The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-10-31
ROMANCE OF THE KAISER'S
COURT.
Welded Life of the Baron and Baroness
Won Ketteler.

Tribune of that city. The baroness, who
three short years age, dressed as beau :
tiful bride, was receiving congratulations
from allsDetrOit, viii, few weeks hence,
return home dressed in deep mourning.
Baron Won Ketteler came to Detroit,
February 1s. 1897, and took rooms at the
Hotel Cadillac. He carried enough bag
gage 20 make the porters stare. He re-
served the best suite in the house. The
baron impressed those that came in con-
tact with him as mansof the world, and
a sensible fellow, who was very much in
love with the charming young American
LADY soon to be his wife
He had been 10 years in the service OF
the German embassy and also in the
army for six years. He had lived ten
years at Pekin, China, and had travelled
all over The world. He was stationed five
years in Washington, where he had oc-
cupied the important post Of first assis-
tant in the German consular service.
HThe baron was fond Of all sorts of ath-
tetic sports, music and the opera. He
was good swor1sman and crack pistol
shot.
The romance of his meeting with Miss
Ledyard, the great-grand daughter Of
Gen. Cass, has commonly been ascribed
to the opportunity Of gay social season
which Miss Ledyard spent in Washing
ton, as the guest Of Senator McMillan's
daughter, Miss MCMILLAN The baron
fO17nd h4r,ao1F 80 - - tn -t7lf.b
Detroit girl. She dressed with taste; her
complexion was pale, with touch Of the
color OF the rosej her eyes large and blue;
her hair, light blonde; her name rs
charmed him, and her kind heart and
innate genhlity soon made him her
willing slave. The acquaintance ripened
into love. But the kaiser does not ap-
prove Of foreign matches for his consular
representatives. 1t took some time to
! bring the matter to his high notice and
to remove all official barriers, This was
automatically arranged, and the day Of
| the wedding set for Feb "A, 1897, at De-
trOit, the home of the bride.
Unlike many other rich young Detroit
women who are sent early abroad and
| consequently have only passing inter-
est In this city, Miss Ledyard, from her
earliest youth has been accounted q
native daughter.
She was known as an unobtrusive and
highly sensitive young woman, shrinking
from publicity, living in an inner circle
OF society. Miss Maude attended the
Misses FarnsWorths school and later
went to Miss PEBBLES school IN New York
city. Her summers were spent at Crosse
POinte, where she was known as a
daring horsewOman. Later she went
abroad, visiting her grandmother at
Pau, where she was at the time OF her
mothers sudden death some five years
ago, visiting and whence Miss Maude
returned In deep mourning.
The baroness possesses the indeinable
style OF the patrician. Her manners are
line, her voice s1ngularIy low and sweet,
her carriage noble, always characteristic
OF the Cass and the Livingston families,
OF which she is descendant,
The baron was of serene, jOVial dis
position, mingled with Well-b bred gayety
In this daily round of life, apparently on
even terms with every one about him.
The Dorters and the grooms loved the
baron as well as did the men Of his own
! exclusive social circle. The disposition
OF Baron Won Ketteler was, in sense,
the antithesis to that of his wife. She
was inst little inclined to look with
/ dOu biting eyes, while be was optimistic
buoyanoy; her shyness, her shrinking
from publicity, was an Offset to his free
dom in mingI1ng with those about him /;
their temperaments, IWidely asunder, were
reunited by a community OF taste, and
! thus the marriage relation developed the
young couples nobIest trait of character
The wedding was a grand affair. 1t
I was both civil and a religious cere-
mony. The civil obligation was ceIebrat-
ed by Justice Shindel in the parlors Of
the Ledyard mansion; the religious Office
Of IS. Peter s and Paul's church under
thu auspices of Bishop Foley. Jefferson
avenues most aristooratio set was present.
Only 800 Invitations had been issued, but
society turned out as never before The
| church decorations were green and white,
the official cOIOrs of Mexico, the groom s
diplomatic sation at the time of the event.
At noon, the hour set, the baron ar
rived, dressed in a lOo6e-h6tlng blue coat,
adorned with gilt, his diplomatic cos
tune. The bride wore magnificent robe
OF white satin, with heavy chiffon and
lace, her bodice gemmed with pearls, and
in her hand she carried a long bouquet
OF lilies of the valley. Her bridesmaid
was Miss Mcmillan. The bishop pro-
nOunoed the brief ceremony. At the
LedYard mansion breakfast was spread
for 20 guests.
Mr.. Ledyard his friends say, felt regret
In the thought that his only daughter
was henceforth to live in foreign land,
He was by no means overcome by the
thoughts Of a titled alliance. The gay
social world Of Jefferson avenue beheld
only the possibilities Of court life, and
the joys and triumphs for which SC
many American girls 81 gh; but Mr.. Led
yard saw only that his faYorite child was
about to leave him to live in some other
country. For all that, he admired the
baron immensely.
Court life in Mexico proved Of great in.
terest to the baron and baroness. The
bride and groom found that the Mexican
capital contained some of the most
polished people in the World-skilleo
diplomats from all nations wing with
one another to create background Of
elegant social life.
Nothing seemed lacking to complete the
picture of human happiness for this
young couple. In the light OF subsequent
events, that was the one bright day Of
their lives. Fate mercifuly concealed
the future, and it was with JOY that the
baroness heard Of her husbands promo
ton as minister to China, one OF the
highest diplomtic missions within the
gift of the German nation. She Wa
now the wife OF a German minister o.
| state and her name was placed on ever