New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-16
A GREAT HUNGARIAN.
COUNT NICHOLAS EsTERHAZY AND HIS
SPLENDID ESTATE AT TOTS.
THE HEAD OF AN INDUSTRIOUS HOUSE WHO
DIED LAST week.-Mrs. PATRONAGE OF
SPORT.

THE HEAD OF AN lIsSISIhICcS hcbSb VIM
DIED LAST week.-Mrs. PATRONAGE OF
ART AND OF SPORT.
Not alone Austria but all Europe has sustained
rreparable loss by the death on Monday last of
Count Nicholas, or "Nikki." Esterhazy OF Totis
head Of the Forchtenstein branch OF the princey
house OF Esterhszy, house so grand and so Illus
trious that when the first Napoleon offered the
OF Hungary TO the Prince Esterhazy or the
day the latter contemptuously refused H. declaring
that in the first place. he would accept no throne
from the hands Of any upstart. usurper and parve-
nu, and that he considered 1t an Infinitely greater
honor to be the head Of the house OF Esterhazy
than mere king
The loss sustained through the death OF Count
"Nikki is OF twofold character. II will be felt
in the sporting world. in which he was one OF the
most conspicuous figures but especially. per-
haps. I'm the world OF No nobleman In modern
times has done much the late Count 20 pro.
mote and foster painting sculpture. the drama
and above all, music. and especially with regard to
the latter he showed himself to be a worthy de-
scendant Of that Prince Nicholas Esterhazy who
had the great composer Haydn as the leader OF his
private orchestra at the theatre OF his immense
castle Of Eistenstadt. where Haydn wrote many or
his most famous compositions AT Tots count
"Nikki" had private theatre OF large proportions.
large enough 10 seat comfortably an audience OF
nearly four thousand people. without counting the
space in the galleries and the Count maintained all
he year round not only magnificent orchestra but
also a complete operate and dramatic troop VINO
lived life of luxury at his expense on the estate
receiving large salaries The operate troop ne
used keep up to the mark by undertaking en-
tirey at his own expense the musical education at
the Imperial Conservatory OF Music at vienna or
any young man woman who showed musicai
genius These on graduating, began their protes-
sional career by spending few years, al any RATE
at Tots in the receipt OF handsome pay Some
times he did not meet with the gratitude that ne
was entitled to expect on the part or MS ProVe-
ges and there is to-day a well-known ana success
ful painter at Vienna who educated entrely at 'ho
EXPENSE OF the Prince and paid lavishiy for res
Goes which he had done at Totis quarrelied WIN
his benefactor on the ground that the latter nid
no pay him as much he considered MS uh-
rivaed talents entitled him 70 obtain
Totis is more OF a palace than a castle. and may
be described as a poem OF granite and marble,
wherein everything speaks Of boundess wealth and
exquisite taste. The long line Of majeste terrsoe
the mpid sheet Of water, the thckets OF ooSso IN.
ing shrubs and feathery palms when acorn .ne
lawns during the summer. and the gigantic winter
garden and conservatory. which during me col n
contribute 10 create picture of absolute ana per;
feet beauty. Inside the schoss old tapestries o.
mufie every sound The prnSipa salons and draw IVA
panedd wh b L9Sf Ais art
of every kind There are one hundred anS Ior.Ix
81 h saen IN e he the and
superbly equipped in all Europe. In the distance
one can catch glimpse OF the great stud farm OF
the training field and of the private racecourse q
the Count as well as OF the little English church
which the Count built for the of his English
trainers Jockeys coachman and groom, with the,r
wives and chill iren and for whose spiritual benent
nc maintained Church OF England chaplain IN resi-
dance all the year round. ....,.
in Europe and some of the finest horses OF tne
century have issued from the stud at TOTS: ana
from that at Nordkrchen, In Westphalla, wncn IS
n branch establishment 1nasmuch as the late
Count "NikkP' was n bachelor. the whole OF his
estates as we'll Totis pass TO his cousin, Count
Morris and his wife. The Esterhazy estates taken
in their entirety acre for acre the same size as
ireland and II - scarcely necessary TO recall mere
the response made by the uncle of the late Count
70 the Earl OF Leicester when the latter drew MS
attention to his fine fock OF 5000 sheep. asking him
If he had ever anything like II in his own couno
trv "Oh yes" replied Esterhazy; 1T Is not o"O
sheep that have, but 5000 shepherds 10 tend my
flock" -, ,,.,,., ~.
held in Austria Hungary. Il may be mentoned tnat
Emperor Francis Joseph did not consider that ms
niece Young Archduchess Christine, was rendering
herself guilty of any mesalliance when, couple or
Years ago she married a cousin OF the late Count.
Young Prince Nicholas Esterhazy.