New-York tribune., 1905-02-06

every afternoon to play IN the beautiful garden Of
oaSateAe with his young friends, whom he would
subsequently, entertain at 'gouter' in the chateau.
On Sir Richard Wallaces death 1t passed his
widow and at her demise it was found TO have
been bequeashed by the terms Of her WILL not to
heT grandchildren. TO the Seymour family
from whom her husband had inherited it. but
John Scott Murray who had been private secre-
tary both 70 her husband and to herself and who
was IN novice related 10 them. He likewise came
IN Tor the bulk of her property amounting to nearly
S2e.oOoeeo. he has since been created a baronet
and is now to have the vast sum of money at his
disposal still further increased by the price which
the city OF Paris Is to pay him for BagateIle the
payments it is true, being spread over q period
Of about four years
Just what the city of Paris proposes to do with
the place is not yet known. It's acquisition by the
city has however. given much popular satisfaction
as 1t was considered wrong that the beautiful
portion Of the Bois de BoaIogne should be In the
private possession Of a foreigner. The grounds.
winch are very extensive and beautifully laid out,
VIII probably be restored to the Bois de Boulogne
while II the city of Paris is wise it will retain the
chateau IN Its present condition for the purpose OF
lodging there foreign monarchs and royal and i'm
perial visitors who may become it's guests At the
time Of the great international exhibition Paris
i've years ago. which signalized the Inauguration
or the new century. Paris received quite number
OF these iiustrous visitors for whose reception 1t
was compelled TO lease a private mansion. where
! the accommodation of the most restricted
character, the place being worthy neither of the
royal and imperial guests of the city OF Paris
EUGENE AND THE BoIS DE BoULOGNR
/ incidentally, IT may be mentioned that the Bois
de Bouiogne. laid out, its existence to
Napoleon III who. returning Paris after his
long exile in England. determined to endow the
good city of Paris with park similar those of
the British metropolis 1t only. however. In
1858 that Napoleon and Eugenie together drew up
the first plan. which was elaborated by the archi-
tect and landscape gardener Ware and have seen
one Of the earliest drafts of the plan, in which the
streams and the lakes that exist painted
in green by the hand Of Empress Eugenie herself
The lakes are entirely artificial and the earth
which removed from their site has been used
to construct the so-called "Buttes Mortemart-"
The huge rocks that adorn the Bois in such q
picturesque manner all brought down the
Seine from the Forest Of Fontainbleau at an enor
nous cost. Hills were constructed here, valleys
there. while the old straight drive and rides were
converted into serpentine avenues. which now form
total length of 100 Kilometres It is difficult 70
realize that all this arrangement of the BOis is of
such recent date and of artificial character. 1t
all seems so natural, thoroughly haphazard and
! yet everything down to the very location of each
! tree. was carefully provided for beforehand and
! the whole Bois must be regarded, therefore g
perfect triumph Of landscape gardening on a man.
moth scale.
It was only few decades ago that King Louis
Philippe and KING Charles X wont to shoot
partr1dges, hares and pheasants, which were pre-
served there for the Of the sovereign. It used
at that time to form part of the forest of Clchy,
and. with the exception of Longchamps, was very
neglected. wild and abandoned.
Nevertheless. it IS well to bear IN mind that it
was in 1902 that the first long trousers inau-
gurated at Longchamps; that 1t was there too.
that the first balloon made its ascension in 1888.
and it was at Longchamps IN 1926 that the beard
made its temperance mems faces after an
absence Of close upon two centuries. 1t the
Bois de Boulogne that potatoes were fret grown
in France. and the number OF dueis that have
taken place In the Bois is simply legion. of the
Conde. Duke OF Bourbon, the Comte d'Artois.
who subsequently became King of France under
the title Of Charles X. The windmill which forms
! so picturesque a feature Of the Bois, the
racecourse of Longchamps. dates back TO the year
1913. and the crenelated and semi-ruined tower
| close by belonged in olden times to the Abbey Of
Longcllanps founded by the sister OF st. Louis.
| In tha eighteenth century a prtma donna of the
opera suddenly abandoned the stage to become a
nun, and superbly used she to sing the ''Tene-
bres' at the convent of Longchamps that court snd
| society were won't to flock to hear her every
| Good Friday. The custom OF driving out TO Long
| champs Good Friday remained in force until
| quite recently. although the convent has been
destroyed for more than hundred years. and
people had entirely forgotten the object of the
drive Good Friday the origin Of the custom.
MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.