New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-16
TOPICS IN PARIS.
THE GREAT RACES OF THE YEAR.
SOME RIDICULOUS EPISODES-A MATRIMONIAL
AGENCY-THE NURSE GIRL IN THE
FRENCH CAPITAL.

Paris. June g.
Last Sunday. the French Derby. Jockey
Club race at CLanty; next Sunday, the Grand
steeplechase, at Auteuii and ten days hence the
Grand Prix. at Longchamps, with all the inter-
vening days and nights crowded with entertan-
ments Of every kind, to render this par
t!c,ar fortnight the most brilliant of the entire
Partisan season. OF the three great sporting
events the French Derby Is undoubtedly the
most chic and typicaly Partisan. Chsntilly pre-
sonts many analOgies with Goodwood. Like
the latter the course belongs to duke
and is surrounded by magnificent trees,
under the shade Of which innumerable
pcnics and al fresco luncEeons take
place. just at Goodwood. The result Of the
absence of the Objectionable clement is to be
found in the infinitely superior display Of toilettes
to that seen either at the Grand Prx or az
Auteuil The Due dAumales private stand
remained closed. ewing to the continued III
ness Of its owner, but the Jockey Club stand
was crowded. and conspicuous among the ex-
quisitely dressed women strolling about on the
lawn were the young ruchesse de Luynes the
American-born Duchess, de la RochefOucauld,
the Comtesse de Castellane, nee Gould, the young
Duchesse d Ives well as her mother-in-law.
who. undeterred by her setback at the Salon, Is
engaged on the task Of modelling statue
of heroic proportions, and destined for of
the French towns on the eastern frontier the
Princcsse d Leon and the Duchesse de Feltre
one Of the most talked of Of the week
has been ex-King Milan's sudden resignation Of
his membership in the exceedingly smart club
known as the Cercle de la Rue Royale, owing 10
the election TO that institution OF Prince Arsene
Karageorgevicz. The latter. who is married to a
sister of young Elm Demidoff. and who is con-
sequently possessed through his WIFE, Of immense
wealth, has recently been compelled to resign his
commission OF Northumberland of the Chevaer
Gardes de rImperatrce at st. Petersburg and
to leave Russia in consequence of his having
decided 70 put himself forward a Pretender to
the throne Of Servi3 formerly occupied by his
ancestor Young Car Nicholas would not hear
Of retaining his court. or even in mis- army.
man avowedy plotting against the very existence
Of friendly ruler. and the consequence is the
Prince has come to Paris to await here the turn
of events in servia. Thanks mainly to his wealth.
he has been exceedingly well received on the
banks OF the Seine especially at the various
clubs where play IS high, and 1t is only natural
that he should have been regarded a valuable
acquisition under the circumstances, by clubs
such as that OF the Rue Royae. the main part
Of whose revenue IS derived from the card table
Of the establishment When King Milan heard
that Karageorgevicz was about be elected,
he protested vehemently. threatening to resign
II the committee admitted a man whom he de-
nounced not only being the OF
sim but also as having been the instgator 81
several attempts to murder both himself and
his son. King Alexander. The committee how
ever very wisely reflected that in the first place
this Karagorgevicz was rich and open-handed,
thanks 70 his wife's money whereas ex-kins
chr mic irnra mi
osity but is. moreover exceedingly offensive
whenever he loses at the card-table and there
fore came TO the conclusion that of the two. the
Prince was decidedly the more agreeable ac-
aulsition to the club. So King Milan in
formed that the club would be unable to embark
in any political quarrels and personal rivalries
between foreign princes staying In Paris and
could not do otherwise than observe the strictest
kind OF neutrality Milan has accordingly re-
signed. and the epiogue is furnished by duel
between Prince Karageorgevicz and journalist
who had taken up the cudgels In King Miians
behalf the encounter ending disagreeably FOR
the journalist.
There was no other course open to the Cercls
de- la Rue Royale. So great is the crowd here
Of rival pretenders exiled rulers and their sue
ccssors princes who have quarrelled with the
heads Of their families and who at open war
with their illustrious relatives. that they jostle
one another at every turn and meet constantly
face TO face in salon and club.
Some OF their rencontres are very funny. such
as for instance. that of King Milan and his son.
King Alexander. with Prince Peter Karageorge-
vicz at the Turkish baths here, on the occasion
% the young Servian rulers last visit Milan and
his son were both arrayed in that exceedingly
elementary costume affected these baths
when suddenly the door Of the hotroom opened
and in staked their bitterest enemy OF the
three brothers whom they hold responsible for all
the numerous attempts that have been made
upon their respective lives. The situation was
awkward. to say the least. and inasmuch as
Servians are proverbialy hot-blooded there is no
knowing what might have happened had ii not
been for the presence OF the brawny bath en-
ployes. two Of whom were In attendance on each
of the three princes But it is a pity that they
were in the room. as a hand-to-hand encounter
in the hotroom of a Turkish bath between
couple of kings and the pretender TO their THRONE
all three in the attire affected in pre-Christian
times by the wrestlers in the Olympian games,
would have constituted the browning absurdlty
OF Servian politics and Servian royalty.
The courts have been occupied during the last
few days with the investigation Of one of those
matrimonial agencies which flourish more extern
sively the banks Of the Seine than in any other
capital Of Europe. and have been the means OF
bringing about not a few Of those unions described
International Very rarely are the agencies
honest or reputable even the best Of them being
open TO criticism and reprOach. The one now
under indictment seems 10 have been the most
fashionable and successful of its kind 1t was not
only under the personal direction Of a more or
less authentic COmte and Comtesse de Vars, out
II actually had in its employ a real live Bishop
whose violet stockings and cassock seem 10 nave
suificed to set at rest any doubt that mas have
arisen in the mind OF the clients with regard TO
the character Of the agency In addition to his
episcopal attributes. the prelate bore one of the
best known and most ustrious names of the
French nobility. that of De Segonzac OF Perigord.
the head OF which Is the Marquis de Segonzac.
IL was only during the trial that the fact was
brought To light that Monsignor de Sagonzac had
been renowned by his family long ago on account