Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-10-21
AN AMERICAN DUCHESS.
The American Colony In Paris.

4 ne american OOAOny HI FArlss
The American colony in Paris is in a
great futter about the marriage of the
widow of the late Mr.. Singer, of sewing
machine fame, with an Austrian noble
man, Viscount d'Estinburgh. Mr..
Singer, when his sewing machines had
made him rich man, became inoculated
with Turkish tastes and Turkish GUS
toms. How many wives he had, scat
tered about in various places, it would
be difficult to say, but the legal contest
over his will showed that he had in
dulged himself with a considerable num-
Der beyond what the law allows, and
was qualified to take high place in the
Mormon church.
The first claimant for the honors of
widO who'd and the dead mans millions
was Baltimore woman, but she failed
to make out her case quite satisfactorily
to the courts. Whether the widow
Singer, who married week or two ago,
at Paris, an Austrian Viscount, is widow
No. 2, or 3, or 4, we do not now remem-
Der; at all events she was that one Of
several who brought the best legal proof
of being what she claimed she was, and
was awarded a handsome share in the
Singer estate, the value of which was
estimated at from five to seven mil
lions of dollars. The widow whom
the late Singer neglected in his
lifetime for other women more
attractive to him went to Paris after the
settlement of his estate. She bought on
her arrival of a rich American, who had
lately married his daughter to a French
nObleman, his handsome mansion in the
aristocratic avenue Klebet, and by expen-
sive entertainments, sought to gain an
entrance into the rather exclusive set that
constitute in Paris the American colony.
But while that colony had opened their
houses to the American merchant who
had married his daughter to French
viscount, they declined to recognize
the widow Singer, either while she
was living in luxurious state
of widowhood or after she had become
Viscountess and Duchess d'Estinburgh.
They drew the line at sewing machines.
1t was even limited that the Viscount d Els.
tinburgh was no noble at all. he met this
covert SANDER in very dramatic way
He inv ted thirty of his most aristocratic
acquaintance to dine with him, and
when they were seated at the table a
member of the Austrian legation rose,
and, drawing from his pocket a paper,
read to the assembled company decree
whereby the Emperor Francis Joseph
conferred on the Viscount d'Estinburgh
the title of Duke in recognition of his
special merits and because he had estab-
lished the fact that the title was
worn by his ancestors. but who
had dropped it on becoming
impoverished. One of the Paris papers
that flourishes on scandal laughs at this
dramatic episode. 1t declares that the
new Duke was formerly waiter in a
coffee house, and that the widow Singer
bought him his title for fifty thousand
francs ten thousand dollars). NJ Gail
lurdet, who tells the story, says that such
titles have really been bought by rich
foreigners of his own knowledge, but he
believes that the title of the Duke DIES
tinburgh is genuine and comes to him by
inheritance. Whether it is so or not, the
American colony have resolutely closed
their doors to the widow Singer, and she
and her husband will have to air their
dignity in other circles Of aristocratic
Paris that are willing to recognize her as
Duchess by virtue of the millions she
acquired through the will of the late not
over moral Mr.. Singer.