The San Francisco call., 1897-10-03
LOVE WON FOR
Her A TITLE.
Portland Girl Now the
Bride Of. Graf Won
J.. . /. Esterhazy.
Miss Birmingham to Preside
in the: Cas-. te cf a Foreign
J.: =. Nobleman. 49,. -. !"
Her. Husband a Cousin of the
Prince Soon. to- Wed Lillian
!. =: =: :: Langtry. :.

=: <PORTLAND, Or, Oct. . According 10
letter received here by. William Bier
bach last Wednesday Portland is now
also we'll up IN the list with New York in
the supplying of wives for European no.
blemen of high degree. This: city, how
ever has this advantage over New YORK
in that the fair daughters of Oregon were
not sought for their wealth, but their
! personality won the hearts Of tile men
who married-them. "'*,..:. =. ::
=. The first Oregon girl to become the wife
OF q man belonging to one of the most dis
tinguished and historic families Of France
was Miss Matte Mitchell,.: daughter OF
ex-United States Senator John H.. Mitch
ell, who CONTRACTED very happy matri-
monial alliance wit a: French luke, and
size was not: required TO bring him dot.
This was so greatly at. variance with the
procedure of the girls who, marry for
titles only, their families p .ying millions
in AmeFican+:Coin> for the :so-called- dis
tinction, thatlt was worthy of note.
The other. Portland girl, who in June
last contracted an even more brilliant
marriage, is Miss Eva Birmingham, who
up to the; latter part of 1856 lived in am od-
est cottage near Fulton Psrk with her
mother and elder brother. The letter re-
ferred to contains some Vienna newspaper
clippings giving brief account of the
marriaga:of Graf .Estefhazy, nephew OF
Pence E5terhaZy, one of the richest OF he
German-speaktng. nobility, to Miss Eva
Bermingham, a beautiful and highly ac-
complished American, possessing all the
graces requisite TO preside over any
princely palace in this Austrian e m pire." 81
The bride IS registered as "a native oi
Portland: Oregon, United States Of Am er,
lea. Translates the newspaper clipping:
read: II
The wedding was celebrated with
out the pomp usually attending the Ester
haZy marriages. This was at; the request
OF the present Countess Esterhazy, becauss
of the quite recent death of her moth er
All told here were but fifty of the most
disting uished MOBILES of the empire asked
10 witness. this union of two loving hearts
His Majesty. the Emperor. was repre-.
sented by Aid de- Camp Baron Won Stein
metZ:n .-.-:....- ~. =
The letter adds thatthe Berminghams-
mother and danghter-had been living In
Vienna since 1894, arriving at that city
from Dresden. where Miss Berming h a n
had studied for several years at con-
seIVatory of music. Her phenomenai
soprano voice soon gained recognition in
the Austrian capital and she was engaged
to sing 1t afternoon and evening recep-
tions of:the most exclusive hristocratS in
Nienna.::'A At one of these receptions Ora.
EsteEhazy. met. Miss Birmingham. las
winter, and that meeting eliminated in
the june wedding. The uncle by mar,
rage OF. this: Ore gon bride is the primes
who. If current report IS true, will soor
wed Mrs. Langtry. -; -.-:.:.
This Countess Esterhazv was born W he r,
Tenth street, between Washington anc
Stark, now is, about twenty eight o.
twenty-nine wears ago. At that tune hel
I. father was, In a sm ALI way, engaged in the
> snip chandfery business. He came he-,
from San Francisco about a year before
that, but died very soon alter the birth O
his daughter. He left some means, ano
his widow, her son and baby daughtei
went back to San Francisco. There Mrs
Bermingh am. increased the little money
J. her husband left her in a few iortun aIt
stock specuIations, and in 1884 she and hel
Children returned here, :pnrposing to nj ks
Portland their permanent home. Th.
" death of her son in Seattle in the summer
:. OF 1886@changed Mrs. Birmingham s plan.
and she and herdaugh terwent to Europe
:: where they remained. They maintainec
.a.desuftory CORES spondence with a few in
innate: friends here, who may ere sthi
have n heardiof Miss Berming gham's .'granc
parti n.' -. -.