Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-02-22

teen years of age. She brought him her
beauty and a portion of properties, but no
additional rank. She is said to have been
girl Of heroic qualities, queenly in her
bearing, rather silent in manner, healthy
as to her bodily life, and ignorant of sem
tment. Her face, preserved in hundred
forms of art, shows Enthusiastically the
origin of that Nspoleonic visage with
which tho whole world will be familiar to
the end of human records.
The character of Carlo di Buonaparte,
though discoverable only in fragments,
shows a mixture Of courage and adven-
ture. He was a protector of many things
"a visionary. His education was obtained
in Italy. He had been a student at Rome,
and afterwards at Pisa, where he prepared
himself to be an advocate, and obtained a
reputation for youthful eloquence The
University of Pisa conferred on him,
about the time of the birth of Napoleon,
tho degree Of Doctor of Laws.
The collapse of the patriot cause had in
duced Carlo Buonaparte, az a measure Of
prudence, to leave Ajaccio and retire to
Corte. The latter, being an inland town
and having q mountainous situation, was
more deeply pervaded with the patriotic
spirit than was the lowland region about
Ajaccio. The coast country gave itself up
freely to the French domination. During
the first five years of the married life OF
Carlo, he oscillated with his young family
back and forth between the two towns,
fnally-when safety came with peace
fixing himself at Ajaccio. This was ip
the early part Of 1869.
Meanwhile, before this removal, three
children had appeared in rapid success.
! sion, at the hearthstone of Carlo Buona-
| parte. All of these were born at Corte.
The first was a daughter, Elise whose
| birth was in 1866. This child died in in
fancy, as did also the next, Marie Anne,
who was born about two years later.
Then, on January 9TH, 1853, came the first
son, and to him the parents gave the name
of Joseph Nabulione, or, as secondary
spelling would have it, Joseph Napoleone,
or, Napoleon. The latter name, though
appearing in the birth-record of the fam
lily, was dropped in the case of the oldest
son, Joseph only being retained. 1t was
the custom Of the age, in the case OF the
death OF children, to repeat their names
for those born afterward. Nor was there
anything exact, as in the customs OF the
nineteenth century, in the spelling en-
ployed.
The surname as we'll as the given
names, in the family of Buonaparte f1uc-
tuated into many FORMS, and gave rise to
some discussion and confusion afterwards
One story ran to the effect that Napoleon
Bonaparte was born January 9TH, 1858,
and Joseph about nineteen months after
wards, that Is, August 18th, 1869. 1t was
believed at one time that the father inter-
changed the dates of the birth OF his two
eldest sons, in order to get Napoleon into
the military academy before his tenth year
"a thing necessary Under the law But
it Is now known that no such thing o.
Cured. The only ground for the inven-
ton of the fiction was the fact that 10
seph's middle name was originally Nabu-
lone, and that this name, in modified
form, was afterwards conferred on the
younger son. True, the, Corsican Jacob
was destined from birth to clutch the heel
of Esau, and to supplant him In history.
The elder was to serve the younger; but
this was to be effected, not by trick OF
the father, but by the eternal law OF the
strongest!
The estate Of Carlo di Buonaparte,
though augmented by his intermarriage
with the Ramolino family, was unequal
to his tastes and desires. He possessed
property at Corte, and another in Ajaccio.
To the latter he came back in the early
part of 1859, and established himself IN
the house where Napoleon was born. The
homestead di Buonaparte was favorably
situated. The house Is still In excellent
preservation. It is four stories In height.
From the upper windows one may see tho
ocean. The building il succeed, Is rec
tangular. and has fiat roof, with small
cupola, from which the flag of France was
flying at the time when the first emperor
of the French came into the world.
About the birth of great men cycles OF
fiction grow. Friends and enemies alike
invent significant circumstances. The
traducers of Napoleon have said that be
was llegitimate-that his father was the
French marshal Marboeuf. They also say.
on better grounds, that the marriage OF
Letitia Ramolino to Carlo Buonaparte was
not solemnized until 1767-that the first
two children were therefore born out OF
wedlock. On the other hand, the idol
worshipers would fain have Napoleon
born as god or Titan. Premature pangs
seize the mother at church. She hurries
home, barely reaching her apartment when
the heroic babe Ia delivered, without an
aocouoher, on piece Of tapestry inwrought
with III, efigy Of Achilles! This probably
occurred. 1t was the 18th Of August, 1863.
, As q matter of fact, there was no omen In
,, heaven or earth-no sign that beautiful
peasant had been delivered of conquerorl
JOHN CLARK R1DPATH.