New-York tribune., 1893-12-10
TOPICS IN PARIS.
A PROTESTANT WEDDING THE SOCIAL
SEASON CANNOT BE LENGTHENED-
THE RACES-DUCHESS GAIL
LIERAs BEQUESTS-THE
CASTLE OF MONTE
CRISTO FOR SALE.

,ost fev doys that the annual exodus or the
yreot world to the Riviera has already COM
menced and among those who are leaving these
davs for the South not to return until spring, are
the Princess de Sagan. the Dowager Duchess or
Iuynes. the Marquise de Gallifet, the Countess
of Reculot and last, but not least the popular
Countess Edmond de Pourtales, whose son
Jacques was married on Monday last. Inc
name of Pourtales is well known on both
sides of the Atlantic that 1t may interest Amer
lean readers to know that the new Countess.
daughter Of Count Roger de Monbrison is tall,
handsome girl with beautiful, expressive eyes q
face full Of character. and lovely complexion.
Like her husband. she is Protestant, ana the
wedding ceremony took place at the Protestant
Church in the Avenue de la Grande Arfnee.
There were many Americans present at the cere-
mony including Mrs. and Miss Monroe, Mr. ana
Mrs. William Moore Mrs. Austin Lee ana MIS-
Ridgway. Owing to the Importance OF the POSI-
ton which the Comtesse de Pourtales occupies
in Partisan society. and to her generally ac-
knowedged suprcmacy-a supremacy that oates
from the days of the Empire-tout Paris locked
to the church. and afterward to the Monbrison
mansion in the Avenue de jena to offer their
congratulations TO the young couple, and az the
same Tina to obtain glimpse of the superb
wedding presents which included vast guam
tity OF jewelry and plate, the Grand Duke and
Grand Duchess Vladimir Of Russia being
represented by lovely cigarette case or jade
with the cipher and coronet of their Imperial
Highnesses in diamonds. The Prince and Prin-
cess of Wales, well as the Count and Count
ess Of Paris. and. indeed, all the members OF the
House of Orleans. sent tokens OF the regard
and the affection for the man who used to be
known in London by the name Of Little
Pourtales" while the magnificent silver gilt
salver sent by the Princess Metternich from
Vienna was especially admired. The young
couple have gone to Algeria for their wedding
trip. and propose to rejoin the Counts mother
at Cannes shortly after the New Year
From the number Of departures for the
South IT will be seen that the joint efforts Of
the Municipal Council and of the jockey club
20 prolong the Paris season by four months,
causing II to extend from September to June.
instead Of merely from March to June. have re-
suited In failure The projectors Of this scheme
did not take into consideration the inclement
weather which is now rendering life here a
burden TO the Inhabitants and under the cir
cunstances il Is not unlikely that the newly
Inaugrratod autumn Grand Prix. for which the
Conseil Municipal voted 100000 francs. will be
abandoned. Meanwhile the Ccnseil Municipal
has turned its attention 10 the racetrack OF the
Stecplechase Society at Auteuil. The course Is
one OF the most difficult in Europe and the OBJ
stacles SO dangerous that scarcely n single
meeting takes place without some fatality either
TO man or beast. Indeed so numerous have
the serious accidents been there since the open
inu Of the steeplechase racing season this
autumn that the Municipal Council has passed
n resolution providing for the modification OF
the obstacles which II has the power Of doing,
seeing that IL not only controls the course as
ground landlord. but also that il assigns every
year Il large sum Of money for use as prizes to
the winners OF the races Possibly 1t is owing
to the element of increased danger and con-
sequent excitement offered by the course at
Auteuil that the races there possess great
an attraction for ladies'. The fact remains that
the Prince de Sagan. who Is the presiding genius
OF the place always manages To have large
crowd Of mondaines there for each meeting.
and among those whom l noticed there on
Sunday last were the Countess de la Redorte,
the Princess de Tarente. the Countess de In
Roche Fontenilles. Nine. do Tanlay. Mrs Ridg-
way and the Duchess Of Ayen. They were all
wrapped up in furs and seemed to appreciate
the coke fires that blazed in great braziers at
various spots in the paddock
While on the subject Of sporting matters II
may be worth noting that the Comte Gustave
dc Juigne one OF the best-knOwn club ana
racing men In Paris. has been elected to the
presidency of the Socicte Hippique Francaise
which organizes the annual Horse SNOW thae
inaug,irates the Partisan season each spring
The association Is a very exclusive pouE' lts
members being. every one OF them, great lahd-
,,,,,rs and horse breeders most Of them bear
,r,, rorpes ulustrious and even historical Among
the,n need only be mentioned those of Prince
a. Arenherg the Duke de Vircnte, the Marquis
dc Castel- Bagac and the Ccmte de beaumont
Tho Comte de Jugne's predecessor as presideh'
Of the corporation was the Marquis de MorhaY'
a grandson OF the famous Marshal Soult. lie
y,s nerrnitted to manage things pretty
much his own way. owing to the fact that ne
was the founder Of the society. He allowed
several abuses 10 creep in. which 1t Is expected
will be brought to an end under the new man
agement.
It is fortunate that the municipality OF Paris
has in i,s pcsscssion a large quantity Of works
Of art for which 1t has hitherto found no means
~ exhibition. Otherwise the city might be at
n loss To know what to do with the handsome
buiIdinp on the Avenue du Trocadero which
has lust been turned over to IL by the executors
Of the will Of the late Duchess Galliera, mother
Of the Socialist Duke. whose death at Naples
WAS erroneously announced here the other Day
II was in 1879 that the late Duchess first
slgnlned her intention Of bequeathing to the
city Of Paris all her superb and unrivalied
collection of works sof art. including statues
rictures tapestries and antiques Of one KIND
and another With the object of housing the
collection in a fitting manner, she gave orders
for the construction Of palace or museum
destined to receive the collection. She gave
carte blanche to her architect. and merely made
the condition that II should De built In such
manner as to be uninhabitable her object being
that never under any circumstances should II
be diverted from its as a museum. When
she died, however, 1t was found that, wAlie
her will provided for the completion or the
museum at a cost Of 100000 francs she had
...4a .h.d thn enfirn ART cnllnctinn destined for