The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-13
CHATEAU OF MONTE cRIsro.
The Home Upon which Dumas
Squandered n Fortune.

From the Century Magazine.
AT MS architectural folly or Monte
Cristo, near St. Germain-en-Lave. which
he built at a cost OF upward OF 10000
francs, and sold for 5000 francs in 1SlS.
Dumas had uninclosed grounds and gar
uehs, which, with the house. afforded
lodging and entertainment not only to a
host of Bohemian "sponges," but to all
the dogs, cats and dOnkeys that chose to
quarter themselves in the place. 1t was
S 7i py the neishbors Ia maison de Bon
Dleu- There was a menagerie in the
park, peopled by three apes; Jugartha,
the Fulture, whose transport from Africa,
Mhence Dumas fetched him, cost 5000
francs ut would be too long TO tell WHY:
Dig parrot called Duval: a macaW named
Fapa and another christened Esverard; Luz
euIIus' the golden pheasant; Caesar, the
SS se COCK peafoWl and a guincafowl;
lIgsouI II, the AngOra cat; and the Scotch
pointer Pritchard.
rms dog was a character He was fond
OF canine society, and used to sit in the
ROAD looking out for other dogs TO invite
mem TO keep him company at Monte
SSqIlsto. lie was taken by his master to
ram 70 visit Louis Napoleon when a pris-
9ner there; The latter wished to keep
Ffltcnaru, nut counted without the intelli-
Svnce OF the animal in asking Dumas be-
Tore mis- race to leave him behind. The
pointer set up howl so piteous that the
governor OF the prisoner withdrew the au-
Inoriization he had given his captive to
retain him. Some of the dogs that Pritch-
ara invited in stayed altogether; others
remained only for a meal
one day Michel, the gardener said to
ms employer, Does monsieur know how
many dogs there are in his property"
NO, Michel l don't" well, there are
thirteen" An unlucky number. Take
care they don't all eat together, for if
they qld ore would be sure to die in the
year. on, it's not that that troubles
ms, pursued Michel. What is it, thenP
m thinking that all these brutes are
able to devour in one day a whole OK.
horns and all you don't mean to
say that they'd eat the horns?" "Oh, II
monsieur takes the matter as a joke,
nave nothing more to say" But I don't
let me lay the whip on twelve of them
and the house viii be rid of them right
away" wait a bit, Michel You see
that all these dogs, in quartering them
selves here, pay a compliment to the
house Give them a grand dinner to-mor-
them to clear out. If they don't go, show
severity Michel was Withdrawing when
Dumas relented "HOldr' he cried. you
see, when the bon Dieu gives us riches,
fine house, and position he also imposes
charges upon us. Since the dogs-which,
the house, l prefer that they stay.
don't believe that any one was yet ruined
by what poor brutes ate. However see
that the number Of thirteen is changed"
will monsieur let me turn one away,
and then there will be only twelVe?'
mo; encourage Pritchard to invite an
other, which will bring them up to four
teen" But it will then be a pack"
with all my heart, provided the dogs
don't quarrel and go mad" They never
ala bark and bite but lived in fraternal
kindness until Monte Cristo was sold.
Dumas, before he left it, got thirteen
friends to take as many dogs, and kept
Prltchard, who died with him of old age.