Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13
DECAYED NOBILITY.
Representatives Of Noble Houses En-
gagged in Humble Occupations.

Prom the Sar 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 restau-
rants, but these have been sporadic cases
Europe lie full OF impoverished nobility, de-
scendants of heroes OF the crusades and Of
medieval wars. who were in their time the
rulers OF petty kingdoms and the companions
OF great monarcha Many Of these, those Of
France and Italy in particular, are making
desperate efforts to regild their furnished
coronets with the gold Of American heiresses.
French writer has, after careful research.
made a list, which is necessarily partial. OF the
representatives Of some OF the noblest FAM
lilies Of his country who are now in the hum
BILE. not to say humblest. walks OF life. He has
found two descendants Of Sully, the famous
minister OF Henry ". working a. masons' as
sistants or apprentices. A genuine Babou-
Bourdaisiere, descendant OF a great family of
the middle ages, makes . pitiable living by
means OF the wash tub. Count de la Marche
whose ancestors intermarried with kings, is a
house painter. A Hsuteroche, great grand
son Of the chivalrous leader at the battle OF
Fonteroy, who politely said TO the English. Gen
tlemen, fire fret" is a simple gendarme at
Gramat, French provincial town. A
81. Megrin, descendant or the favorite
OF Henry Ill, hero OF we'll
known play of Alexander Dumas the
younger. exercises the calling OF a Paris coach
man. Tho blood of De Orally de Folk. a
famous military commander of the fourteenth
century, hows In the veins OF a chorus singer
at the Grand Opera. CASTOR de Folk the
most celebrated of the family. which was of
Navarro, was called Phebus on account of his
blonde locks and his remarkable beauty. lie
was devoted to the chase and had a pack of
LOCO dogs. prominent miller bears the title
nf naRn ID Il
De Retz family one of whom was the great
cardinal, the bette poir OF Anne of Austria dur
ing the times OF the Fronde, digs graves and
plays the fiddle for rustic dances in the depart
ment OF Finisterre.
The line of the De Crequys. family OF
Picardy in the north OF France. is said TO date
back TO the year s57. The present 81. Crequy
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. lie con-
tents himself with a small salary paid by a gas
company. A Marquis de Follinge is an omni-
bus conductor. whose furnished uniform does
not Indicate his rank. A Beaumanoir is an
humble employe Of the customs at Guerande.
De Monitors and D'Aubenas 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 brutality replied:
Drink your BLOOD il will refresh you" A
Marquis de Torcey d'Etallond is an inn keeper
at Carnac 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 insig-
nihcant Unless il be that OF seller of mouse
traps. in which is engaged Count of ST. John.
or the families just mentioned the Bremonts
were in the service OF Charles VIII with Sain-
tonge. The De Tarcys were allied to the FAM
lily of Colberts, rendered celebrated by the
great minister of Louis XIV OF that name
Descendants of kings figure in the list A
law suit in Paris a few years ago brought TO
Light real Bourbon who was selling vegetables
from a handcart. A descendant of the yalois
kings is a letter carrier in a provincial town.
Not long ago Paris court sentenced to prison
two representatives of the old noblesse who
lived by pretended subscriptions to charitable
objects. About the same time a Frenchmau
who had married an American girl and cor
responded with American newspapers was con-
demned for wearing the false tito of baron.
Paris is full Of poor noblemen who live by their
wits, and false titles there are as plenty al
blackberries. All of which should be a warn
ing to American mammas on the lookout fol-
aristocratic marriages for their daughters.