Evening star., 1898-02-03
GEN. PORTER's PARIS HOME.
The superb Residence Which Our Am
bassadOr Occupies.

The superb Residence Which Our Am
bassadOr Occupies.
From the London World.
The United States embassy in Paris Is a
handsome modern house in the Avenue
| Kleber. near the Arc de Triomph, and it's
front windows look out upon the Palais de
Castillo. where dwells that lively old per-
sonage. the ex-Queen Isabella of Spain.
General Horace Porter, the ambassador,
| does not live at the embassy, however. and
his home is in the adjacent Rue de Willie
| just, where he has secured the lease of a
very remarkable house which was built
by the late NJ. Splitter whose marvellous
collection of art treasures. was nearly all
dispersed by auction at a sale which drew
connoisseurs to Paris from all over the
world. Many objects remain in the house
General Porter has leased, however and
\ they show the taste and wealth M Splitter
brought to bear upon his collection.
The house. which was for some time oc-
cupied by NJ. SpitZers son-in-law, though
| not Offering any marked external feature
| is very spacious within, the public rooms
! on the first floor being capable of holding
| nearly 1000 guests; while there is an excel
| lent arrangement by which carriages can,
| after their occupants have alighted, drive
out by another gateway instead of having
/ to turn in the court yard. Then there is a
| on the opposite side of the main entrance,
| so as to avoid all confusion when the car
| riages of the different guests are called
and the main staircase leading to the re-
! ception rooms is SO broad that several peo-
pie can mount or descend it abreast. This
staircase opens on to the sale darmes,
| which. with its rich stained glass windows,
/ it's old oaken doors carved with exquisite
skill. its ancient armor. and cases of me-
dallions. is the most striking apartment in
the whole building. There is a winter gar
den at one end. and General Porter. in or
der to make the stained glass in his recess
al al on
at the back. He tells you that the old por-
traits which form frieze around this
| room are of great historical value. and
that the tapestry which decorates the
walls is one of the choicest of the late NJ.
| Spitzer's finds" Among the curiosities
which ill the cases are a Russian pyx
studded with jewels and very rare min
iature of Francois j, which, somehow or
other, recalls to you the rough lineaments
of Bluff King Hal There is a suite OF
pine rooms leading out of this, the first
used as ball room. being a Louis XIV sa-
lon, with a beautiful chandelier pendent
from blue ceiling, intended to represent
the sky and to give the illusion of being
In the open. The next is the dining room,
with its wooden wainscoting, taken from
| an old chateau in the south of France, and
an array of coffee cups of all sizes and
| shapes, which have been collected by Mrs
Porter, who. as her husband observes, has
passion for cups; while leading out OF
| this is the music room, a delightful apart
ment lighted from above and containing
| a variety of ivory carvings. armor and pic
| lures, among the latter being a fine por-
| trait of your hosts father, Mr.. David R.
Porter, for some time governor of Penn
| sylvania- Passing through this apartment
you come to General Porter's private IL
| brary, and you see several swords which
| have been presented to him at various
| periods of his life. one for gallant and
| meritorious services at the siege of Pulas-
| KIP during the American civil war, and
| another by the Infanta Eulalia when she
| visited the United States as the guest OF
| the nation at the celebration Of the 4OOth
| anniversary Of the discovery of America
| by Columbus. General Porter was the
| chairman of the committee of reception
| and he speaks highly of the tact and
| charm of manner which the Spanish prin-
cess displayed on that occasion. but Is moi
| to be drawn into q discussion as to the
| probable issue Of the Cuban difficulty. He
| prefers to call your attention to the very
curious wood carving OF an altar piece
| which is placed In the library. beyond
which Is very luxurious smoking room
lighted. like the music room, from above
l with large open fireplace. and contain
| ing number Of coxy couches which are
| SO often lacking even In the best-ordered
/ of French houses.
The ambassador has hardly been Ions
enough settled In his new home to have