The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-14
AN UNFORTUNATE MARRIAGE.
John Armstrong ChanIer and Amelia
RIves Not Well Mated.

NEW YORK, Oct. 13.-John Armstrong
Chanler inherited an income from the Astor
estate of more than $4,000 a year. He
was educated at Columbia and Rugby and
has spent much of his time since attaining
his majority in Europe. He is a member of
nearly all the prominent clubs of New York
He married Amelie Rives, the authoress, In
1883 and the couple spent a long time
abroad. They were divorced in 1895. Mrs
Chanler later married Prince Trowbetzkoy
Early this summer she suffered severely
from nervous troubles, and is reported to
have been treated in Philadelphia sana-
torium.
Soon after her nervous troubles began a
correspondent wrote as follows: 1t was
nearly ten years ago that the
English-speaking world was startled
by the appearance of book
whose title, "Quick or the Dead" caused
it TO be talked of from one end Of the land
to the other before the novel had reached
its third installment in Lppincotts Maga-
zine, in which it was published in the early
part of 1888. The story itself was con-
demned and praised with equal vehemence.
The personality of the author became the
popular theme of the day, and. to the COM
plete surprise of both the noVel-reading
public and the noVel-reading critics it was
discovered that this story-condemned on
one side by men and women as the erotic
imaginings of Il jaded realist and praised
by critics on the other as the outburst of a
pure mind, an expression of feeling whose
very eXuberance stamped it with innocence
-parodied burlesqued in theater and comic
OPERA denounced by preachers from the
pulpit as shockingly immoral, upheld by
many literary lights as the creation of
mature genius-was, in fact the achieve
ment of a country-bred Virginia girl scarce
ly. out Of her teens-a patrician of patricians.
with the blood of the first families of fair
Virginia running in her veins. Many Of the
self-constituted critics did not at all fancy
the riotOus way that blood had run in the
veins of Barbara Dere the heroine of THE
Quick or the Dead?' and forthwith they
proceeded TO inundate the young author
with an avalanche Of letters. varying from
the most hideous personal attacks upon the
writer's character to etfusiOns of exagger-
ated and unbounded praise and admiration.
Soon after her literary success it was an
nounced that Amele Rives, the mph-dls-
cussed author was about to marry Mr..
John Armstrong Chanler, a great-grandson
of the original John Jacob Astor, and
cousin of the present William Waldr0f and
solemnized at the Rives homestead which
has been for generations in the family. at
Castle Hill, Va Immediately the gossps
declared MIR. Chanler to be the quick" and
reegated Mr.. Mccullough TO the role of the
ghost In the novel For a time little was
heard of Amelie Rives Chanler, except that
from her pen came Herod and Marianne
a Syrian tragedy. shortly after her mar
riage. The critics were forced to treat il
seriously. OF one accord. they declared the
author possessed of great talent true fire
"the pure. shining gold Of genius. " etc
Despite the social success which has al
ways attended her, Mrs. ChanIer shortly
after her marriage left America for Paris
where she resided for several years Not q
breath Of scandal ever attached itself to the
beautiful authors name. but in Paris. even
six years ago, Amelie RiveS Chanler'S