Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-07
"reminiscences Of Joseph Bonaparte-.
Curious Boundaries Of Some Of
the Eastern States.
Americas Perseyerlng Men Women
Who Bore Editors with Useless
and Unsuitable Matter.
strikes IN tho wooiep niiiIs OF Philadelphia
end tho Mines IN western Penn
syivnnia,


q
GA2rrTE readers IN mind, ! utilized .
spare hour or two yesterday ia going out
10 Bordontown, N. j., where, despite the
snow-storm then prevailing, workmcr
were busy tearing down the old Bona
parte mansion, 80 long the residence OF
Joseph Bonaparte, or the Count dc Sur.
villlers, as ne preferred TO be called
Bonpaarte was an exile from France, but
he had plenty Of money and spent 1t with
q lavish hand. When he first came TO
America he lived In very small house In
this city, In anything but an nrlstocratlc
quarter. Tho house Is to-day tenement
and In rented 70 a modest carpenter.
Bonaparte moved several times, finally
getting down on Front street, which was
m those days fine quarter, but Is now
given over 70 small and not very high
toned shops.
This Bordentown mansion IL very old
one, though about $50 Bonaparte wholly
rcmodeled It, and furnished IL In
magnificent style. lie made staggers at
farming, and therefore his city life lily
suited him. At Bordentown he used 10
go about his farm In company With his
private secretary, as n rule In short vel
vet roundabout and gray trousers, carry
ing in his hand Ratchet and In his
pockets strings and nails with which he
repaired his fences and tied up his vines
aud young plants. The old mansion
stands Ia the center OF what was
once q great garden but which now shows
signs Of decay looking more Ike young
forest.
BY lucky chance ran across hale
but elderly gentleman who was surveying
the dismantled house He seemed 20 be
taking 30 much interest In the place that
/ yentured 70 ask him II he was acquainted
with IL, or had ever been there before.
With sigh, and q wave Of his hand
across his forehead, as II TO brush away
The cobwebs from his memory, he an
swered that he had several times papered
the Interior OF the old mansion, that he
was . paper-hangcr OF eye oldon time,"
aud that IN that capacity he had many
times seen and talked with the lord Of the
manor.
was in luck Would the old gentle
mamie afterwards told me his name was
Hazard, Lemuel IIaz2ard--teil me about
this son Of Francep had struck the man
on his weak point. He was wealthy,
lived 10 good style In Philadelphia, had
como out TO take a last look Of tho his
iorlc mansion, aud was full o. remnis.
ccncos.
MY hrst personal interview with the
count was when he lived In Philadelphia
and was paper hangers apprentice.
Later on, when got into business for
myself, paperod several OF the interiors
OF tlis mansion Then the old gentle
man looked at the workmcn Just In time
10 SEQ one OF the historic walls fail with
d crash.
"Iho rooms on The lower aoor,n he
went on, uud they were
nnlny grand salons, library, great
dining room, with Kitchens, pantrles and |
knew thoroughly, but | could |
never tind stairway leading to the second |
iloor Finally one day my curiosity |
about the floor above was gratlned. / /
was admitted with my paper and paste to
me counts bedroom by way OF n LADDER
mat was placed against the window from
.he outside, and by which my man and / I
seconded and descended until our work
gas done, 1hd counts bedroom was a
arge ono and magnihcontly furnished. /
opening into II Were two alcoyes, IN
which were beds, and one side a large
lrching gave entrance to small room
lned with shelves ON which were boxes,
abeled In English, SIN account with
stephen Girard.n | could find no door ia
hcse rooms that led anywhere.
There were several parallel doors
'penlag into closets. and there
we're two doors In the bedroom, set IN
lush with the wall, without key.hole or
loor-knob, over which | paperod, and
hen, by direction OF the count secretly
iylded the paper along the edge of the
oors with a knife. without the closest
summation, no one, after the room was
apcred, would ever have suspected that
here were doors whore these two really
'ero.
~ have no doubt that they led down
talrs somewhere and that there was
ONE way OF opening them known only to
no count. That he was afraid of assas-
nation always appeared to me TO be the
eahon he had no stairway lead
az W the second story OF his house,
nd that irom his bedroom hc had
ecrct doors loading, only he, himself
new where. Il romembur his surprise al
" refusing TO work for him on Sunday,
men he was anxious 10 have certain
lomh prepared In hurry, and at his /
lual surprise at my refusal to drink |
Inc with him. II
"of what religious profession, ale
,ns" he asked, "that you are SO partlcu. d
~ ,
81 am Presbyterian answered, {
Well" he said, "the prosbytorians q
y very good and very smart.p 4
U VIII not be very long before the q
Atorlc old Bonaparte mansion win DO a
ing OF the past. 4
The coming OF jerome Benapartc TO this h
'unlry, and his marrying Baltimore y
dy has mixed up Napoleonio family his a
ny With that 0t American historical an. II
rs III an interminable way. Prince n
romo took his bride to England. willie b
went over 10 France 70 try and con. 81
Late his brother While She was STAY. G
Z ~ Camberwell, New London, a son
ss born ~ her absent prince. This son Il
yer saw more happy days that did bis A
iertnnate mother, but he left a son, Il
rome Napoleon Bonaparte, who married d
out fifteen years ago a niece Of Daniel al
vaSter. This niece was at that time n
widow and lived w Boston. Two 81
lldrcn have been hnrn of the latter /,
Ton, Tnero VAS another sou OF the al
moerwon Bopaparte, and he Is now OF
rried 20 granddaughter OF William N
cry Claiming OF Boston, They have 81
pttspring. In this way Is the Napo. Ii
NO family and the once king OF West o.
lila mixed 10 largely with BOSTON and n