Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-09-30
HISTORY IN PORCELAIN.
Miss Matched Set Owned by Anne.
Louisiana's Richest Planter.

Armand Hawkins, the venerable
gentleman who fought both in the
Mexican war and in the civil war as
a confederate soldier, is in charge of
the Louisiana antique collection in
the history building at the centennial.
In his collection he has some of
the rarest relics in existence. His ex-
hibit is known all over the United
States as an historical collection of
peculiar merit.
In the collection are two pieces of
porcelain that call to mind the veal
thlest man in the ante-bellum days in
Louisiana. The story of this mans
life reads like the rarest fiction. His
income amounted to about 5000. 600
per year. His name was Valcour All
me, and the mention Of it, as it will
develop later in the story, brings to
mind the la 'gest order that was ever
given for d set OF Sevres porcelain, the
finest porcelain ever made.
This order was made by Valcour
Anne, and it consisted of $1,000 pieces
of porcelain, bought at a fabulous
price. He frequently invited 1000 of
the most prominent people of New
Orleans at a time TO visit him, espec-
iaiy the young men and young ladies.
Although he has been dead for forty
years, his hospitality and prominence
have survived him.
Valcour Aime's plantation was
about fifty miles up the Mississippi
from New Orleans. The place is
now owned by General Miles. The
garden consists of fifty acres, and had
heating pipes four feet in diameter
running two feet under the ground all
over it. By this means he could give
you in the dead of winter, fruits from
every cline, taken fresh from the
trees, and flowers in profusion. The
walk from the mansion to the river
was inlaid with imported Grecian
marble, and today the gate columns.
with Ionic caps of purest marble, can
be seen still standing.
The house itself contained twenty
rooms, all of them of a very large
size, with a balcony running all
the way around the house. Much OF
the interior of the house was deco
rated by Canova the younger. The
large parlors were decorated in the
most elaborate style, and in them
have gathered the elite of the Ores
sent sity.
Going back to 1885, it is found that
DR.. A~ntomarchi, Napoleon's last
physician, was the guest of the man
sion, and a short time afterwards he
accepted the position of surgeon gen
elal to the president of Mexico and
lost his life. Before DR.. Antomarchi
left for Mexico, Valcour Aime offered
him $4,000 a year to become his fam
lily physician. This offer was reject
ed by the doctor, as it is understood
so that he could go to Mexico for the
purpose of raising an army to again
reyolutionize France. Marshal Henri
G. Bertrand and young Ney, son OF
the marshal, came over to New Or
leans as assistants and organizers OF
the new revolution of the French
army. This fact is not generally
known.
Valcour Aime had agreed to ad.
vance the enormous sun of 81 600, 900
to assist the project.
On the arrival of Marshal Bertrand
and youny Ney they Immediately pro
ceeded up the river to the mansion OF
Valcour Anne. They were received
more royalty than any p~otentate OF
Europe could have been, and the
evening on which they were about
to return to lay new plans, having
learned of the failure of Dr.. Anto.
march,, they decided to return to
France and there report to their rev.
o~lutionary contemporaries.
Tea was served at ten o'clock at
right in a set of emerald and blue
gold Sevres ware. The cups and sau-
GERS must have cost lot lees than $20
each. After tea was over and just
Lefore the down steamer arrived, the
whole service was brought out on tht
balcony in trays by the seryents anc
ordered to be thrown, each piece.
down upon the marble walksas a
momento of shattered hopes of the
new revolution that was to come, anc
Valcour Anne himself, being remon-
strated with by the marshal, said:
Il do this in order that, when you
return to France, you may tell your
committee that l, Valcour Anne, en-.
~tertained you as royalty as any prince
of Europe could have done. Take