The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-06-24
A STORY OF SEDAN.

AS a pendant to the German official
report on the battle of Sedan, the Paris
correspondent of the London Times
tells the subioined story concerning the
cottage where the two emperors met:
sit is known in the locality" he says,
'sas La Maison du Tissesand,' La Mai
son de l'Empereur,' or la Maison des
Deux Freres Ennemis. The two first
titles explain themselves, but the third
is derived from the fact which is but
little known, and which is another
proof that accession of fortune rs often
acquired at the expense of domestic
peace. The cottage Is one story high,
with tiled roof, and stands parallel to
the road. A newly-built wall reaches
from the front of the house to the road,
and divides the building in two; but be-
fore this historical interview this wall
did not exist. The house belonged to
two brothers, half to each. The room IN
which the celebrated meeting was held
is in the corner OF the cottage nearest to
Sedan; but in 1871 the entrance-door
was at the other extremity nearest to
Donchery, and looked upon the road IN
front. When the room was being pre-
pared for the interyiew-that is to say,
when the round table and the two straw
chairs, which still remain, had been
brought in-the Emperor, who was
some distance off, was informed that all
was ready. He alighted from his car
rage, entered the front door, and went
up stairs-that Is to say, he came in at
the right side and entered the room sit
uated to the left. After the war was
over, and indeed before, great many
visitors went to see the house, and, after
the manner of tourists, were careful to
follow the same road, to go up the same
staircase and sit in the same room as
Napoleon III. and Prince Bismarck.
The owner of the room soon began to
make good thing of the curiosity OF
the visitors. He sold photographs of
| the house. The four pieces of gold the
Emperor had given to her humble hos
tess he had framed and hung over the
mantlepiece, for, curious to relate, 1t
was the fallen monarch who paid in this
way the use of the audience chamber.
The proprietor found, i'll short, that
this unexpected meeting produced a
golden shower, but his brother, the
| owner of the staircase, put in a claim
for q share of the profits. He said that
| as the visitors went up his staircase he
ought, in common justice, to get half
the proceeds of the exhibition, and he
added that he would stop the way unless
| his demands were satisfied. His broth
er looked at the matter III a different
light, arguing that people did not come
| to look at the staircase or the passage,
but at the room, which belonged to him.
Day by day the quarrel got worse, both
were equally stubborn and the domestic
| peace of the house was fatally disturbed.
| Soon stone wall was built between the
two halves of the house, and the weaver
| opened a new door and erected new
| staircase, SO that nowadays visitors no
longer use the old staircase ON the right,
up which the Emperor passed. Every
day travellers come from all parts of the
world to stare at the bare walls of the
room and sit in the straw chairs, so that
the weaver makes deal of money, but
peace is not restored in the s'Maison DIES
Deux Freres Ennemis."