New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-24
MOURNING "POLICHINELLE."
PARIS CHILDREN SORROW FOR THE DEATH
OF GUIGNOL-COUNT MUENSTER'S
DEPARTURE
Paris. Septpmber L.

Grief is apparent these days upon the ordinarily
smiling and merry faces of the children both rich
4 and poor, who accustomed TO make play
ground of the Champs Elysees every afternoon
/ They have lost the one person who devoted his
entire existence to catering to their anluse-
ment, and who, in their eyes, ranked higher than
any dramatic author or actor either of the past
or of the present time What were either Moicre,
Shakespeare or Schiller to the genial Anatole the
director Of the marOnctte, or "guignol,7 theatre,
situated near the Avenue Marigny entrance TO the
/ Champs Elysecs. lie has now passed down to the
grave leaving behind him the MSS. of 10 less than
! $50 comedies, dramas and tragedies which he
| had written for his doll troupe, and the children
who were won't TO crowd his opcn-air theatre
every fine afternoon are now gravcly discussing
among themselves the probability of Polichnelle"
being admitted at 10 heaven without being
detained in pureatory or in a still place, lest
he should make existence there altogether too
lively for the taste of the spirit Of evil the wooden
head of whose efigy he had so often cracked
during his lifetime during the course of his dra-
matte performances here earth Anatolc, who
was one of the most familiar figures in Paris since
almost every body, no matter whether resident or
tourist, visits the Champs Elysecs, has left large
fortune, which, according to his curious will, is
VINO are his heirs until fifty years from the present
date lie had inherited from his father the
miniature but remarkably wc-apponted play
house. surrounded by ropcd-in space, with little
benches for tho youngsters who could afford to
pay for the accommodation, and / always used TO
he amused by the notices prohibiting grown-up
people from sitting in the stalls that i what
he called these little bcnchcs-lcst they should in
tcrfcre with the view OF the youngsters behind
/ thcm and also because the tiny seats were
scarcely up TO supporting the weight Of the average
French "Nou-nou," nurse.
1t is probable that Emperor William will eX-
pcriencc considerable difficulty in finding sue
ccssor TO Count Mucpstcr whose resignation as
| German Ambassador 10 France has just been
definitely accepted. The position of German En-
WOW here is no snecurc, and involves n constant
and painful strain upon the nerves. Hardly Il day
passes without his being called upon to interfere
! i'm ichalf OF one or tho other OF the two three
hundred thousand Germans settled in this coun-
try. Conflicts arc forever occurring upon the
frontier, and the newspapers here never cease Tor
/ an instant aSSailing both Emperor William and
/ Germany, from discussing the imminence Of
! that war Of revenge which constitutes the favor
| ito theme OF almost every public speaker and
popular orator OF social Intercourse between
our grand monde and the German Embassy.
| such as exists between the former and tho other
foreign missions established here, there is abso-
/ lut-y nonc and Emperor Williams representa-
tive with his family and staff restricted eX-
/ clu-ivcly to the society Of their diplomatic col
leagues and TO few cold and cercmonious Of
fetal entertainments given from time to time
hy tho Cabinet Ministers The members Of the
,;crman Embassy belong to no club, at least TO
mono that il OF any account, and when they
enter hnv shop or restaurant where their identity
i. known they run the risk OF exposing them
/ selves 10 a refusal to serve them in consequence
Of their nationality. In fact, the social o.racsm
TO which they are subjected is complete. and far
from III. situation having improved during the
/ last twenty years Il has gone on from bad to
worse Indeed, had it not been for the remark
nblc tact and good humor displayed by Count
/ Mucnstcr. we might ere now have found our
selves. if not in actual war; at any rate cut on
from diplomatic relations with Germany. A. an
illustration thereof. | may recall the incident Of
tic indignty to which Count Mucnstcr WAS sub
jcctcd one day when driving with his daughter
! in 4 phdcton past enardhouSe IN the heShoor-
! hood of the Bois dc Boulognc.
The soldiers stationed there had just received
/ their daily ratons and one Of Them more mis-
/ chievous than the rest, deliberately hurled his
/ heavy military bread at the head of th" German
! Ambassador Tie Count. who in his younger dlys
WAS AN adcut crclietcr deity caught IL and stop
ming his carriage for a moment. expressed aloud
and smilingly hi thanks for the eilt stating that
/ he would giyc IT, on his return home, 10 ht
/ horses, who were exceedingly fond of just that
! particular kind Of loaf. Thcrcupon he whipped
| ND his nags and drove on, leaving the other sol
dicrs eering at their comradc, who thus found
/ himself deprived Of the most important part OF
| his dinner Cont Muenscr is tall dstin-
cui~hcd looking man. who bears considerable re-
scmbance TO old Emperor William He was the
first of the great nobcmcn of Hanover who joined
the Prussians in SOC. fact that has never been
forgiven by the royal house of Hanover, TO whom
| he had until then stood in the position of grand
! master of the court. AT Brln however, he
%.tas since then remained in the highest favor and
his daughter, who has been doing the honors of
the Embassy for HIM during his entire residence
here is probably the most intimate personal friend
Of the widowed Empress Frederick of Germany.
! Tho Count has been twice married, his first
wife from whom he was divorced having been
a Russian Princess Galitzin, while his second
was a sister of tho late Earl of Rosslyn His son,
il may be- mentioned is married to the younger
DAUGHTER of the Scotch Earl of Kinnoull. As
stated above, it will be difficult TO replace Count
Mucnstcr, for if ever there was a German likely
to find favor with the French people, it was this
genial old nobcman, kccnly apprccatlvc OF
French wit and of French cookery. Indeed he is
credited with the authorship of very successful
cookery book written with the object of extending
the gastronomical knowledge of his countrymen,
and in the pages Of which the highest possible
tribute is paid to Frances prc-cmincnce III all GU
| linary matters. With Count Mucnstcr we likewise
| lose one of best iour-in-hand whips HIS
coach was invariably magnlllcently horscd, and
he was wont every season to bring dozen three
and four year Odds To Paris from his sphn'ld
| stud farm III Hanover 80 fine were the animals
that he usually found little difficulty Ill dsposlhS
| Z L.. Lafnrc ihn GRIND priN at handsome nIniit