The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-24
THE DUKE DE DINO
He Married Two Aneri=
can Girls.
A FORTUNE MADE IN OIL.
Daring Deeds Of a Soldier i'm Two
CamDaigns-The Influence of
Gambetta.
FORTUNE MADE IN OIL


When members Of the French aristoc-
racy devote themselves to literature, they
are. In many cases, tempted by poetry. the
language of the gods. la recent years we
nave read the poems of the Marquis de
Massa, of Count Robert de Mentesauou
Fezensac. of the Marquis de Pimodan. Of
the Viscount de Borrslli, and now appears
'Salut vous." by Marie de Talleyrand-
Perigord. Duke de Dino. 1t is a strange
collection of poems, where the spiritual
madrigal is beside the martial hymn. One
of the most charming among these poems
is the ''VOie Lactee." in which the stars
converse about the moon, which has lust
appeared like "silver eyebrow"
The Duke de Dino IS of special Interest TO
Americans because he has had two Amer
lean wives. He married a few years ago
Mrs. Adele Stevens (uee SAMPSON of New
York. The bride of Maurice de Talleyrand
must have pleased her husbands father
and mother, for soon as the marriage took
place the father announced to his daughter
in-law that he would give her husband the
title of Duke de Dino ana resume that of
Marquis de Talleyrand. Before her second
marriage Mrs. Stevens bought the castle OF
Montmorency for $4,000. and there the
Duke and Duchess of Dino now make
their home. When only "a years old the
Duke de Dino, then Marquis de Taliey-
rand PeTig0rd, married Miss Eliza beth
Beers-Curtis, but after long separation
they were divorced. the daughter, now
Princess Ruspoi, remaining with her
mother.
1t is said that to Mrs. Stevens first hus-
band Talleyrand owed the wealth cred
faH IN In
of California sDeculatioDs Taileyrand
went there 10 search of gold, and then TO
Chile in search of copper, but he returned
! ruined, discouraged. Years later he de-
cided TO avenge himself for that disap-
pontmeuI. went again to America, and,
thanks to his name. was received IN the
most exclusive circles. One day, it is
said, MIR. Stevens offered him two shares
in an OF! well. The Marquis had no money.
Mir. Stevens gave him credit. The well
yielded a profit of $4,000 for the two
shares. then more and more until the for
tune became colossal.
The Duke de Dino is now about 80
years old. He is short and his face has
very frank expression. He is soldier,
fought in Mexico aud during the Franco
| PrusSan war, but after the battle of
Champigny refused the decoration of the
| Legion OF Honor in favor If an old war
rI0r whose long service seemed more
worthy of tnis recompense. Undoubtedly
the Duke de Dino is very original, and
his eccentricities before his second mar
rage were shown by his choice of friends
and his general behavior.
Gambetta was responsible for his con-
version to the Republican faith, but when
he was a candidate for Deputy from Cha
tesHrouX, IN the department of the Indre.
his electors were not enthusiastic enough
to give him success. He did not lose cOur-
| age, but became more than Republican
fha ha of fan f.t,a
and the strikers of AuZin received FROM
him q present of $1,000. When Louise
! Michel was in prison 1t is said that be senl
her quantities of sweetmeas, and 10 her
mother regularly each month the sum of
| $50.
Although he tried to forget his ancestors
and his name his bachelor home in the Rue
JouffrOy was filed with reminders of his
rank. In the Henry LII dining-rOom his
arms were embroidered on the curtains
carved on the SdebOardS. painted on the
door panels, engraved on the family silver
and on the porcelain made for him by
GenOsi in Florence. The dining-roOm was
separated from Japanese salon by
curious draDery and the four panels of the
principal salon were hung with enormous
gobelins. valued al $4,000 each. In his
study were souvenirs of travel, bibelots
wonderful pieces Of porcelain and crystal
One dish alone was worth $4,000 and when
one day Henri Rochefort was given per-
mission 10 choose whatever he liked from
the collection he chose this dish. 1t wa,
the portrait OF Louis XIV. Every where
in the house we're portraits of Taileyrand's
mother and of his daughter born In Ven
ice in 1871.
Always in bis house an apartment was
reserved for his mother when she chose to
visit Paris.
A celebrated sportsman, the Duke is not
only shot" but a fencer. His fencing
TO M was well arranged, aud the morning
seances were terminated by a gay break
fast. at which were seen the Prince de
Sagan, Rochefort, Parriell, Baron Sell
llere, etc.
The Duke de Dino's duels have been
worthy OF romances. and not infrequently
has be mOrally wounded his adversary
When at Berlin an officer insulted him.
but paid the penalty with his life. 1t is
reported that ID Paris a young American
girl once defied him to touch lemon that
she would hold between her thumb and
iOrefnger at a distance of seveuty-fVe
feet. The lemon was cut in two parts by
the ball, while the spectators looked On in
breathless horror.
Now the Dukes house in the Rue Jouf-
troy is but souvenir of his life as garcon
for he seldom, if ever, visits IL, and his
bachelor friends are also neglected. How
ever he still owns very fine horses and
often in the morning is he seen mounted
OH a superb animal in the shaded avenues
of the Bots de Boulogne.
In the time of General BOulaDger the
Duke d g Dino was brought before the pub
lie IN prominent manner by the Propa-
gaude BOulangiste, but he proved himself
innocent of all accusations concerning the
assistance he gave to the brav' general.
In 1884 the Duke de Dino renonnced his
title of Marquis de Talleyrand aud called
himself Citizen Pergord." In this he
followed the example of his friend Roche
fort.
The TaIleyrands date from Felia, Count
de Perigord, who lived at the end of the
twelfth century. To-day tue Talieyrand-
Perigords are divided in tn three branches,
and have for titles Prince, Duke de
Chalais, Spanish Grandee of 1914; Prince
de Benevento of thu French empire, 1906;
Duke de Dino of Naples. 1915; Duke de
Tallevrand, 1877; Prince dc Sagan, Duke
de Vaencay, etc.
The Duke de- Dino's grandfather was
cousin 10 the famous diplomatic of the
name, celebrated at the beginning of this
century for his bonmots and repartee
During the recent Franco Russian fetes
all thought of the great TIA lleyrand, fol it
was he who prepared the alliance between
France and Russia The memoirs of the
prpat Cailevra MI haya baau far oil die