The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-09


called her back to her adopted country
of France Count Bettini de Noise,
who is a physician of excellent repute
and practice in the University place in
this city, is the most serious-minded
and, perhaps, the most pecuniarly sue
cessful OF the counts who have come to
my knowledge as being engaged in
money-making occupations in the
United States. DIR. de Noise has,
with excellent Judgment, it seems to
me, discarded his title and does business
under plain, everyday doctors sign,
which he finds sufficiently awe-inspiring
for all practical purposes. As, indeed,
who of us does not?
I rode not long since on Reading
railroad train in the pleasant company
of one of the managers and was sur
prised to hear the conductor say in all
seriousness that the locomotive fireman
on the very engine that drew us was no
less a person than Count Grabowski, a
stalwart Pole, who was, if anything,
sensitive about publicity regarding his
title, or had, at least, grown SO heartily
to despise it as to prefer to be known
as plain Grabowsli, fireman, at your
service. On inquiry / learned that the
man was an excellent workman, put on
no frills, did his turn with the rest and
saved his wages. What an example
was that for our imported counts, SO
many of whom insist upon feeding upon
day in the intervals of their dining
room duties in summer hotels!
Count Grottkoffski is merchant
in business in this city, and in good
standing. He is dealer in hides, and
does business under the plain but not
insignificant name of Grottkoffslzi. But
he is, am informed, a genuine count.
Count Valcourt De Vermont was for a
long time writer on the Courier des
Etats Unis, and has had his name pub
lished as an author on several title
pages. Count William Won Bernsdorf
was the title given some evenings ago
as belonging to an intelligent and ener-
getic writer now in this city doing
daily tasks in journalism. In one of
the great riding schools near Central
park Count Mensdorff has been popu-
lar instructor, and is much admired for
the firmness of his seat and the suavity
of his manner.
The last time went from Milwaukee
to Chicago the parlor-car conductor, in
strict confidence, called my attention
to the fact that one of the walters in
the dining car was genuine, dyed-in-
the-wool, Russian nobleman. The
pompadour appearance of his "wool,"
when my eyes first lighted on this dis
tinguished foreigner, seemed to give
ocular demonstration of his patent to
nobility. The whole country appears
to be spotted, or, might say, glorified,
by counts, who for the time permit
themselves to be counted, as it were,
among us. Count Percy N. Duboeay, of
Talulah Falls, S. D., is professional
gentleman whose name is now and then
mentioned in the newspaper dispatches
from those parts as standing in high
repute among the Dakotans. Think he
is a doctor, and the third count doctor
who has come to my knowledge lately
is Count Olazago, a medical practition-,
er in Newark. Count Won Baller-
strom has long filled high position
among bootblacks of San Francisco,
where, believe, his title has been duly
investigated and authenticated. Count
Koenig conducted the second violin in
an orchestra at Atlantic City last.
season with much eclat, and not SO very
long ago Count Won Syffert was an ap-:
plicant for position on the police
force of Philadelphia. Among the
army of the unemployed in New York.
city Count George Orschutz, of Austria,
was named at the same time. seize
this opportunity of paying my respects
to these gentlemen and of assuring
them that the cursory mention I have
made here of their names is not in;
tended as any reflection on their titles.
Some of our mobiles in business here.
abouts have shown themselves exceed
ingly sensitive on this score. Witness
Baron Blanc, in his litofuge factory;
MARQUIS LAMA, in his health re-
storative company on South Fifth
avenue, and Baron Lindemann,
waiter in Philadelphia hotel.
AN INTERESTING RELIC.
came into possession the other day
of a very interesting curio. An &C
auaintance who has been engaged for
some thine as contractor on new
branch railway up in the northwestern
part of the state found two dusty skel-
etons while making an excavation on
the east side of Seneca lake, near
Geneva. 1t was evident from the state
of decay that the skeletons were very
old. With each of them was found
small bronze medal. On the
main side of the medal which was given.
me there is bas-relief bust circled with
the inscription civilian Duke of Cum
berland, British Hero" together with
the date of that worthy's birth. Will
liam, according to this counterfeit pre-
sentiment, seems to have been portly,
pudding-faced gentleman who wore a
white wig neatly done up with ribbon.
On the diverse side of this medal, which
is a little larger than the English pen
ny, is representation of man on a,
horse, with drawn sword, making it,
very unpleasant for three or four imita-
ton men on the ground, who seem to-
be unarmed. Encircling this is the in
1 III ID K.-.<l-zy