Year: 1873


Berlin which make any show as public ediflces and
serve as residences ol high officials the Hotel Bis
marck takes perhaps, the very last place. 1t is the
most neglected and smallest ministerial palace; an
antiquated building, in the Rococo style, but lack
ing both the grace and magnificence OF ats period.
Notwithstanding all this 1t is In this house that
the most important part OF modern European his
tory has been played, and there is not nook or
in it which has not its political significance
or which has not been the scene OF important
events.


The Hotel Bismarck is situated in that part Of
the street which leads In southerly direction from
the Linden to the Wllhelms Platz, on which are the
monuments OF the heroes who fought under
Frederick the Great told Fritz. Nearly opposite
Is the palace of Prince Charles. brother of the En-
peror chief Of the Prussian artillery and father OF
Field Marshal Prince Frederick Charles, the victor
of K1nggratz, Vionvile and Orleans, and con-
Queror OF Metz.


Bsmarcks house has eight windows front and
two slightly protruding side tracts. The last OF
these possess each, on the ground noor, portal
and. above those oval bow windows resembling
balconies, giving the hotel altogether ten windows
front.


THE FACADE


of the building looks dismal enough, as II IL we're
the abode OF decayed but very aristocratc family,





CalibradOs, had more pride and haughtiness than
means to sustain either its ancestral home or ITSELF
The remarkable and interesting mementoes it
possesses it owes alone to the taste of Bismarck and
the glorious memories OF the lie, he has spent in
incessant work. 1t is well known that for years
Prince was too sensitive to ask for means to alter
and enlarge the building, which is much too small
and mean for It's purpose, and only this session the
motion was made and almost unanimously granted
to give the necessary funds to commence the
changes


WE 90 IN.


At nine O'Clock precisely our carriage stopped
before the right-hand portal which is nearest to
the wilhelms Platz. Passing through the gateway
we come upon six or eight steps which lead to the
entresol On either side OF the stairway is
SPHINX and these animal beauties show their full
bosom and seem to warn the new arrival with
their horrid paws. How many statesmen have
gone the way we are going. with hearts full Of
proud hopes and brains filed with ambitious ideas
How many OF them have gone out again, fallen
from the proud eminence Of the ministerial bench,
TO be heard OF no more Verify, these steps are
not unrelated to the Bridge OF Slghs at Venice and
the sphinx ought to warn every one who enters
here too boldly Of the breath Of that mysterious
Lady Poitic, who destroys every one who does not
show her attention with the requisite precaution
After having ascended the steps and passed the
stony beauties you are at once confronted by the
porter, whose box Is on the right. He is a long,
thin man, dressed entirely in black, who regards
you with an inquIstoria, look. We show our cre-
dentials and he leads us into half dark passage,
In which are the cloak rooms during the paria
mentary Saturday evening reunions. On our way
we meet many officials who are not In full dress,
but who all seem 10 be in great hurry and who
disappear In one or the other OF the many rooms
which open on this corridor. This is the region
containing the mystery OF all mysteries-the
cipher bureau and the Office OF the state tele.
graphs


Day and night kilograms arrive here from and
leave for the east, south. north and west, and
there Is never any lapse in the service; but the
of1cials change here as regularly as do the night
sentinels in front OF the imperial residence From
the street this enormous activity is not observed
for the iron shutters are hermeticay closed


By this time We have repaired any little derange.
ment in our dress and now emerge In full dress,
when the Cerberus OF the porter's lodge shows us
on the left to staircase in the form OF half moon,
which we ascend In the antechamber we find q
host OF liveried servants the door opened for US
ana we enter into foyer, which is used Tor persons
who await an audience. This Is the last


PARLIAMENTARY REUNION


OF the German Reichstag, and we expect that 1t
viii be very fully attended, and for this reason we
come somewhat earlier, IN order to find
the Prince and his family dlsengaged, as
later 1t Ia impossible to get through the
mass OF black dress coats to approach them.
We enter at the same time with the Bavarian
Deputy, DR.. velck Of Augsburg. The foyer is
small saloon with three windows. and the dark
paper gives 1t q very somore aspect


We bow TO stately looking lady, who Offers
her hand with winning amability. This Is Jo-
hanna Won Bismarck, the Princess herself. She
looks so fresh and graceful that one would not
believe that on the lltn OF April last she had al
ready completed her dftieth year. She Is dressed
In black MORE antique dress, decouete, wears
black kid gloves and black bows, fastened with
diamond aigrettes to her brown hair This toilet
ia on account OF the Court mourning for Prince
AdaIbert Of Prussia, the Great Admiral OF the
Prusslan navy, and for the Princess OF Liegnitz,
the second wife Of King Frederick William IL,
the Emperor's father The Princess invites us to
enter with her into the large saloon, which has
ave wIndows, and like the ioyer, faces the garden.