New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-01

usual. by the president of the club, the
veteran Marquis de Massa, and a Russian
ballet, composed by Prince Troubetzkoi, at
the performance OF which he himself WELD
ed the baton as conductor.
The club occupies one of the finest old
palaces in the French capital, with beauti-
ful grounds that look out on the Place de
Ia Conccrde and on to the lower portion
OF the Champs Elysees. It was built, like
so many other of the most stately seven
teenth and eighteenth century mansions In
Paris, by a farmer general of taxes, An
tome GriInod, in 1863; and the old gentle
man, who died at the dinner table from
the effects Of eating too much pate de foie
Gras. was famed as a gourmet, a celebrity
which was maintained by his son and
grandson until the great revolution. In
deed so bountiful and rich was the fare
which the Grinlods invariably provided for
their guests that il used to be said in
Paris that one dined at the Grimods, but
one did not digest there. Voltaire was a
frequent guest, and Tatel occa sionally pre-
sided over the kitchens.
In 1916 the palace of the Grimods was
occupied by the great Duke of Wellington,
and il was there that he gave his memora-
bic ball TO celebrate the marriage of that
q
was TO succumb TO the knife of the assas-
sin Louvel at the Opera, leaving several
children by his English morganatic wife,
Amy Brown, one of whom became the Bar
oness de Charlotte, mother OF old General
Baron de Charlotte; while subsequent to
the murder of the duke his royal Neapo!-
itan widow, the duchess. gave birth TO a
son. who reigned for a few hours in 1880
2c IF nd 1I-hn
the Conlte de Chambord.
In 1850 the French government pur
chased the sc-called Hotel Grimod and as
signed il as a residence to the Turkish Am
hassador by virtue OF the odd arrange
ment according to which the French gov
eminent provides the Ottoman Embassy
with suitable quarters in Paris, while in re-
turn the Sublime Porte furnishes the French
Embassy at Stamboul with palace at Con-
stantineple and with country seat on
the shores of the Bosporus at Therapia.
Ten years later the Turkish Embassy
moved elsewhere. and the Hotel Grimod
was purchased by the newly organized I'm
perial Club, of which the first Due de
AIorny was one of the chief founders and
moving spirits, and which was composed
largely OF men who, owing to their init
mate connection with the Napoleonic court.
found difficulty in getting into the ultra
RoyaIist Union and Jockey clubs, or who. If
already forming part thereof, did not find
the atmosphere congenial In 1887 the Ger
Gle de TUnion ArtistiqUe. which until then
had had its quarters on the Place Vendome,
amalgamated itself with the former Cercle
Imperial, greatly to the advantage of both
organizations, and since then the Epatant
has been one of the most entertaining of
the smart clubs in Paris, renowned for its
dramatic productions in the shape of the
atTical performances and of ballets, and
for its annual exhibitions of paintings,
which are under the special direction of the
well known painter of war scenes and mill
tary subjects, Detaille, the vice-president
OF the club.
Though, as I have mentioned above. It is
less exclusive than either the Union or the
Jockey. the Epatant incarnates, more
than any other club in the French capital.
Partisan wit and hunor, as well as fashion
Of manner and of dress. It is, in short, the
temple Of Partisan dandyisn in the best
sense Of the word.
MARQUIsE DE FONTENOY.