Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-03-27

The palace was generally designed
for entertaining and is well adapted
for that purpose. The rooms are
large and handsomely decorated, and
although Mr.. Meyers apartment does
not occupy a third of the house, 1t
is large enough to shelter several
regiments. At recent reception
given in honor of the king over 900
people were present and the rooms
were not at all crowded.
1t is pity that the United States
cannot have permanent embassy
building in Rome like other govern
ments. but the same can be said of
every capital in Europe, because the
tenure of office in our diplomatic SER
vice is SO insecure that our ambassa-
doris cannot make long leases. and
some of them have recently had rath-
| er expensive and exasperating expert
ences with rented houses. DIR. White,
| the American ambassador at Berlin,
rented one of the finest residences
upon the street that fronts the famous
| rhiergarten, and spent at least $685.
| 900 in fixing it up and putting in new
anu uphoiottiy iiV OApC'Ft-
| ed to occupy it as long as he remain
ed in Berlin. but at the end of the sec
ond year his landlord sold the house
to the government of Baden, and Dr.
White was compelled to move out
He could mot find another in Berlin
suitable for an embassy and has been
, compelled to go to a hotel.
Mr.. Tower, the American ambassa-
dor at St Petersburg. recently had a
similar experience. After spending
several thousand dollars to make an
apartment fit to live in, his landlord
raised the rent to figure so extor-
tionate that Mr.. Tower moved out
and he, too, is living in a hotel this
winter.
Ambassador Porter in Paris has
been more fortunate. He occupies
one of the finest houses in that city
and furnished it with the greatest
elegance. He was wise enough to
take a long lease, and has not yet
been disturbed, but as soon as 1t et-
pires you may be sure that the rental
will be raised out of all reason and
he will be compelled to pay blackmail
or move out.
We might have had a great bar
gain in Rome real estate two or three
years ago If Mr. Draper, our ambassa-
dor, had been authorized to purchase
a building. The French embassy in
Berlin, which is now worth at least
$4,000. 900. was purchased for little
more than 100000 quarter of cen
tury ago. The English embassy has
advanced in value in a similar man
ner. Both We're purchased when
Berlin was less than half its present
size and property was cheap. The
United States had similar expert,
ence. but 1t was neglected just as we
neglected the recent one that was of.
fered in Rome.
most beautiful palaces in Rome in
what is called the new part of the city
upon the site of the once famous Villa
Ludovisi, which his ancestors in
herited from Cardinal Ludovisi,
a nephew of Pope Gregory XIV. The
remainder of the estate was sold for
building lots. seven or eight acres
alone being reserved for garden.
With the proceeds the prince engaged
in real estate speculation, built
large number of apartment houses and
other edifices during the great boom
that excited Rome from 1880 to 1887.
and borrowed money to complete
them. When the boom collapsed he
found himself without tenants. with
out purchasers, without income from
his property and without money to
pay the interest, and consequently
the banks foreclosed the mortgages.
The mortgage upon his own residence
was held by the Bank of Italy, which
foreclosed and bid in the property in
the absence of any other purchaser
The palace was then rented with
what furniture it contained. Mr..
MacVeagh occupied it when he was
ambassador from the United States
and Mr.. Draper took it off his hands
The bank offered to sell the property
to Mr.. Draper for 100000, although
it cost several millions, but our con-
gress would not consider the PROPOSE
ton, and last year the queen mother,
Margherita, who moved out of the
Quirinal Palace after the assassina-
tion of her husband. bought 1t for
$450,O0O. 1t is worth at least $1,000
900 from any standpoint Of appraise-
ment, but few people in Rome can
afford to pay such price for resi-
dence and those who are SO fortu-
nate are already provided.
The Prince Piombino sold his pic
lures to the government for 100000
lire, and they are now in one OF the
museums.
There is large American colony
in Rome, not only students, artists
and persons who come to spend the
winter, but many permanent resi-
dents. Several Roman princes and
other members of the nobility have
married American women. and you
would be surprised. as l was. If you
went to a big reception and had them
pointed out to you. Many of the most
prominent ladies in the court circle
are Americans, including the wife