The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-24
DECAYED NOBILITY,
Representatives OF Noble Houses En-
gagged in Humble Occupations.

Representatives or Noble Houses En-
gagged in Humble Occupations.
From, the San Francisco Chronicle
America has had its German and French
counts and barons as conductors Of street
cars, and has been humbly served by them
in restaurants, but these have been sporadic
cases. Europe is full of impoverished no.
bility, descendants of heroes of the crusades
and OF medieval wars, who were in their
time the rulers Of petty kingdoms and the
companions of great monarchs. Many Of
these, those of France and Italy in particu-
lar are making desperate efforts 60 regild
their furnished coronets with the gold of
American heiresses.
A French writer has, after careful re-
search, made list, which is necessarily
partial, of the representatives of some of
noblest families of his country who are now
in the humble, not to say humblest, walks
of life. He has found two descendants of
Sully, the famous minister of Henry ",
working as masons' assistants or appren-
tees. A genuine Observation-Disclosures, de-
scendant Of great family of the middle
ages, makes pitable living by the means
of the wash tub A Count de la Marche,
whose ancestors intermarried with kings, is
house painter A Hauteroche, great
grandson of the chivalrous leader at the
battle at Fonteroy, who politely said to the
English, Gentlemen, fire firstp is
simple gendarme at Gramat, a
French provincial town. A St.
Megrin, descendent of the favorite
of Henry Ill, hero of well-known play
OF Alexandra Dumas the younger, exercises
the calling of Paris coachman. The blood
of De Orally de Folk, famous military
commander of the fourteenth century, flows
in the veins of a chorus singer at the Grand
Opera. CASTOR de Folk, the most cele-
brated Of the family, which was of Navarro,
was called Phoebus on account of his blonde
locks and his remarkable beauty. He was
devoted TO the chase and had a pack of
1000 dogs. A prominent miller bears the
| title Of Baron de Rosgrand, and descend
| ant Of the De RetZ family, one of whom
was the great cardinal, the bette noir of
| Anne of Austria during the times OF the
| Fronde, digs graves and plays the fiddle for
rustic dances in the department of FINS
| terre.
The line of the De Crequys, a family of
date back to the year S57. The present st.
| Creouy is day laborer in his native
province. The present st. Paul counts
| among his ancestors counselors, cardinals
| prelates and confidential advisers of kings
of different epochs. He contents himself
with small salary paid by gas company.
A Marquis de Follinge is au omnibus con-
indicate his rank. A Beaumanoir is an
humble employe of the customs at Guer-
ande. A De Monitors and DAubenas are
| occupied In the same manner. All these
| families are very ancient. One of the
| Beaumanoirs was companion in arms
of the celebrated Breton warrior
Du Guesclin. 1t is related of him
that, being wounded and suffering
| from thirst on the field of battle, he asked
for water. Some one near him brutlally re-
piled: Drink your blood; it will refresh
you" A Marquis de Torcey d'Etallond is
an innkeeper at Cornac, and a Countess
Aimee de Dieusse- Fremont, one of those
annoying persons called ouvresues, is at
this moment at the Chatelet theater. No
occupation could be more Insignificant unless
| it be that of seller of mouse traps, in
which is engaged Count of st. John. OF
the families just mentioned the Bremonts
were in the service of Charles VIII. with
Saintoge. The de Tarcys were allied to the
family of Colberts, rendered celebrated by
the great minister of Louis XIV. of that
name.
DESCENDANTS of kings figure in the list. A
law suit i'll Paris a few years ago brought to
light real Bourbon who was selling vege-
tables from a handcart. A descendant of
the Valois kings is letter carrier in pro-
vincial town. Not long ago Paris court
sentenced to prison two representatives of
the old noolesse who lived by pretended
subscriptions to charitable objects About
the same time Frenchmau who had mar
ried an American girl and cor esponded
with American newspapers was condemned
| for wearing the false title of baron. Paris
is full Of poor noblemen who live by their
wits, and false titles there are as plenty as
blackberries. All of which should be a
warning to American mammas on the look
out for aristocratic marriages for their
/ daughters.