The Mineral argus., 1884-01-31
PRINCES IN PARIS.

-Four Russian Grand Dukes Wishing
the French CapItaI-A Royal Hunt.
Paris Cor San FRANCISCO Chronicle.
There are no feAer than four Russian
grand dukes in the city, and it is rather
curious that their imperial highnesses
should have arrived Just at the time
when the municipal council had decided
that the chifJnniers of the capital must
go. / mean no d%isrespect to the
brethren OF Alexander III. by thus
coupling their names with the r~agpickers
Of Paris, but l have reason for doing so.
Beyond doubt, these two extremes of
the social fabric are being more talked
about Just now than they ever were be-
fore. The fashionable world and the
political world are interested in the ru-
nor hat a marriage will be arranged be-
tween our old friend Alexis Alexandra
witch and the Princess AmeIie dor
leans, eldest daughter of the Count of
Paris, some time pm the staff of General
George b. Mcclellan, and now lately
heir to that shadow which some
people call the throne of France. Rear
Admiral Alexis has not changed much
in appearance since his two visits to
America. He has grown somewhat
s%touteT; he now wear a full beard, and
is still the same handsome. lusty, and
light-hearted idol of all the ladies'. He
III thirty-three years old, and the Prin-
cess Amilie is eighteen. She made her
debut in society last June at a frte given
by the Baron and Baroness de Roth
schild. With the Grand Duke Alexis
are his three brothers, Vladimir, Serge,
and Paul. The last named is the Cars
NyAN1npnCt hHnfhnR N nN Nhnrn - NAfhgnw
distingue about him except his { ct and
hands, which are small and well shaped.
He stands five feet eleven inc. es, weighs
l75pounds, and wears toOthpick patent
feathers, only 6 IL in size. The Grand
Duke Vladimir is the only one of tie lot
who is married, except On ''ths Euro
pean plan" Last Monday the Quartette
vent out to Chantilly to hunt with the
Duke d'Aumale. The reason they went
was the fete of st. Hurbert,
the patron of hunting. HUI
bert was a poacher who was converted
to christianity by the sudden appear
ance of q stag bearing q crucitix between
it's antlers. When alive, he was a bad,
bold man; dead, the church made him q
saint, aud now his fete day is always
celebrated with hunting parties. Last
Monday throughout the day all the
woodlands o. France rang with the bay
ing of hounds and the blasts ofthe hunt
ing-horns. There are no longer any
kings IN France, but there are stall some
70 1al huntsmen, and d'Aumale is one of
them. 1t was for this reason that he in
vlted the four grand dukes u to Chan
lilly. OF course hunting in this county
can not compare, with the spOrs to be
found in Russia.
The chateau Of Chantilly is one of the
finest in existence, and his royal high
ness the Duke d'Aumale is one of the
noblest gentlemen that ever lived. Their
imperial highnesses did not reach Chan
lilly early enoagh to assist at the 4
o'clock morning. mass, az which the
whole PACK of hounds were present, but
we're In time for breakfast served at
y O'Clock IN the grand dining room. All
present We're in full costu ne
some in sed coats and white
buckskiu oreeches; others, as were the
RUSSIAN princes, in the colors of the,
Duke a. Aumale, that Is TO say, chamois
coat, laced with gold and silver, with
collar "A facings of garnet velvet.
blue breaches and boots. At IL o'clock
the party started for the rendezvous in
the forest, and very soon a stag was
startled, with otter a good run, WIS
brought te bay and killed in a mill pond
after a struggle with the hounds Of near
ly twenty minutes. The curee took
place at once in the presence of the
grand dukes dinner, ended only when
the sound OF hunting horns summoned
the royal host and his imperial guests
to the cour d'honneur, where the curee
u 1ambaux took place. Plies of facts
~hics had been we'll saturated with tur-
ptntine were blazing, and in the center
Of the court lay the dead stag. The
hounds, held in leash, were wild with
X t%euent, and when unleashed threw
themselves on the carcass, aud IN a few
moments there was nothing but bones
FOR them to quarrel over. just befor
midnight a special train brought Alexis
and his brothers up to Paris.