The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-05-24
THE HOUSE WHERE JOSEPHINE DIED

THE HOUSE WHERE JOSEPHINE DIED
The famous property Of Malmaison,
purchased by General Bonaparte in
1913 for the sun Of lo0, 900 francs. and
afterward the residence of the EN-
press Josephine, has been sold at auc-
ton by the French. Government for
SlS0,0O0. Thus. II by one, are the
old historical cbatsaur falling under
the ~aucti0neer's hammer. or crum-
bling away in Ruins. Chenonceaux.
the favOrite residence of Catherine de
Medlcls, is now owned by a Radical
Deputy: Fouquet' palace at Vaux is
the property OF a sugar-refiner; Luz
clennes, built for Nine. Dubarry. is
IN the hands OF q manufacturer: the
palace of Montgomery is owned BY
Vlct0rlen Sardou. q play-writer: a
linen draper has bought Chamarande.
agift Of Napoleon III. to the Duke of
Perslgny; others have changed hands.
While Mendon, st. Cloud, and the
Tuileries are heaps of ruins.
1t was at Malmaison that Josephine
spent the happiest and most sorroWful
portions Of her life. Her Thursday
receptions are famous in the history
OF social events. and furnish us with
a choice picture Of delightful repose
III the midst of busy, boisterous
times. 1t was here that q small army
OF the elite endeavored by e~loquence
OF language, dress, and manners to
stem the torrent of c~oarseness and
Violence then set loose by the Reyo-
luton. 1t was at the Malmaison that
the eighteenth Brumaire was pre-
pared. 1t was there, too, that Lemer-
cier read his tragedy of ssCharle-
magne" to the First Consul. who
wanted him to change the denoument
50 as to show the conquered nations
coming to Charlemagne to offer him
in great pomp the crown and empire
OF the East. The Consulate raised
Malmaison to its highest splendor. but
no sooner had Napoleon became En-
peror than Josephine's modest cho-
taux was abandoned for the palatial
magnlticence of st. Cloud. Suisse
quently Josephine was divorced. and
then she returned to Malmaison. The
allied sovereigns invited themselves
TO dine with her, and it was while
showing the Emperor Of Russia the
grounds that she caught the cold
which carried her to the grave three
days later. After Waterloo, and Just
before on going on board the Belle
rophon. Napoleon had a Nocturnal visit
to the tomb of his once loved Jose
phine.
Soon afterward the place was bought
by the banker Haguermann. and what
remained of the property in 1912 was
purchased by Queen Christina for
100000. Napoleon III, purchased it
for $500 900. from whose possession it
naturally fell into the hands of the
nation. During the late war it was
occupied by the Prussians. who car
RED on a greater part of the furni-
turs. and spoiled q considerable por-
tIh of the rest. \ billiard table. for
instance. which was sold the other dav
for n hundred francs, had had the
green balZe stripped from it. The
French declares that King Williams |
soldiers employed the material to
make themselves cravats. By good
fortune they left II most interesting
piece of furniture-no less than the |
table in the library on which Napo-
leon was wont to lay out his military
maps. and seated at which he NAV
have planned more than n of those
campaigns which changed the history
of Europe. This relic the State has
determined to keep. The remainder
of the broken furniture amounting to
ten car loads-was disposed of a few
days ago. the whole fetching hemod-
est sum of 100 francs. As has been
Napoleon. after Waterloo. re-
Malmaison. Till 1870 a small
pedestal supporting III eagle marked
spot of the domain where the ex-
foot had rested last. The
inscription it bore contained merely
these words: .sDeraier pos de Nopo-
con portant pour RocAeforf. R2o Juin.
1915. q qaatre houses apres midi"
Since the warnothing has been seen
Of the memorial, which is supposed TO
be now somewhere in Germany.