The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-12-09

Tuieries, the Emperor unrolled map of the
United States and placing his finger upon
spot in New Jersey, said: ''If | am ever
forced to fly to America. | shall settle some
where between Philadelphia and New York,
where | can receive the earliest intelligence
from France by ships arriving at either port
Gentlemen who were on intimate terms with
the eX-king while he resided here, have told
me that they had this story from his own lips.
OF its truth there is no doubt, and the impress
sion was sufficiently strong to govern Joseph
in his final choice. As the novelist would say.
THE SCENE NOW CHANGES.
We are standing in the fine old village of Bor-
dentown, New Jersey. II is the spring of 1916.
The place is charmingly situated on the east
| bank of the Delaware. A stone thrown from
| its principal street would land on Pennsylvania
soil. What is now Il large and tlourshing vii
lage. was then but little hamlet of some three
hundred souls. Then, as now, the finest and
most patriotic blood in America flowed through
the veins of its people. Napoleon had just been
baniShed to st. Helena. The subject was one
of universal interest and conversation in Bor-
| dentown One of the leading and most cultured
men of the village was DR.. William Burns. As
he was returning one evening from visiting a
| patient he was accoScd in the French language
| by two gentlemen riding in close carriage
Being French scholar he readily understood
the nature of their inquiries. They wanted to
know if there was any land in that vicinity for
nln rbo ;rf
the owner of a large tract in the suburbs of the
| village, which he would be willing to dispose
| of at a fair consideration. The two gentlemen
| promised to call again and investigate the mat
| ter. and the carriage was then driven rapidly
away. In Il short time the doctor learned that
| his interrogation was none other than Joseph
| Bonapartc, the eXilcd monarch of SPAIN He
| was Shrewd and far seeing enough to know
that the entry of such distinguished man into
| the little town. and the thousand, ot dollars
that he would invest in building himself Il mag
niIicent home, could not but attract universal
attention to the place and enhance the value of
all village property. On the return of Joseph's
agent, the doctor instead of demanding an cN-
horbitant price. informed Mialliard that he
could have the entire tract which he possessed
at his own figures. This was another shrewl
business stroke on the part of the DOCTOR
Joseph, with the reputation for generosity
which king must always maintain, could not
afford to offer less than the full value of the
land. Fifteen hundred acres We're stakcd OIL
and Joseph drew his check in favor of the doe
tor for ten thousand dollars. Thus the liberal
minded physician had accomplished two objects
at the same timc-sold his land at a high figure
for those days, and made citizen who was
destined to draw more distinguished men to
Bor1entown than We're ever entertained bv any
town Of like Size in America Joseph imnedi-
ately began the preparations for his cXilcd
home. He was immensely rich and could we'll
afford to indulge his cultivated tastes to their
fullest extent. The land was first laid ont and
transformed into a magnificent Park. \ large
portion of the tract was covered With fine Old
growth hickory, oak, and pine trees These were
first trimmed and the underbrllsh AL cleared
| away, making an almost perfect sylvan lawn
Roads We're cut through and across in all drer-
! tionS. 1t is said that there are more than ten
miles of drivewayS in the Park alone Magnt-
cent Statuary lined these drives. while here and
| there a beautiful fountain cooled the air with
it sparkling waters. Through the centre Of
the estate there ran deep, wide gully. This
was a God->cnd to the beauty Of the place. By
stretching a dam ac.'o>~ the upper end. m art-
| fetal lake was formed whose waters almost
avcd the walls of the mH1nSion This lake was
nearly y mile in length by one hundred wards
in width. One side of this lake the Count H.
lowed to remain in its natural condition-wd
rrags, preciptou> entertainments, and dark pr-
meNaIfore>tS. the other side he constructed
| 4 carriage way the entire length of which was
lined with marble statues. In various PARTS of
the water were artificial islands with velvet
grass, Young trees, and beautiful Shrubbery
Stately swans Sportcd on the surface. while
| here and there a flight of granite or marble
| steps led down to the waters edge. 4 fleet Of
pleasure boats We're moorcd at convenient dis
tanGc, and these were always at the service of
the guests or nci.hborS Of tie Count From
the east shore Of this lake the Count construct
c'l suhterrancan passage leading to the cellar
of his mansion. And here comes 4 mystery
There are several of these
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS
running III different directions over the Park.
Those citizens Of Bor,Icntown who were most
intimate with the drthronc,l king know moth
ing regarding their construction. lie employed
every man or boy that wanted work ior miles
around. Many 0f these men are still living, but
none of them ever We're permitted to work on
these secret passages. Even their existence
was unknown until after the Count returned
to Europe in 1899. Evidently they were dug
out by the imported servants of the Counts
household. Tradition SAYS that the cN-king
himself laborcd Side by Side with the peasants
of France in their excavation. The work must
have been done entirely in the night to have cS-
eaped the observation Of the many Iaborcr> and
visitors that We're continually on the Grounds.
But for what purpose We're they intended:
There are many conflicting opinions on this
point. some say they We're passages leading to
secret underground rooms where the cXed
monarch had hidden enormous treasures de
spoiled from foreign cities that had been ground
beneath the iron heel of Napoleon. Others
cIAim that Joseph WIS in perpetual fear of be
ing Kidnapped by Spaniards sailing up the Del
aware. This river bounds the estate on the
directly from the river to the large observatory
standing in the centre of the Park 1t is even
said that sentinel was continually on the
watch from this point There are still other,
who claim that all these theories are mythical
that Joseph could just as easily have escaped
kitlnappers from English or Spanish frigatcs.
by taking to the streets. as by fleeing to these
underground passages. One thing is certain
however. The Count had Il mortal aversion of
SpaniartlS. While every other nationality was
welcome, no Spanilrd was ever permitted to
set foot upon his estate. Even man Of dark
and swarthy features was denied entrance by
the guards. This would seem to give color to
the belief that lie
FEARED SPANISH TREACHERY
BE that as it may. however, these secret
chambers and passageways afford an excellent
chance for the play of lively Imagination.
Joseph, himself left no clue to their meaning.
OF their purpose we can only conjecture; and
one theory is about as good as another. Along
the high bluff which oycrhangs one side of the
lake the Count built a long shed faced with
lattice work, under which pleasure parties
could take shelter during nclement weather