The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-19
LIE COMTE DE LESSEPS.
PERSONAL REMISIsCENcEs OF HIM
BIZ a FRENCHMAY.
His Success in the sues Canal ana How
the Panams Canal Loan Was fiestso
Among the People.
flor The Times.)


at the time when after having failed IN
sever,i a.tempts. he was making des-
perate effort TO put through MS iaVori'e
scheme. lie Canal de Panama, In the
realization of which a great many al
ready seemed to have lost confidence.
This supreme effort, the instigator OF
which may not have been NJ. De Les
seps. who was perhaps at that time al
ready feeling the weighty responsibility
OF having lent his name to unworthy
schemers, consisted in travelling through
France and stopping at every town where
there was ground for hope of inducing
new subscribers to the stock to enlist in.
increase and strengthen the battalion OF
n tremendous army, the confidence OF
which had begun to weaken under the
widest and most alarming reports.
M. De Lesseps at that time had still,
not only the personal friends whom ne
has vet. but very strong believers. both
in his star Of luck and even in his genius.
not only among those who had made
money out of him, and hoped to make
more In the present enterprise, but among
men OF business knowledge and capacity
and Of the highest financial standing.
Knowing how to discriminate between
false and true friends. he was making
use OF the influence Of the latter for the
fulfllment OF his last hope and for
making available his last resource. The
Journeys Just referred to were witnessed
by all France, and gave to every serious
and rejecting mind and to every French
beating heart the sad impression or an
expedient unworthy OF the man dragged
into It, reminding every one more or a
theatrical travelling company than or the
last effort of great man to bring TO
successful end an enterprise, the con-
ception OF which was worthy or him. III
was in the western part OF France, In
provincial town OF about sixty thousand
Inhabitants, in my fathers own home,
that 1 last saw NJ. De Lesseps, then on
one of these journeys. 1 remember yet
all the particulars of our meeting, which
made on my young and impressionable
mind as deep a mark as II 1t were to-day.
Even the weather, which was bright ana
mild for a December day, seems TO come
back to memory with so many and SUCH
different thoughts.
He arrived from Paris on the midnight
train with his son, Charles de Lesseps,
and his secretaries. fatigued by the jour
ney which was a long one for man
over eighty. He retired without giving
us any chance OF talking TO him, or even
Of seeing him that night. The next morn
ing about nine the visitors began calling,
following each other in an endless stream.
First the civil authorities OF the town,
regardless of political opinions or diff
ference Of cast; afterwards the generals
with their STATS, followed by every one
notable for social or financial position.
and even by the simple and poor en-
poyes. the workingmen who were as
anxious as all to see and welcome, to
shake hands with, and bow to "le Grand
Francois" / can see NJ De Lesseps
standing under the big archway between
the two drawlngrooms. always smiling,
always affable. with a kind word for
everyone. the rich and the poor. looking
at everyone In such frank way with
his bright and honest eyes.
He had been standing for about two
hours when finally a man just about the
same age as himself. but looking ten
times older with his gray beard, his
sunken eyes, and round shoulders, came
In and with great difficulty made his way
10 NJ. De Lesseps, who had seen him
and was coming towards him, with an ex-
preston on his face which showed that
the old man was not a stranger to him,
but that he simply could not place in
mind the circumstances Of their previous
meeting. Each stopped and looked at
the other How different they were; the
one still young Notwithstanding his age,
smiling, cheerful and happy, with a
happiness and assurance which success
alone brings; the other weak and broken
by cares. with tears in his absent eyes,
heavy wrinkles deepened by disillusion,
and. perhaps, by poverty, with a con-
tracted smile on his lips. which seemed
unaccustomed to parting any more for
such a purpose. Iie looked as II he had
seen better days. and as If he realized the
truth the poet sings,
THAT sorrows crown OF sorrow Is re-
membering happier things"
The stranger broke the silence first.
Don't you know me?"
What passed through NJ. De Lesseps'
mind at that moment no one knows.
But thinking for a second only, and as II
struck by a sudden thought, he addressed
the old man by his name, and throwing
themselves into each others arms, they
embraced. He was an engineer who had
worked under NJ. De Lesseps during the
opening of the Suez Canal. He had made
few thousand francs. let us say hun
dred thousand. and was now living with
his wife and grandchildren on five thou
sand francs a year. in a small house
miles from town lie had come TO see
his old master once more before he died
10 entrust him with the money he had
received while working for him, and TO
put under his care his little grandson,
called for him, Ferdinand.
The first opportunity l really had OF
seeing Nj. De Lesseps for any length of
time that day was at large lunch party
given at home. The honOred guest OF
twenty men. chosen among the most dis
tinguished in every way, he showed him
self not only worthy Of such company,
but he even outshone every one in il. On
account of the lady of the house. the
''shop-talk." mean the Panama question.
was absolutely omitted. and during the
entire lunch he appeared only as a thor
ough man OF the world, and certainly
as one of the most fascinating This
was the light under which saw him first.
and my Judgment at first may have been
tnN nv Int, a
not think so.
For every one l ever questioned on the
subject, Nj. De Lesseps has always been
the most perfect type of French gentle
man, and IT, as great many think,
personal appearance is often reflection
OF the mind. and has an influence on our
judgment, ! must say that in his case
Il led me to coincide with universal opin-
ion as TO his mental qualities. Without
great deal OF Imagination one could
see what he had been-a man Of the great
est personal magnetism. or middle size
and height, perfectly erect, attired in a
tight-fitting black prince Albert" coat.
he did not appear more than sixty-five
or seventy years old. although rather |
grown older. and slightly round-shoulder- |
ed, in the past few months, on account OF |
the pecuniary troubles weighing on his |
mind as well as the unavoidable fatigues
OF such long and frequent journeys His |
forehead was high and slightly retreating.
OF splendid shape. crowned by thick. |
snowy hair. thrown back from the face, |
showing the brow in all its beauty. His |