Middletown transcript., 1901-04-06

by visions of Chambord, he needed a
cause or flag. 1t was the inability to
find either which brought to him the
dream Of founding monarchy for him
self. ''There is nothing worth living
for" he once confided to the deponent,
'tand, what is worse, nothing worth dy-
ing for, either. y" But that, too, is long
time ago. 1t was on journey to this
country that he met the young heiress
who subsequently became his wife. But
it was after he reached this country that
he met Inspector Byrnes-a meeting,
parenthetically, in which the Inspector
met his match. Then, out of idleness,
or perhaps to amuse his bride, he wrote
tract on suicide Hardly had it issued
from the press before the idea of a mon
archy was Matched. He proposed to es-
tablish kingdom at Trinidad-a speck
of an island off the coast of Brazil-and
proposed also to establish himself there
as king. Entirely opera bouffe, he en-
tered into the scheme with seriousness
which impressed even himself. He had
chancellerie in New York, another in
London. Then the Powers interyened,
or he said they did, and he turned an eye
on Hawaii. But at this iuncture annex
alton occurred; there was not possible
throne in sight. and, like true Knight
of the Fleece, he shot himself.
But he shot himself too soon. 1t is one
of the disadvantages of death that it pre-
vents the departed from participating in
the possibilities of life. Had he waited
he might have been king. There was
throne then vacant, a throne ramshackle,
remote and ridiculous, yet none the less
a throne, one that had been founded by
just such another, by an adventurer who
began by being French, ended by being
German and who managed to make him
self an American monarch in between
a South American monarch indeed, yet
still monarch, monarch of Araucania,
land which he ruled under the style
and title of Aurelius l.
Who he was, how he got there, above
all why he wanted to be, and in what
fashion he succeeded in becoming, king,
are matters that have and now always
will be problematic. 1t is known that
his name was De Tonniens, but other
data are scarce. 1t is rumored, however,
that in the early sixties he set sail from
Havre for Peru. With him went cargo
of umbrellas. AS it never rains in Peru,
what he did with the umbrellas is con-
jectural in the extreme. Perhaps he took
them to Chill. In any event, ultimately
he reached Araucania. That is the one
stretch of territory on this hemisphere
which neither Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch
nor English have ever been able to SUBJ ]
due. A portion of it Chill has gobbled, |
but the larger part is independent still. |
Whether the umbrellas appealed to the /
fantasy of the Araucos and whether be-
cause of them they allowed De Tonniens
to constitute himself king, is immaterial.
But that king he became is history. 1t is
history, too, that as means of livelihood
he instituted series of titles and decora-
tions which he took to Europe and ped
died about. The supply of these things
being greater than the demand, poverty
overlook him and he died. Meanwhile
be had not neglected to establish court
According to recent explorer-M. Henri
e Baux-the Court of Araucania still
exists. What is more, the throne, though
vacant, exists as well. There would be a
chance for Harden-Hickey. There yet is
/ chance for any other knight
Examples such as the foregoing are
Useful if lor no other reason than because
hey show the relativeness of things. To
De born, as Lauzum was, a nobody and
% marry princess, predicates charm.
To be born as Harden Hickey was,
olain American and to dream of being
ing, predicates romance. To be born as
De Tonniens was, a bourgeois, and to-
levelop into monarch, predieates en-
erprise. But to be born slave and to
,ecome an emperor shows originality.
Solouque did that He began life with
dust-pan and ended it with scepter.
1t the age Of fifty he was a valet, very
at, very black, ignorant as a carp, unable
o read, unable to write. But though un-
ble to write he could make his mark
nd did. Caught on the crest of Hay
ian revolution, he flung himself from it
nto power. On his return after some
able Marengo, the president of the local
enate capped him with a crown of paste
'oard and saluted him Faustin I.
Solouque sent to Paris for real crown,
ent for two-the second for the drab
Tho was his consort; and while he was
bout it sent for thrones, for robes Of !,
the tra-la-la of state. There. :
nth he instituted a civil list, series of
and created Knights of the
,bon Fleece. The Court Chamberlain .
Fas the Due de Bonbon; the Lords-in- :
Waiting, three in number, were gratifed a
with the titles of Prince of .
Merquis of Lemonade and !
Tiscount of Ice Cream. Their share in !
he budget was placed at hundred 6
ourds per annum. When they asked 8
or it, this Philip of Payti had them shot. :
t open handed he was close-fsted. One 9
ay he held review of his grenadiers
ieorges d'Alaux, writer who was there =
t the time and who has left book on !.
MS Offenbach monarchy, states that the =
elmets of the guard glittered with
laques on which was inscribed, "Sar-
ines Phuile, Barton ct Gle, Marseilles."
ike the Emperor, the grenadiers were
nable to read. Presently it was discov- I
red that they were unable to fight. Pro- s.