The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-25
TOPICS FROM OVER THE SEA.
FRIENDS OF COUNT DE LESsEPs SPREAD
GOSSIP ABOUT HIS WIFE

w.
Felt Aaone tho Lancashire Cotton SPIN.
ners-Emperor william Thinhs Germany
and Austria Must Ne Prepared to Fight
,nthe Next w mr. without tho Help orItaiy.
LONDON Dec. 24.--The appeals OF Nine.
Ferdinand de Lesseps to popular sympathy In
the past week have proved failure. Her de-
scription OF Castle La Chepaye as bare parn'
insufficiently heated and furnished. is contra
dicted by hundred OF Parisians who have Wis
jted tho De Lesseps family seat in the last two
years
Tho fact. as everybody in Partisan high life
knows. lie that the aged President OF the Canal
Company surrounded himself with all the
luxury that his socinl station required. and
prided himself especially upon the luxurious
comfort which he has been able to afford all
visitors Mt his present residence. Mme de
Lessers has been especially anxious to shine
as an entertainer. and has spent as she Still
spends, the old mans money with lavish
hand.
She ia therefore hated cordially By tho moor
neople in France who have lost heavily by In
yestment in the Panama Canal enterprise.
At tho Same time she gets little sympathy In
Paris from friends OF the De Lesseps family.
who have spread industriously In the last Few
days some astonishing statements rs to her
-
mental and physical strength.
They say that for the last twelve years. or
ever since tho inception Of the canal enter
prise, De Lesseps has been so haraesed ana
betrayed by his young wife that he has been
hardly accountable for his words or actions.
She was 10 years old when Dc Lesseps mar
ried her and he had passed 80. For the first
seven or eight years their life was happily
spent. Then she began career OF reckless
unfaithiulness under her husbands own ROOF.
At her instance no entertained lavishly at
Castle La Chenaye Under the prete1t OF ex-
ceptonal hospitality. she made excursions
with the guests which always resulted In
SIN all scandal within the household. once
friend OF Charles de Lesseps Gays she ran
away with French Senator to Nice and did
not return until Charles do Lesseps. who has
tened after the couple. had driven away her
companion at the point Of a revolver. and had
given her tho choice between divorce and
Immediate departure for home. Charles dc
Lessons, it Is said. has already fought two
ducls with men who had cast doubts upon his
rotation ship to the three youngest children OF
his stepmother. In fact In recent years every
body in Paris society has understood that It
was q perilous matter to mention Nine. For
dinand de Lesseps in her stepson's presence.
That her husband was tormented day and
night BY her conduct was generally known.
and it was equally apparent that he failed
mentally and physically under his domestic
burden. Several times he was driven almost
to tho point OF suing for divorce. but every
time he deeisted in the interest Of the canal
company. which he believed would suffer from
the stigma placed BY the scandal upon his
name.
Before his arrest Charles do Lessons said
significantly that his father had been too
much occupied with private matters to OBJ
serve the methods OF the company. He re-
ferred undoubtedly to the painful distraction
afforded by the necessity Of guarding Nine.
At present Nine de Lessons poses e. =
heroine at her disGraced husbands bedside
for various % She is an13us 70 81 s as
and she wishes to conciliate Charles and VIC
tor do Lesseps SO that they will leave her in
't There is no doubt that the Panama revels.
lions have estranged Russia from France and
have faciIistsd til: negotiations III between Ger
The report that tho Austrian army is to be
increased by $4,000 men; ,contemporaneously
term. causes satisfaction in Berlin and Rome.
Tho situation Of tho non-union cotton OPP
ssvsre weather has given new aspect to tho
In the about half
ar 'os se Supplies exsepd to the Of
sufficient fuel and food is beginning to con-
Hdv iH ire from Rome, say that great discon-
tent exists among the people owing to the
heavy and increasing burden Of taxation. and
known as the family tax. but which is substan;;
TALLY a graduated INCOME tax. taking in all
or families with an income OF
Tie tax " on $500 family is about 50 year.
rand SJytye
tax tI on a so 900 income or upward being 500.
In London the tradesmen, declare that, al
both in quality and quantity; the public have
declined to purchase expensive, presents, and
that their sale; ar. far less than formerly
are hooking to tho Continent and thrones Of the
back to their country houses. whore. for rea-
sons Of economy and other motives. they pre-
. sS E s sSn VS. ES tSs
liberal in their patronage, OF London shops.
number OF people, out OF work. and not for
many years have the unemployed been in such
sition made by Conan Doyle. that England
mako oyertures OF a courteous character to-
sF @ eFsan PG %ar1 vi he BE-
Worlds Fair: for INSTANCE, would engsnder
sns ay s a ra .H help H ons ep n
ritation between the two nations,
The King Of Denmark has notified Emperor
NJ. Eifrel has secured the first prize for plans
for the new bridge across tho river Nevn at
ST. Petersburg. The second prize went to
Lembkc Of Moscow.
The Prussian department In charge OF rail-
ways has approved tho proposal Of the Cologne
Emperor William during his last visit to
Schoenbrunn Is said 10 have tnlk ed plainly with
Emperor Franz Josef as TO tho immediate
without Italy lle pointed out that Germany
would do tho lions share OF this preparation
by adding 10000 men to her standing army.
but could not do it all.
In view Of Prince Bismarck's attacks upon
Austria and hi accusation that she was I'M
William said 1t would be difficult for Caprvi
to push tho Army bill proposing such an In
crease through the Reichstag. unless the
mambers were convinced that Austria was
ready to make an equal effort
ITEMS FROM BERLIN,