The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-10
FINDLAY OHIO, FRIDAY MORNING. DECEMBER TO- 1885,

, i Dor alike. It was, IN iact, an Immense
iron cage wherein the ex sovereign,
iiiart,~ 70 l)zau complicated pieces o.
machinery. could bid defiapce to the
thieves and assassins, the fear of which
! poisoned his existence. At one side oil
this apartment, and only to be opened
with IFS secret key was a closet contain.
inS the gigantic strong box, wherein was
deposited his marvellous collection OF
diamonds. The strong box, in itself a
marvel of mechanism, was suspended by
four chains in the cavity which it occu-
pied, beneath which was well dug deep
beneath the foundations of the hotel, so
that the Duke had but to press a spring
TO cause his treasure chest TO disappear
from view. Besides which, the closet
was so constructed that, had anyone un-
acquainted with the secret lock essayed
to open it, he would have received the
discharge OF a number OF concealed gun
barrels arranged like a mitrailleuse. In
his Golfer the Dake kept not only his
diamonds, but his bank notes, his papers
ard iis ingots OF gold. Macy of which,
10 escape from from prying eyes and
fingers, he caused to be disguised as
cakes OF chocolate. In that iron box
was inclosed all that life held for him of
interest or love.
! He was as much afraid of assassins as
he was of thieves, and surrounded his
life with IS many precautions as he did
| his wealth. He never employed cook,
| never partaking at home of any food ex-
| cept a cup of chocolate, which he pre-
pared himself, by the aid of a spirit lamp.
The milk for this chocolate was brought
to him direct from the country in a
locked silver can, one key of which new
er left him, and the other was supplied
him, precautions which did not hinder
him from insisting that his valet should
always taste the first spoonful of the bev-
erage when prepared. He always took
his dinner at one of the great restaurants
of the Boulevard, preferring usually the
MJison dor. Once, when he was de-
tanned in the house by some indisposi-
ton, the Marquis de Plainly, who was
then his physician, scolded him for eat
ing nothing but sweets when at home
But lie could not persuade the Duke to
have a steak ora chop prepared for him
in his own house; he was forced to go
out, to have the meal cooked himself, and
to bring it to his royal patient, who ex-
acted from him a solemn oath that he
had never lost sight of the eata5les fora
moment. ReasSured on this point, the
Duke made short work of his dinner and
declared it to have been the best he had
ever eaten. He was, however, nothing
Of gourman9, eating little, and never
drinking wine, which had been forbid,
dea him in his youth by his physician,
his usual beverage being ordinary beer.
He was eXVravagantly fond, however, Of
fruits, ices, preserves and bonbons, of
which he partook on all occasions with
out much regard to ceremony. Some
times his magnificent carriage, with IFS
four splendid horses, would be seen
drawn up before the door of fruiter's
shop, while the proprietor of the equip
age, seated therein, was engaged in de-
vouring piles of peaches or grapes, which
were brought to him from the shop. At
other times, when taking ices at Torto-
mis-, he would pay largely for the privi
ege of going down into the kitchen and
eating the ice cream direct from the freez
er. His great delight was to enter con
fectioner's shop, and to eat as long and
as much as he liked from the various
piles of bonbons and crystaIized fruits,
leaving behind him on his departure two
or three gold pieces, to pay for his dep
relations.
He passed nearly his whole time in the
house He remained in bed, where he
read, wrote, ani received his intimate
friends, till about four o'clock in the az
teruoon, after which his toilet always
took up an immense zine, so that during
a great part of the year he never saw the
sun. TIE excessive care which he took
of his person, and the artificial character
OF his makeup are III ltters of public no
toriety. He painted his face, or caused
it TO be painted, with all the minuteness
and artistic finish that might be be-
slowed upon a water &c DIOR drawing. His
beard, OH the culture OF which he be-
slowed much time. was cOmbed, per-
famei and dyed daily. As t, his wigs,
he possessed them by d1zens; and in re
spect to these wigs. and his manner of
using them, an amusing story is told. n
celebrated dame of lie demt monde be
ing presented to the Duke mt the opera,
one evening, expressed to him an ardent
desire to inspect the wonders of the fairy
place Of which she had heart so much
The Dake calamity promised that she
should have that pleasure that very eve
ming, after the opera Accordingly, when
the performance vas over. he escorted
her to his hotel, took her upstairs by
means of tie satin-Iined elevator. and
introduced her into diinly lighted
room, where he LETT her, under the pre-
text Of ordering move lamps. The lady
waited some minutes for his return, and
finally, becoming impatient, she began
to look about her to discover where she
was. To her amazement, she saw in one
corner or the room head which stared
at her with motionless and CLASSY eyes.
She rushed in terror to the door. but
found that it was fastened on the out
side. y second glance around the dimly-
lighted apartment revealed the fact that
she was surrounded by heads, no. five,
or ten, or twenty, but thirty, all OF which
bore ghastly likeness to the Duke him
self. Her persistent sllrieks at last brought
TO her assistance a lackey, who opened
the door and released her. This myste-
rious apartment was simply the room
where the Duke kept his wigs, and the
heads were only wax models of his own
c)untAnance, each differing slightly in
coloring or in the arrangement of the
hair. Elch day the Duke made choice
OF the particular wig and style of visage
which be wished to assume, and his valet
was charged with the task of reprodue-