Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-13

from liE IAANl az NNfAhAA"Hf NAAAh HN'thNt'
tered island capital Is not rich IN
opolnts Of nterest-its one attraction
being the boyhood home Of the greatest
man Of modern times. The gudebool
saws It is IN the Rue San Carlo, Place de
Letitla. and on seeking the locality
YOU are surprised to find a dirty alley
barely eight feed wide, faced by d
square the size OF bed-blanket but
brilliant with flowers. The celebrated
house Is IN no way distinguished from its
nelghbors OF equally unprepossessng
exterior. except by a marble tablet
above us closed door, inscribed in
weather-dimm letters Casa de
Buonaparte' Yet Il was evidently one
of the best houses of It's day In Corsica
four-stored, plain.fronted structure,
succeed yelowish-grey with tiled, fat
roof topped by square observatory,
and many windows shaded by the ever
lasting grey ialOusies TINT cover every
easement IN Ajaccio. Both square and
street are entirely deserted, and your
knocks upon the heavily tlmbered door
being no RESPONSE until at last a fe-
male voice, behind the shutters OF an
adjacent house, informs you that the
concierge lives In the cottage at the
End Of the "Place" Thther you HE
with the result that the Buouaparto
1oOr IL finally unlocked by dilatory
I'D woman Of voluable tongue. whose
strange patois of mingled French
Spanish and Italian renders the infor-
nation she pours forth well nigh null
and void.
As in all the older houses Of the Latin
world there is little 20 be seen on the
Hrst floor Of the historic bome--even
the kitchens being on the second. A
short flight Of stone stairs goes straight
up from the front entrance, without the
preliminary Of lobby or hall. Under thu
stairs are closed doors, suggesting Of
fees. The house runs back a long way,
and all this ground space once an
swered the manifold purpose OF stable,
barn-yard and wood-shed, shelterng
the family COW, horses, pigs and fowls,
according 10 universal Corscan custom.
Beneath this ground tloor-so says the
'oncerage-are extensive wine.yaults
and storage cellars, having side doors
opening into the streets that surround
the place on three sides. Like a flash,
forgotten
INCIDENT OF HISTORY
recurs to your mInd-how the young
officer Napoleon, who had not yet won
ais spurs, escaped this way after his
quarrel with the patriot. General Paoli.
rhe latter sent to arrest him. as a
traitor to the Corslcan cause. By
hap-door In the floor Of his ROOM the
'uture emperor descended TO the vine
vaults, and thence made his way TO a
vessel lying In port--already hosting
ner sails. Had he ccan taken, he would
surely have been shetland the history
Of Europe for the next quarter-century
would have made very different read
ing from that of today.
Following the guide up the stairs
your hand on the same rusty iron rail
which the hand Of all the BuOnapartes
nave pressed, and your feet In hollows
OF the stones which their feet have
worn--you come TO a broad landing az
the second floor. On either side are
slightly ornamented double folding
doors; and, looking up. you observe
the same arrangement at the third
and fourth floors, OF shallow
steps doubling back upon them
selves to landings, After much
tumbling with her keys-nowadays sell
dom used-the woman throws open
the right-hand door and you enter a
great, square drawing room. There Is
but one window, and that Is curtainless.
Dingy tapestry adorns the walls on
which are several mirrors and small |
pictures in frames OF furnished gilt |
The floor is inlaid with hexagonal red |
flags, In the Corsican fashion. In the |
center. under crystal chandelier. /
stands table OF dark wood, with |
white marble top that looks like a |
tombstone; and around the four sides |
OF the room, ranged In straight rows. |
as for a funeral are at least twenty |
chairs, and two high-backed sofas al! |
upholstered In faded green silk bro |
cade, and with slender. olaw-footed |
legs Nothing here looks the least biz !
home-like-though said to have been |
restored TO precisely Its former state I
by the ex-Empress Eugcnle who owns |
the house II having been wiled to her |
by Napoleon III.
Adjoining this Is the study or prl- |
vate office, Of Napoleon's father. NJ |
Carlo Maria Buonaparte, who as you |
know was a solicitor, without much |
practice and proud as ne was poor, |
II this was his furniture. he must have /
been rather eXtravagant for an impe- |
cunious notary. Even the dressing case |
is q gem, ''of purest ray serene" II |
Is very large and elaborate made Of |
choicest inald woods, all the borders |
and
PIGEON HOLES
jewellcd with elegant little PLAQUES Of |
lapls iagull and other stones. How one |
yearnS 10 run away with that bureau.
whose counterpart. aside from historic |
associations. probably does not exist, |
The several mirrors chow fond those
Buonapartes must have been OF looking !
at themselves for there are at least
hundred IN the house, -are IN delicate
frames OF lacc-work 6lagree. the gid.
ing long since darkened like the for
tunes Of the family The exquisitely
carved mantlepiece Of white marble
represents Venus and Cupid Of play:
and the floor is tiled, like the terrace
outside, upon one end Of which the long
window opens.
This terrace, by the way, is an i'm
portant feature OF the place. II runs
back, al right angles TO the study, along
the whole length OF the house. serving
as an outdoor means OF communica-
ton with all the rooms on that side. 10
doubt II was a safe and fayorlte play
ground for all the lit e Buonapartcs.bs.
Ing screened on 90 the height OF six
Feet by trellis overgrown with
greenery. II II still a charming place.
compared 10 the gloom inside, though
overlooked by the backs OF tall. dilap.
dated old casas, on whose rottlng bal
comics long lines OF many-hued wash
ings'' hung out TO dry. flap pictures
quely In the breeze.
The third room Is merely a passage
between the sleeping apartments of
papa and mamma BuOnaparte: but
strange TO say, Il Is most interesting OF
al because right here the great Ma
poleon was born. History tells us that
Madame Le,itia was Unexpectedly TAX
en- vi while attending mass In the
cathedral. Her sedan chair was
quickly called and she was hurried
nome; but 80 rapid was the march Of
Nehvs That II was impossible TO carry
~. . oeyond the spindle-legged sofa In
ms pessege-wey. The Man OF pes
my seems TO have been masetr OF