The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-28
CHARLES LAFFIITE. ALAS MAJOR
ERIDOLIN.


AFFAIRS. Nevertheless, his notoricty extended
far beyond the borders Of France. wherever
sport II ~ become a fashion among the wealthy
classes Of society," Charles Lailtte and his horses
were widely known. Bearing as he did the
name Of the celebrated banker aud minister OF
Louis Philippe, and that Of tho still more c"le-
brated vineyard, his name was easily ret iinel
by the mass OF the people.
Tho name OF Laflitte Is rather frequent III
France. Some Of its hearers SMELL II with one l.
Others with two. Jean Latte. the celebrated
corsair. privateer, and smugeler OF Louisiana.
a one LATTE and so is Jean liaptiste Pierre
Bantte the prolific litteratcur, who l. stil living
and still writing, though already over seventy
years OF age, and Of whose novels and theatrical
pieces only Ii pour Ct ic contrc Will ever survive
the author. Onthe other hand. Jacques Lanitte'
the banker and minister, the friend Of heraneer
and the patron OF Theirs was two Lriitte
and the now departed Charles WAS distant rel
alive OF his.
Like the celebrated Premier, Charles La1ltte
was banker and hogan his career just at the
time when the old Llfiltte was in power
shrewd business man. he considerably incre scd
the fortune he had inherited. aud taking advAh-
tage Of the prestige Of his name, launched him-
self In fun career among that noneyed Dour-
gcois orlstocracy. which bcqon to form Itself at
the close of the reign OF Charles y. and the adj
vent Of the Orleans monarchy. Sporting pro-
pensities were transmitted to France together
with Enrlieh parliamentary fashions and
forms. Among learned people and politicians
the stddy Of England produced the doctrnare
school Of Guizot and its followers; among
men Of the world and rich people ii gave rise TO
what is known as Anglo-nauia.
Charles Lafilte, then a wealthy man OF some
thirty odd years, was among the first to Join
the latter OF these movements. lie began TO
breed rdcehorses. established various kinds II
races dncudins the steeple chase) at one Of hi-
estates ana later became one Of the founders Of
the Paris Jockey CLUB His taste for horse
racing must have been Unborn, for he was In -!
one Of the organizers Of the lrst race that ever
tool, place ia France. A hands me appearance,
extremely winning manners, and a peculiar capa-
city for remaining a business man while con-
stanily living IN the VIII ri OF the fashionable
world. made Charles Llflitte all the more pop
ular. because almost everybody living in the
same circle with him either became ruined or
grew old or died of, while he still stood there
gay, fresh. olesant, and with apparently no end
Of money In his pocket. lie has been celebrated
a. the only man In France who had not lost
money on the turf: and yet who, notwithstand-
| ing his having been connected with the turf Tor
over half a century. never knew anything even
| about bis own horses, except their col0rs. lii
| friends frequently played upon him the joke OF
| inducing his trainer Pratt, to change tue horses
! ia the stables. and the owner coming to wit
| the stable WAS then never able TO make out
| which was which.
the way In which Llfitte FIRST accumul ted
his fortune IL unknown to IL but bis accounts
lation- during the Empire were all due to spe cua-
lions ia stocks and foreign loans. especially the
| Italian ones. Being on most intimate terms with
Morny and Fould. he had all the facilities for
making ,eral large fortunes. though be had
probably to give portion Of them to the mahip-
ulators of Napoleons Cabinet.
The notorlety Of Charles Laiiitte Il. however,
not exclusively due t. his lie idership in the
sporting and fashionable world. lie also be-
| came widely known through frequent lawsuits
| of a more or less sensational character. In 1884,
for instance, he was separated from his wife, th
tribunal compelling him to pay her $1.2oo year
and to deposit with the court something Ike
$4,000 as security for these payments besides
another $4,000 which he was bound TO settle
on his two daughters. In French money this
OUTLAY amounted to over million and quarter
and was very heavy sum for man Il
disbur.e for the sake Of getting rid Of q
wife whom he dslikod Just as much as she dis
liked him. Another celebrated lawsuit OF LAT
A,te'f was with KhalH Bcy, the Turkish Char-t
GAN Tres. about some turf matters and her,
again L4fltte had very round sum Of money I,
di-nilr-c. |. Ger on came the divorce suit Of hi'
eldc-i daughter from the banker Erlanger. The
French Catholic CnIrch not admitting divorce
the question had TO be brought before the Pore
and ID wa ouly boy the sanction Of the supreme
Pontf that the lady was separated from Erlan
ger aud married to VI. Coriier, who was Of late
years general collector at Iours. The marriage
Of the second daughter ended also in lawsuit
with the Marquis de Galiffet, In this case how
ever, the separation was not complete. Tn
couple were not divorced but separated only II
respect Of / opertV' ana the Mafpulse de CAM
fet stu heaN the name OF her husband thoulI
she has not lived with MN since lsI' Her man
sion In the hue habelAis became tue nome q
her father and II was III her arms That the Oh
sportsman died al the age oi seVehf-two'
The indligeht affection which Lnnltte mad 10
his two daughters was quite proNeroial III f"ri'
The scandalous gossip To whlch theY expose
themselves ana h"' seem N any way 10 ali''t Oh
ieeln-s' Inc more ne heaTi OF the eseap ide
81 his daughters, the more ne was PIE sed' II
called II b' gdW"NoH'S "' M'' fHts' When IN
NNN In