FRANZ -XAVER- KASPAR, born July 5,1846 died Aug.6,1897 son of Karl Joseph and Maria Josepha, born Heer He wrote his own “Memoirs”.: My birthday was celebrated by my parents as well as a great number of guests, and their joyous mood may have become the reason for my happy humor which has seldom failed me. The first years of my childhood passed not without troubles, at the age of 3 I had an encephalitis which affected me to such a degree that I had to attend the school for the deaf-mutes in Baden which helped me to overcome my difficulties in speech. At the age of 6 I lost my father, and it was left to my mother to educate the wild youngster. The schools in Baden at that time were not commendable, lots of fun for us boys ,but lots of worry for the parents. At the age of 13 my mother took me out of this environment and sent me to the Pensionat Lauterbach, where I stayed for 2 years. Then I was sent to Prof Gerster in Fribourg for my training, beginning with a apprenticeship as a waiter at the Hotel Zaehringer in Fribourg, and then, expressing my wishes of seing more of the world, my mother sent me to England where through recommendations I got a job at the luxurious Queenshotel in Manchester. At first the bread at the foreign country did not taste good and strange but working well I was moved up to a good position in the house. The few hours of my time off, I spent visiting the big city, and being inexperienced I became to see such nice and never before seen things. But the lovely picture of the cozy home life with mother and sisters steadily guided me, and the fear of disturbing it kept me from all temptations and troubles. The year just flew by, when with regret I received the news from my sister Lina at the occasion of her honeymoon, that I had to return home and in the summer of 1865 I took over the business of the Hotel Blume together with my mother, when for the first year the work appeared quiet confined and limited. But then I had to go for my basic training and with quiet some pride I received the rank of lieutenant.(He later on moved up to the grade of Captain) I finally fought off my desire to travel and started to cherich my ancestrial home more and more. I enjoyed singing and playing music as my dear departed father had done, and on many of the social events I enjoyed happy hours. As much as my dear mother told me how much she would like to give the business and its burden into younger hands, I could not exchange my careless youth with the burdens of ones own household. But what wishes and pleads can’t accomplish, a single glance from a lovely eye did with ease. And the pages written by my dear Mathilde will show you our happy courtship, The wedding took place at the Chapel of the Three Kings and the event was crowned by the presentations of two choirs,the wedding guests counted 52 and under blue sky the cortege walked to the railroadstation and brought us to Brugg by special train, where in the “Red House” we had the reception and everybody was in a joyous mood. Bride and groom departed by railroad again to our honeymoon where we could cherrish the full and busy life of the big towns with their arttreasures, museums, the beautiful Hoftheatre in Munich, the uniquely and bizarre built Augsburg and Stuttgard with its charming surroundings, the lovely Wintergarten in Carsburg, all these events will stay lasting in our memories. Finally we went to the war striken Strassbourg where the effects of the occupation still looked fresh. We visited the Citadell, the Cathedral and the places of the worst destructions, and everywhere there was the picture of dispair. It was here that we received the news about the Bourbacky armee entering Switzerland and we returned home at ones, knowing that our Franz may have been called to arms. On our return the cityband appeared to serenade the young married couple, and I asked myself quietly:”Will our future life ever resemble the past weeks or this evening?” Shortly after our return, mother moved into an apartment in town and gave over the kees for our independant rules to govern the house.We had 10 French officers as guests. We hardly finished our first saison when mother expressed the wish to enlarge the Hotel, Architect Moser made the plans. The stables in the back of the house had to be moved to the “Hasel”(now Roemerstrasse) and enlarged. While working on the new foundations, old walls of Roman origin were found with many pieces of pottery, of mosaic and rooftiles with the seals of the “LEGION” and bronce wears with 6 statues. They brought by a number of antique researchers who studied it with great interrest, mainly the bigest of the statues, which gave the professionals a headache. After many debates and after pictures were sent to many Museums, it was considered to be quiet an unique discovery, and probably was used by the Romans against whichcraft. We were offered up to 4 000 S.Fr. but decided to keep the pieces and keep them in a glass cabinet to be admired by our guests. The demolition was started in the winter of 1872.