WILLIAM II., EMPEROR OF GERMANY, was born January 27, 1859, and
received an education chiefly at home, under the supervision of his
parents, his tutors, and his military instructors. On March 9, 1888,
his grandfather, the first emperor, died. On June 15 of the same year
Emperor Frederick also died, and William II. succeeded. After spending
some time in personally visiting the courts of European sovereigns,
the young emperor took a decisive step towards his future standing as
a leader in European politics, by severing relations with his
grandfather's right-hand man, Prince Bismarck. From that time, he has
himself been the most prominent and dominating figure in the
administration of Germany's affairs. He has, without regard to
imperial precedent, personally connected himself with such questions
as concern the population of the whole world, notably the Socialistic
and Labor problems. He has made himself, also, a master of the
smallest details concerning the government of his people, and even of
his household. As yet without experience of actual warfare, he is an
alert and constant inspector of both his army and navy, and, in his
determined enforcement of the "Army Bill," has given evidence of his
desire to uphold Germany as a military power second to none. With the
exception of slight colonial difficulties in Samoa and Africa, he has
had as yet no foreign trouble to contend with. He is a close student
and an eager inquirer; he is a good shot, a skilled horseman, and
interested in all forms of sport.
EUGENE FIELD, poet and journalist, was born in St. Louis in 1850, but
spent the greater part of his youth in Massachusetts. He was educated
at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, and the State University at
Columbia, Missouri. After a visit to Europe, he commenced work as a
journalist on the "St. Louis Journal." From that time to the present
he has been continually connected with the western newspaper press of
America, having occupied editorial positions in St. Joseph, Kansas
City, and Denver, and finally on the Chicago "News." His humorous and
satirical studies in that newspaper have made him widely known, and
his occasional verses have become very popular. His best work has been
published in book form under the titles: "A Little Book of Western
Verse," "A Second Book of Verse," and "A Little Book of Profitable
Tales." (See "Dialogue between Eugene Field and Hamlin Garland," in
the August number of MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE.)
COLONEL ALBERT AUGUSTUS POPE, President of the Pope Manufacturing
Company, was born in Boston in 1843. He received an ordinary
public-school education, and at nineteen years of age entered the
Union army as a volunteer, with the appointment of second lieutenant
in the 35th Massachusetts Infantry, serving with distinction, and
being gazetted lieutenant-colonel "for gallant conduct in the battles
of Knoxville, Poplar Springs Church, and front of Petersburg." At the
close of the war he commenced business in Boston, and, becoming
interested in the development of the bicycle, he began to introduce
the machines into the United States, commencing the manufacture of
them in 1878. The Pope Manufacturing Company are the proprietors of
the "Columbia" bicycle, and their works are among the largest of the
kind in the world. Colonel Pope has taken an active interest in
affairs of public moment both in his native State and throughout the
country, notably so in the movement for establishing better roads, and
in the welfare and education of factory employees.