Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-02-09
Alexanoaa 6azstts.
ExrRAvAGANT COUNT BONI.

clliatlOn with the Countess, MS INCOME
will be so cut down as to practically ex-
tinguish one Of the greatest spenders
that even prodigal Paris has ever known.
OF all The American investments IN
Old World titles, Anna Gould's has
probably been the most costly.
Reduced to cold figures, the price OF
her title has teen approximately S2,Oli
each and every day Tor the years they
have been married, or the equivalent
every four weeks OF President Roosevelrs
salary for a year.
George Gould's titled brother in-law
has made the record of 50, coo, 600 Tor
the II years Of his married life.
Tne Count has smilingly spent s4 for
a cherry and cheeifully given enough 10
ray the bonded Indebtedness OF small
city for a piece of bric-a-brac He has
made for himself reputation as a spend
er that caused the famous literary men
of Paris and other capitals to write about
him. and be has iulamed the populace
of Paris more than once 50 that he has
had to plscate the city by great gifts to
charity.
One of his little foibles was vaude
vile performance, given at Auteil,
when. for $50 guests, be presented an
all-star bill, no act of which cost less
thar $500.
Eclipse That has been the one idea
of the Count from the moment he got
his hands on the Gould fortune. he
waited for others to give fetes or to buy
Jewels or antiques only that he might
eclipse them; and generally he has
succeeded. He has lived to bear his
praises suDg--and the Countess paid the
cost
For bis word-famed mansion on the
Avenue Bois de Boulogne, known as the
"Red Palace" BOui speut more money
than he tan ever accurately tell. lie
liked the location so well that he paid
s74O. 900 for the land alone, and be-
fore he got through be had produced
palace that any King in Europe might
envy.
He was told when he started to dupli-
cate the historical Trianon, at Versailles,
that it was going to cost tremendously,
but he smiled and showed his bank
book, and for spite he planned to spend
an additional million III furnishing the
palace.
One of the details of the palace is a
set of fodnlains built in The garden,
which be could run for ten minutes al
the trihing cost OF $1,000. Then he got
the idea that lie wanted 10 be yachts
man, so he bought the yacht Valhalla
for 5000, 600 and planned TO sail her on
a scale that totaled $3.50, 900 year.
Later be had to sell this toy, but that's
another part Of his story.
When he was elected to The Chamber
of Deputies he felt SO good natured that
be gave least that would have made
Luculus turn green. The bill was
5000. 600. He seemed TO like that
amount, for it figures frequently in his
accounts.
At another time be got the idea that
modern dress was all wrong and that it
only required a daring individual to re-
vive theslyle of past centuries. Toward
this end he gave flower hall and all
men appeared in the costumes OF the
Louis XVIII. period. Bill Sl25, 600.
But then his ideas were always costly.
While his palace was building, some
of the lots he needed we're occupied. and
although il was altogether unnecessary,
he impatiently bought the inhabited
houses and eyicted the tenants. That
cost pretty sum.
Sometimes the Counts methods were
what might be questionable, and 10 the
light of the recent scandal, it is proba-
BILE that one of his little mysteries is re-
veaIed. About six years ag1 he pre-
sented to his wife a necklace that he
had paid S100,0 600 for. Anna Gould
realized how he was draining her for
tune, and when she looked at the baube
she did't think il was worth the mo-ey,
80 she hurried to the jeweler. She
found that he took lofty attitude and
insisted that his business was with the
Count.
"You have cheated my husband"
she declared hotly, "and you must take
this back"
Then the sec'et was let out. The
ieweler lost bis temper, and, taking the
necklace in his hand, said angrily:
"Il you think madame, have cheated,
you are wrong. When sold this neck
lace to NJ. lie Comte it had four rows OF
diamonds. 1t has but two rows, now.
Can Madame tell me where the other
two rows are ~
Then the one time Anna Gould went
home and thooghtit over. "ossibly she
knows now where the other half Of the
necklace went. Perhaps it may be men
toned when her divorce comes to trial.
The costly addition to the Gould
family thought it might be useful TO
know the time occasionally, and he de
cidea to have one of the finest clocks in
France. When the art dealers heard OF
this they started to procure what he
wanted. In the end he paid $50, 600
for Sevres creation, and II is said that
for year a clockmaker had the task Of
making it keep time.
FJr his Countess he brought tor
toise shell wardrobe, in which Louis
Seize once kept his royal robes. About
$3.50, 600 is said to have been the cost OF
this. la lis boudoir he has the bed
used BY Napoleon on the night OF his
coronation, aud the rest of his private
qusrters had decorations in keeping
with the bed. One of his bills was for
$40. 900 for small set of tapestry