The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-05-18

was Still dong So AS DeSt uNerdry
work. D'Utassy said that Eugene Sue
was the only literary man he ever saw
who prepared faultless toilet before
sitting down to his desk to write, in
cludinp scrupulously clean kid gloves.
After DJJtassy came to this country he
paid some attention to Wall street. and
made and lost fortune. At the break
inc ont of the war he entered the un;on
armv "a colonel of New York reoi-
ment. and did good service In the valley
of Virginia He was a gallant soldier
and an intrepid fighter; had proved
his Inettle On many battlefelds before
volunteering his services to the United
States army, and yet a charge OF cow
ardice was made against him. lam not
certain as to the battle. In any event.
it was the subject Of an exhaustive in
vestigation, which is set forth in detail
in the army records The charge seems
to have resulted from ignorance
or malice, and an examination of the
evidence leaves no stain upon
D'Utassy's reputation as man or
soldier: Before the close of the war
he was breveted brigadier general.
After the war and up to the time of his
death, he had engaged successfully in
the insurance business. Gen. D'Utassy
died of congestion Of the brain, the re.
suit Of inhaling illuminating gas.
Hanging his umbrella on the gas
bracket on retiring at a hotel in Will
mington, the superstition is that tbs
inside blinds on the window swung
back, and, striking the umbrella, the
gas was turned on. He was found next
day at one o'clock, and although he
lived until the second day, he did not
regain consciousness: and so the soldier
and gentle friend-for he was all that
was gentle and loving in nan-slept the
sleep Of the just.
A BARONESS WITH A RECORD.
Baroness Blanc, or Mrs. Frederick N,
Blanc, formerly Mrs. Alfred b, RieqeL
and before that Miss eLibbie" Nichol-
son, is just the kind of woman Dumas
delighted to write about. Had she
lived under monarchy, she'd have
been court favorite, and would have
figured in diamond necklace novels and
in chronicles of the salon and boudoir.
Our republican society is not glittering
and ornate enough to afford their ma
tural scope to such women as she. She
family reminds one of Mrs. Lanptrv
and Mrs. Potter; she is cleverer than
either Of those women, and knows quite
as much as they do about life on and off
and under the stage. The baroness.
as she is called, whether for the reason
that her husbands first name Is Baron,
instead of John, or not, is very tall.
square-shouldered. blond and empress
see. She is nervy all the way through,
and can interest anybody She
chooses to concentrate upon. She's one
Of our contemporaries who would have
found filter arena a couple of hundred
years ago; history maker she'd have
been, too. The husband is big, good
natured gentleman who did set off his
handsome wife well enough at a Del
monico table, and sometimes ON the
east drive in Central park.
Miss Nicholson's father, Maj. Francis
P. Nicholson, of North Fifth street,
Philadelphia, was g. retired stove mer-
chant, living on modest competency,
when she married the dry goods mer-
chant, rich and vulgar Mr.. Riegel The
husband used to have three-thousand-
dollar bills to pay for silk stockings and
satin corsets. Mr.. Nicholson has been
clerking in Baron Blanc's boiler-bant-
ing establishment here. They are all
good clever bourgeoisie together. But
madame can make you believe she's
duchess, at least, if she chooses. It is
too bad she has another divorce suit on
her hands now. Mr.. Riegel and Mr..
Blanc might once have consoled each
other. When Mrs Riegel made her
first and only operatic debut in 1.-THE
Mystic Isle'' Mr.. Riegel's respectable
Quaker friends were shocked. Doubt
less one Of the greatest pleasures Of
brilliant women, scintillant, full
blooded daughter of Eve, has in this
world, is shocking people. The "Baron-
ess'' Blanc's toilets and turnouts have
been admired from Long Branch to Clare
mont. She and Mrs. Lily Langtry
used to be great friends, for Baron
Blanc and Freddie Gerhard are cousins.
The world hasn't heard the last Of Mrs
Blanc. She does nothing by halves.
Her husbands divorce complaint only
accuses her with one correspondent. If
she gets good and mad she'll probably
name two or three scores against him.
M'ALLIsTER AS A REPORTER.
Iwonder what the so-callet. society
of New York thinks now of Ward ne
Allister since he has come down to print
ing ''sassiety" notes IN newspaper for
weekly stipend In journalistic circles
here it is well-known fact that Mr..
McAllister is now the recognized So
ciety reporter for one of the flashy Sun
day newspapers which, while striving
for recognition as social organ, is
largely read on the east and west sides
of the city and IN pork and beans'' dis
tricta It is said that for this service,
and for keeping himself on tap for in
terviewing purposes. whenever a new
baby is born, prince dies or lady of
high social rank is caught In an intrigue
with a goodman, Mr.. McAllister re-
ceives $3.50 per week. There was a. time
when the wealthy tallow-chandlers and
,.a&fval ooI-,,r,-y1iclrars 20 Al 14