portugal.
 Prince Ferdinand was then twenty six. He was we'll aware of the dan gers his acceptance would involve. But he saw in young Bulgaria an enor- nous force, which, if he could direct and control il. might work miracles. He had faith in the people and faith in himself He accepted, and on August II, 1887, he assumed the reins of gov ernment
 The young prince had an uphill fight The confirmation of his selection by the powers and of his election by the Bulgarian national assembly was only secured from the porte after the most restrictions had been placed upon him. It was the under standing that he was to remain per in the principality and that, the state of his country-religion ed ncation. finance. defense, industry and be periodically scru- tinized by the ministry at the Yildiz Kiosk.
 Nominally a vassal of Turkey. in reality Bulgaria was dominated by aNNoSAds NutiN 1faustf itt anu iUc OlHEI powers watched with a jeaIons eye and stood ready to stir up trouble at any moment. The foreign relations of the struggling principality were bad enough. but the condition of affairs at home was even worse. Rival fac tions disputed the government. the army was torn with dissensions. and but the iron rule of Stan. bouloff prevented the countrys ruin. !
 Such was Bulgaria in 1887. when Ferdinand arrived. And what marvel 1us changes twenty-five years under 7 his rulership have brought about. At he start. unrecognized by any of the {; powers Of Europe. treated as usurper, laughed al and hated, he achieved ! he recognition of all the powers, and with it their respect. Today Ferdinand s recognized everywhere. received with royal honors in all the capitals of Europe: his realm has become the most prosperous and most powerful of | he Balkan States. it has proudly broken the last ties that bound it to | Turkey: it has civilized, modernized md improved it's system of govern-i nent the country is covered with, -oads and railways: it has a thrifty, | population and a brilliant ,apital. everywhere are to be seen military buildings, for the backbone of Bulgaria is her army | which is the best disciplined in the