New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14

lifelong friend Prince Metternich, and hence
forth the two great ladies who created Worth
and who were the chief ornaments of the i'm
perial court Of the Tuileries uil the close OF the
reign of Napoleon III are condemned to wear
widows weeds The Pourtales are one OF the
best known families in the world Besides the
Pourtales in France there are Pourtaies III
Switzerland Ain Germany, in england ana even
I'm the United States: but the late Count Edmond
was undoubtedly the bes, known as well as the
Wealthiest of them all. mu n on his Importance
II must be confessed being derived from the So
ciaI sovereignty which his wife has welded over
the great world If Paris ever since the days OF
Sedan. OF French origin, his ancestors having
been cyilel on account Of their Protestant faith
along with other Iuguenots. Count Edmond was
the son of the head of the Swiss branch or the
family settled "A; NeufchAtel, but who was cnan,
berlan to the King Of Prussia ana pIo' !,d,,
figure at the court of Berlin. The Count threw
in his lot with the French. married the daughter
and heiress of the former master OF the french
mint. the Baron Ge Bussere. and, thanks u ms
name. his wealth. the charm or MS WHO anu us
own popularity soon becaIpe a very conspicuous
and Influential figure in Partisan life several or
the smartest clubs. including the Cercle de
rI'nion ArtistiQue and the Cercle lmperlale
which are now united into one owe their lounda
ton to him, and he has been in turn Vlce-presi-
dent and president of those ultra-eNCiisiNc IN
stitutions the Union, the AGricoe, popuiary
known as the "Pomme de Tcrre, ana OF the
Jockey. In 1865. on his return from VISIT 10 MS
relatives at Berlin. he brought back from thence
preparations which We're then being openly
made for war against France, his warning. now
ever, as well as that expressed WIN even grtdt'i
eloquenCo by his wife. falling upon dtal ears.
When at length hostiliticS were declared Count
Edmond Obvious Of the fact that his brothers
and twenty other counts OF PourtaleS. all more OF
less closely related 10 him. held commissions IN
the German army enlisted as a volunteer, look
part i'm tho disastrous siege OF SttaSburg ana was
decorated with the Order Of the Legion of Honor
as well as repeatedly mentioned In the orders OF
the day for the splendid galantrN when ne as
PLAYED during the attempts to break through the
German lines. In spite on ms intimate dSS",'"
lions with the imperial family of France. and Of
his German connections no doubt or suspicion
was ever entertained by the Government. or even
by the press at Paris, concerning his perfect 10Y
atty. integrity and patriotism. ana SO great was
his influence with the Government Of the Repub-
lie that in 1873 he was able II secure the sur
render to Empress Eugene and 10 the Prince
IMPERIAL Of all those souvenirs. bric-a-brac ana
personal belongings of one KIND ana another
which they had been compelled to leave behind
them after the fateful day of Sedan, and which
had been sequcstrated by the authorities. mar
rowlv escaping destruction by the flames or the
Commune. The Count de Pourtales continued u
the last the steadfast and most loyal friend of
the Empress Eugene. and his was the one house
in Paris that constituted a common ground upon
which people of every political shade OF opinion
could meet. and where brilliant men ana women
belonging 10 the artistic scientific ana literary
world had the opportunity OF making IN" ac-
uiiaintanCe under the most favorable auspices.
of whatever royal or imperial personages nap
pened to be in Paris at the time. For no prince
or princess OF the blood ever dreamt Of passing
through the metropolis without honorng the
Count and Countess with call. the Grand-duk"s
and Grand-ducheSses If Russia being especially
constant In their attentions. remembering the
warm intimacy that subsisted between the late
Czorina Marie and LA Comtesse." whose bronze
counterpart represents the city OF StraSDurg on
the Place de la Concorde