Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-24
COT ham GOSSIP.
4 Wicked Duke Who is Attract
ing the Attention of
Manhattan.

W
Increase OF Divorces and the
the Trouble Of A otors.
V~auderbilt's Immense Wealth
Building Lots Al Sixteen Mil
lions an Acre.
New YORK, February 20 --Msnhat
tan seems to grow more Partisan evt ry
year. At least, Partisan wiokedn sss
is less frowned down upon than form.
eriy, and as long as a man or woman
has been noted or notorious, 1t matters
listie which, In some European CAPT
tai, he or she Ia sure of creating Q
sensation. The most notorious young
duke that struts the streets Of Paris
arrived in New York the other day.
1 don't know what he came for, but l
have no doubt that he will be received
In society and made much Of, though
II people treated him as he deserved,
they would shut their doors In his
facs. Of course, I refer to the D. ke
de Morny. 1t will be remembered
that this is tho young libertine ror
whom the Russian actress, Mademoi.
selle Feyghine, shot herself q few
months ago. 1t Is not such an unus-
ual thing for European actresses to
shoot themselves for the sake of
French dukes, and is hardly a matter
of more than q few moments wonder,
but the circumstances In this case
made 1t particularly tragic, and showed
Duke de Moray to be the most con-
temptible of his race. His treatment
of the unfortunate actress during hor
lifetime was bad enough, but his
treatment Of her after death was even
worse. His only grief u5 what 800.
Cured has been that he could not find
the bullet which she shot herself with,
that he might wear it as a charm OH
his watch chain.
The bad example of Dukes and the
like has started up the theatrical pro.
fession again, and the number OF
divorces now on hand Is astonishing
even among these worry much divorced
people. 1 am more surprised that
Digby Bells wife should be suing him
for a divorce than al any of the Others.
Dlgby Bell has always seemed like q
nice, gentlemanly sort of a fellow, and
l suppose, as he has only recently
gone on the stage, that he would not
have become a victim to the divorce
mania. Now Townsend Percy's wife
is suing for a divorce. Percy has only
been married about four years, and
yet his wife has had all she can stsnd
of him. I sm not so much surprised
at this divorce suit, as I should hardly
imagine this dramatic critic to be Q
very domestic man. The De Bellevillt
divorce suit has been a public scanda
now for a number of months s1t
the even tenor of the "Parisian Ro
nance" ct the Union Square theatr,
has been very much disturbed. Ii
fact, from night to night it is hardly
known whether De Belleville vii
appear or whether some m else vii
take his place. But so far he has gnn'
on with his part. I cannot help bu
smile when I think of the fine senti
msnts that he utters in the role @
Henri de Sargy, and of the sentiment
anything but fine that he puts in prae
tioe In real life De Ssrgy is the SOU
of honor and devotion to his wife, ri
to q certain point. But even In TIL
matter De Sargy is weak. In every
thing else he is honorable to the verg
of fansticism. I don't know that rh
theatrical profession has q monopol
of divorce cases, but 1t does seem t
have lite share, and I think til
actors and actresses that have not 20
more than their share of husbands O
wives are rare.
The italians, when in Q piou
mood, exclaim: III ponte passato,
gabbato aanto"-when you've crosse
the bridge you may laugh at tn
saints-and Lester WalIack's "Silve
King" having apparently crossed tn
bridge of popularity, that willy ui
guv'nor is now laughing In his sleev
at the critical saints who bewailed tn
descent of American dramatic tact
when blue.fre melodrama took pos
session of Wallack's theatre. Suav
Theodore Moss is now less dependent
because the "Silver King may hel
him to pay the interest on a quarter G
! q million, which this new theatre cost
in addition to a heavy annus
ground rent. Comic opera is t
| lose some of its best lights. Tai
ented and handsome Louise Pauline |
likely to 60 to the Boston museum |!
a leading position, dropping 20 leen'
Lace Handkerchief" D'Oyly Carte
!, Lenoir and the whole gang of British
ers, male and female, are ''going 'om
to the blarsted hold country" as tn
season has proved a dead loss. Agne
Leonard, the handsome actress, cam
near giving employment to the obitu
airy writer's, but she is getting better
and will soon be heard from dramatic
ally. She has pneumonia. Kat
Claxton Is also improving. Wiseacre
|, allege that Kitty got sick because sh
was not In Milwaukee when the New
> hall house was burned. Lillian Rue
sell Is likewise better, but has alread
enjoyed n relapse in an exceedingl
critical case.
Popular estimates of Vanderbilt
|, wealth range all the way from thre
) hundred to six hundred million,
There can be no eHaggeration in tn
lowest of these fgures, and may b
; bat little in the higher. Speaking t
a Times reporter the other day 81 to
reported retention of bonds by III
New York Central, Mr.. Vanderbilt
stated incidentally that he himse.
4 hnl1 hatpzaan AKIN and nouantu NIL