The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-31
TICKLE FORTUNE.
A Chicago Bootblack and NewsbOy Becomes
a Marquis Of France.
The Family of the Late Aymar de Belloy
Suddenly Raised from Pow.
erty to Affiuence.

The death year ago last May of we
known and prominent Board of Trade man
Mons. de Belloy, by suicide, as has Away
been supposed, is well remembered by man
people in Chicago, especially by those VIII
were acquainted with the history of the un
fortunate man. He was a Frenchman, ant
scion of one of the Oldest and first families
of France. His name and title in full were
the Marquis Aymar de Belloy He was mar
of fine education, refinement and good bust
ness ability. In his early life he was wild
adventurous youth, who spent his fortune al
home and came to America, say twenty
years ago. For few years he OBJ.
tanned his livelihood by teaching,
keeping his rank to himself, and going
under the unassuming name of Monsieur
MarechaL About this time the Marquis con-
cluded that all his wild oats were sown, and
he would abandon the fast life he had previ-
ously led. He became acquainted with q
handsome country girl from Michigan. with
whom he fell in love- She was only fifteen
years old, and, from the standpoint of the
adventurous and heightened Frepchman, was
unrefned and uncutured. But he was cap
tivated by her very innocence and want Of
knowledge of the world, and married her
They lived happily together up to the time of
his death and six children were the result of
the union.
As might have been expected, the noble
family of the Marquis turned up their titled
noses at this marriage with a backwoods girl
in America, and refused to recognize it or
her. He several years ago becams q member
of the Board of Trade in Chicago. He there
showed the same hayward, reckless traits
that had been the cause of his checkered life
He made fortunes and lost them. Sometimes
he was on the top wave Of prosperity, and
again he lived in cave of gloom. During
one of his periods of depression he took his
own life as is generally believed, leaving his
wife and six children in poverty He had an
insurance of $4,000 on his life, which has,
however, never been paid, the companies re-
sisting payments on the ground that he took
his own life.
A subscription among his associates on the
Board of Trade realized $500 or $4,000,
which was used to defray his funeral expenses,
and the rest given to his family. A widow
with six young children and no means is
discouraging lot in Chicago or elsewhere.
The Oldest boy of whom there is more to be
said hereafter contributed what be could to |
the support of the family by backing boots |
and selling papers. He was barefooted, |
ragged, dirty. faced bootback, newsboy, |
gamin, his associations being with that class, |
and his education received on the streets. The |
widow and her half dozen children were as |
poor and comfortless as the widow and father.
less could we'll be. After a time finding it |
impossible to sustain life here, the widow,
who is an excellent lady, took her family and |
went to reside with relative in Geneseo in
this State, where she is now living in seclu-
sion. and still pinched for means to make life
comfortable.
Tho story is one of early recklessness and
waywardness, of selfexile from home, of an
early marriage. of a premature death and SUBJ
sequent wretchedness to the family. The
concluding chapter can now be written, and
1t is as romantic as anything in fiction, and it
is true.
1t is as sudden transition from despair to
hope, from obscurity to high position, from
poverty to affuence, as was ever dreamed Of
Intelligence has just reached Chicago that the
Marchi0ness de Belloy, the mother of the
family and Of the Chicago de Belloy, has just
died. The Chicagoan was the Oldest son of
the family.
All that is wanting now is for the proofs of
q legal marriage according to the American
law to be forwarded to France, which can be ]
easily done. The French law recognizes for
eign mrriages, contracted in friendly coun-
tries, according to the law of those countries
the marriage with tho Michigan |
girl will be held valid, and not only do the q
titles of the family, but one-third of the for
unes descend to the widow and her family,
now residing in Geneseo. The widow herself
becomes Marchioness, holding the same re- =
alive position to the family as did the deceas-
I'D Warehouses The Oldest boy, he who sold
papers and BACKED boots, becomes MARQUIS. Y
he is hereafter the head of this proud, aristo- 4,
'ratic French family-he and his mother,
whom they have always contemptuously re-
used to recognize. The family is one Of the
most distinguished in France. It dates back 9,
% the Crusades it has furnished two Cardi- :
halls and two Marshals to the nation. Aud yet
girl brought up in the backwoods of Ameri-
"a, who never was at court who was a com. pt
,arative nobody, and her boy, who has been
brought upin school of hardship and poverty
vill now take upon themselves the highest
lonors which a connection with this ancient
amly entails They will hereafter s it at the 60
ead of the table, have precedence at all the =
amily gatherings, and the uncles and
ousins who have spent their lives An
a the midst of the brilliant and :
ashionable society of Paris will have to bow
nd scrape to these plebeian Americans in a :,
launer that will, no doubt be highly distaste- ~
al to them. But this Yankee wife and chill
rem not only take the houses and titles of the
'mily OF de Belloy, but also a good share of ar
,e houses, lands, country seats, city resi- x
ences, moneys, bonds, and all that belong :
lg or in any way appertaining to this same
ouse Of de Belloy. To the average American sb
understanding this last feature is the best of
u. Ine young marquis Will now quit selling En-
apers, and will give his box and brush to
,me fellow who is not so highly connected D.
He will throw aside his patched pantaloons,
Id get pair that are in at the knees, and
i'll also doubtless indulge in the luxury of J
can shirt When be gets married his wife pa
ill also be q Warehouses. OF course, he
ill marry an American girl, and here will J
3 chance for some more titles for Ameri- Brl
ms. And all his brothers and sisters will
'me in for their share Of all this good fortune,
i'd If they are not the happiest family in I'LL tw
DIS when the news reaches them, it is not
sry clear what would make them so.
The news OF the sudden chs nge in prospects
Ill probably reach the widow and her family 81.
Geneseo to-day. The formalities neces- To
~ for the realiz alton of their good fortune -
. few and simple, and there is notthe slight.
doubt that they can be easily complied
tn. The charm of this story is that it is
lie in every particular, and who will not say
w that "Truth is stranger than fiction ?"-