River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-01-24
PRINCES In PARIS.
Four itusiian Grand Dukes Visiting
the French Capital-A Royal Hunt.
Paris Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.

Four Rusiian Grand Dukes Visiting
the French Capital--A Royal Hunt.
Paris Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.
There are no feMer than four Russian
grand dukes in the city. and it is rather
curious that their imperial mghnesses
should have arrived just at the time
when the municipal council had decided
that the chifonniers of the capital must
go. / mean no disrespect 10 the
brethren of Alexander III. by thus
coupling their names with the ragpickers
of Paris, but have reason for doing so.
Beyond doubt, these two extremes of
the social fabric are being more talked
about lust now than they ever were be-
fore. The fashionable world and the
political world are interested in the ru
nor that a marriage will be arranged be-
tween our old friend Alexis Alexandra
witch and the Princess Amelie dor
leans, eldest daughter Of the Count Of
Paris, some time on 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
stouter: he now wears a full beard, and
is still the same handsome, lusty, and
light-hearted idol of all the ladieS. He
il thirty-three years old, and the Prin-
cess Amilie is eighteen. She made her
debut in society last June at fete given
by the Baron and Baroness de Roth
schild. With the Grand Duke Alexis
are his three brothers, Vladimir, Serge,
a,,ft Iat-l Tho ret taurnaI ia fba fNvurfa
Youngest brother, and there is nothing
distingue about him except his { ct and
hands, which are small and we'll shaped.
He stands five feet eleven inches, weighs
175pounds, and wears toothpick patent
feathers, only 6 l-2 in size. The Grand
Duke Vladimir is the only one of the lot
who is married, except on "the Euro
pean PLAN" Last Monday the Quartette
vent out to Chantilly to hunt with the
Duke d'Aumale. The reason they went
out on "washday" was because that
was the fete of st. Hurbert,
the patron of hunting. HUI
bert was poacher who was converted
to christianity by the sudden appear
ance of a stag bearing cruclnx between
its antlers. When alive, he was bad,
bold man; dead, the church made him a
saint, and now his fete day is always
celebrated with hunting parties. Last
Monday throughout the day all the
woodlands Of 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 IRE still some
royal huntsmen, and d'Aumale is one OF
theIn 1t was for this reason that he in
vited the four grand dukes out to Chan
tillY. of course hunting in this county
ca n not COMPARE with the sport to be
found in Russia.
The chateau of Chautilly is one of the
finest in existence, and his royal high
ness the Duke PAumale is one of the
noblest gentlemen that ever lived. Their
imperial highnesses did not reach Cham
lilly early enough to assist at the 4
o'clock morning mass, at which the
whole pack of hounds were present, but
were in time for breakfast served at
8 O'Clock in the grand dining room. All
present were in full costu ne
some in red coats and white
buckskiu breaches; others, as were the
Russian princes, in the color5 OF the
Duke d. Aumale, that is to say, chamols
coat, laced with gold and silver, with
collar and facings of garnet velvet,
blue breeches and boots. At IL O'Clock
the party started for the rendezvous IN
the forest, and very soon stag wal
startled, which after good run, Wa!
brought te bay and killed in mill pond
after struggle with the hounds ofnear'
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 cnree
aux flambaux took place. Piles OF facts
wAics had been we'll saturated with tur-
pentine were blazing, and in the center
Of the court lay the dead stag. The
hounds, held in leash, were wild with
excitement, and when unleashed threw
themselves on the carcass, and in 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.