HOW MR. GLADSTONE BAMBOOZLED THE BULL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7800, 20 November 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW MR. GLADSTONE BAMBOOZLED THE BULL.

Mr. visit to Tegernsee is a subject of great interest in Germany. The Germania, comparing him to Cincinnatus, publishes some reminiscences of former visits ofthe late Premier to " the most lovely of the Bavarian lakes, "told by a personal friend of Mr. Gladstone. "Formerly," says Herr von A., "Mr. Gladstone was very fond of climbing mountains, and I remember very well an ascent of the Wahlberg, on which occasion he was not behind the most nimble of us. He was dressed in the customary Alpine custnme, and his liveliness and agility became proverbial in the little colony of strangers. On another occasion Mr. Gladstone and his family, accompanied by a party of friends, made a tour by omnibus t) Fischbachau, Birkenstein, and Bayrischzell. The tour being rather a long one for one day, we started very early from Tegernsee. Everything went on beautifully till we reached the well known idyllic post office near Miesbacb. The high road winds at this place from Toelz- • Tegernsee to Mieebach down a steep incline, to rise again, equally sudden, at the other side of the narrow valley of the Mangfall. Among the steep mountain sides and sudden precipices the road becomes sometimes bo narrow that it is impossible for two carriages to pass each other, and in order to avoid . nconvenience niches have been hewn into the rocks, where one vehicle can wait till the other had passed. Numerous columns, characteristically named martyr slabs in the jargon of the district, tell of the dangers of the road. Mr. Gladstone's party was at one part of this road in the greatest danger. After passing a sudden turn in the road, a herd of cattle, headed by an enormous bull, met the carriage The bull, instead of going aside, obstinately waited just in front of the carriage, and the youthful herdsmen were unable to move him from where he had taken up his position. Nor was the driver's whip, whioh was vigorously applied to the bull's back, of any use, for, instead of frightening the bull, the lashing frightened the horses, which began to rear and shy till the situation became highly critical. The ladies shrieked, and were about to jump out of the carriage, when at the last moment Mr. Gladstone jumped down, took one of the wraps, approached the bull sideways, and threw the blanket over the animal's head. The surprised bull stood motionless, and allowed a rope to be tied round his horns and his feet to be tethered. Obedient as a lamb he followed his leader, who led him baok to a less narrow part of the road, the whole herd following close behind. The road was free, and without further disaster the tour was concluded.. Mr. Gladstone was, of course, greatly complimented and congratulated for his presence of mind and his energetic action, of which, however, he would not hear, and dismissed the subject smiliDgly with a few words to an intimate German friend with whom he walked the mountain: " Never mind ; it was the same with this fellow as it was with John Bull. You must catch him by the horns if you want to overpower him." "Many a time," concludes the writer, "I have remembered Mr. Gladstone's words, ' You must catch him by the horns if you want to overpower him,' when afterwards I watched the remarkable statesman taking a leading part in Albion' 3 political events. Is the English ex-Premier going to verify this remarkable saying once more'? From all I know of him and his countrymen, I verily believe that he will."