America's Emperor

     Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be royalty?  Maybe you don't have to wonder.  Maybe you could simply declare yourself royalty.  It worked for Joshua Norton. 

     Joshua Norton was a regular person.  In the mid-1800's, Joshua lived in San Francisco.  One day he decided that he was the Emperor of the United States of America.  The San Francisco Evening Bulletin printed the story.  Everyone knew he wasn't really the Emperor.  But they decided to play along.  He was even given a place to sit in the state legislature. 

     Emperor Norton set out to make the world a better place- at least as he saw it.  If he wanted something done. he ordered it done.  IF he wanted something changed, he ordered it changed.  For example, he ordered the streets cleaned.  He even printed his own money.  The newspapers always printed his laws and other declarations because people loved to read about them.  He spent a lot of time with the people of San Francisco.  He never missed public event.

     In 1880 Emperor Norton died.  Thirty thousand people went to his funeral.