Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-30
4 PRINCE AMONG TIE POLES.
Recently Cnttic-Tendcr on County Farm.
Romantic story.
baltimore Americana

For over two years ThaddcuS LOUIS
Poniatowski, a grandson Of King Sta
nislaus Augustus PoniatowSki, Of the
late Kingdom Of Poland. has worked
on DR.. PattcrSon's farm, opposite
Mount Hope Asylum, as cattlc-tendcr.
When he applied for work. PoniatOw-
ski. a tall. bronzed, Observation-Disclosures
ing individual, represented himself as
being in destitute circumstances, and
willing to work at anything. His frank
and open manner at once excited the
sympathy of DR.. Patterson. who deter
mined to give him a trial. Accordingly
he was placed in charge of some yalua-
bic cattle, and before long, through in
dusty and sobriety, he made himself
almost invaluable. Not long ago DR..
Patterson. suspecting his cattle-tendcr
was no ordinary being, began to make
some inquiries concerning his antece-
dents. For awhile PoniatOwski insisted
that he was nothing more than plain
Poniatowski, without any ancestry
worth speaking of; but at last he ac-
knowledged himself a direct descendant
of the Polish line Of kings and
prince of Poland by birth. In making
the declaration his deep black
eyes sparkled brilliantly, and, his
friends say, he looked every inch
a king. He also produced a number of
papers and records in proof of his
identity, which, upon examination, 1t Is
said, proved clearly and Enthusiastically
his real rank and position. Soon after
this he became tired of his work among
the COWS. and he so informed his en-
ployer, who tried to dissuade him from
throwing up the work, but without any
success. About three weeks ago he in
formed DR.. Patterson that he was gong
to Athens, Ga, where, he said, nc had
secured a better position. The next
day he left for the South.
4 young friend of the Prince, in con-
ycrsation with an american reporter
Yesterday. said Ponatowski is tit
example of the ill-treated and enSlayed
Poles. He is one Of the brightest fel-
lows | ever met. Speaking six lam
guages. thoroughly refined, amlablc,
kind. and handsome. he is fit 10 grace
any court. He has often told me his
story, which Is not only romantic, but
even thrilling. After the war between
Russia and Poland his father was ban
i>hcd to Siberia for some alleged
Polish conspiracy. His mother, with
the Prince, then an infant in arms, he
roine that she was, refused to be sepa-
rated from her husband, and accompa-
MED him into that bleak and dreary
country. As might have been expected,
her delicate constitution soon gave way,
and she died an exile from home and
friends. The father, although subjected
to the most cruel priyations, kept his
health. and worked like a common Ia
borer with the other prisoners. | have
often heard him recount his fathers ex-
periences in those awful mines how
he arose before daybreak and worked
in the damp and cold from g until b,
with three excuses for the meanest
lunch. miscalled meals. Nor was this
all for if he made the slightest COM
plant he was either logged or
required to fast, sometimes for
an entire day. Thus many years
were passed, during which time Thad-
deus. who remained voluntarily with his
father, grew to be quite handsome
young man. One day father and son
arranged their escape. They disguised
themselves as peasants, and after some
difficulty succeeded in getting safely
out of the settlement. For days they
travelled in the snow, stopping here and
there for morsel Of food that barely
kept them from starving. The only
serious obstacle they met with were the
fierce wolves providing about the woods.
They were obliged to use the most ex-
treme caution, lest they be torn to
pieces by the savage animals. Accord
inely, they kept as much to the main
road rs possible, and concealed them