The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08
TOOK IN THE TOADIEs.
How the Tuft Hunters of washing
ton Were Recently Vietimized.
Washington Coz. Chicago Reeord.

Washington Cor. Chicago Record.
The confiding tuft hunters of Washing
ton have again been sadly victimized by
retiring diplomatist. Under our tariff
law the representatives of other nations
are permitted to import ali articles in
tended for their own use without the pay
ment of duty. This includes household
furniture and ornaments, china and other
tablewares, clothing. wines and provisions,
and it is customary. particularly for the
representatives Of European nations who
understand the trick, to bring with them
from home everything they can possibly
need OF that description. Upon arrival
they VIII rent a house, furnish IL from
top to bottom, and after a couple of years,
when they go away either at the ter
m1nation of their term of service or on
leave of absence, they sell the whole out
fit at auction The swagger set of Wash
lngton always attend these sales in large
numbers and bid eagerly for souvenirs Of
the departing diplomats They pay three
or four times the value of furniture pic
lures bric-a-brac china glassware. etc,
simply because of the association, and in
the houses Of some of the people who want
to be considered sWels. you afterWard
have these articles pointed out to you and
are told that this table formerly belonged
TO Prince So-and-So, and that set Of china
bears the crest of Count What His
Name or Lord-DeliVer- Us. The importer
OF the property, particularly II ne wears
a title always makes very large profit,
sometimes as much as 200 and 800 per cent
on his investment, and has had the use of
the articles in the meantime.
But the largest amount of money is
made on wines. There is seldom an auc-
ton sale at a legation without a very
large collection Of wine of all sorts, US
ually bearing unfamiliar brands, which
the innocent American tenderfOot as
SumeS to be very rare and fine because
he never heard of them before ana be-
fnTafunnFg a apIr ON col
to be connoisseurs in turntables. These
diplomatic spectators have even gone so
far at times as to permit local tradesmen
to run in lot OF damaged goods or shelf
worn stock upon an unsuspecting public,
who suppose it to be imported with the
rest of the stuff in the house.
The latest diplomatic auction sale was
held by Prince CantacuZene who came
here about three years ago as ambassa-
dor of Russia, but was recently transfer
red TO the court of Wurtemberg. When
the prince arrived in Washington he
found the Russian legation occupying the
fine mansion Of eX-Gov. Shepherd, at the
corner of K street and Connecticut ave-
nue., but as soon as the lease expired he
removed TO a commodiOus but cheaper
residence in the older part of the city
This he filled with cheap imported goods
w17.ch he brought mostly from Paris At
ter the death Of the car the embassy
was in mourning for year, and neither
the prince nor any of his secretaries par
ticipated in social affairs. Last spring he
went to Russia on leave of absence, and
when he returned this fall he brought
with him another lot of furniture and a
very large supply of wines, which, as US
ual, were admitted free of duty He had
been back but a few weeks when his re-
call and the appointment of his success
sor were announced.
The next step was flashing advertise
ment that the personal effects of Prince
Cantacuzene the Russian ambassador.
would be sold at auction at the embassy
When the day came everybody was there
and, being prince. and a Russian prince.
even the most triiing articles sold at high
prices, but the most desperate struggle
was over his wines. There were 3 90 bot
ties Of a single brand Of red wine that had
never been heard Of by the BIDDERS. but
they knew Il must be the very best be-
cause IL was imported for the use OF a
prince and fought for II bottle by bottle
II now turns out that this Wine was the
cheapest sort OF slop from France, i'm
ported expressly for this auction sale Ills
oil paintings were by artists that nobody
ever heard Of and his furniture D. falling
10 pieces in the hands Of the people who
paid for n five times as much as it ~
worth. Prince cantacuzene made no go
eret 0f this humbug 10 his friends. bud
frankly told them that DE- made enough
profit ouf ~ The sale no furnish handsome
ly the house be- intends 10 occupy an his
post Ia Wurtembers- He said that n the