The sun., 1910-01-30

A French General I'm the American Arm

II ~ NlAJ0T-AolGIhl III Nho shhAOANNoh - my
The career Of that Frenchman 10 well
delineated by his daughter in The LHs
and Memoirs Of Comte Reggie de Tro-
bgiawd, by MARIE CAROLINE Pcsr (E. p.
Dutton A Coz. whose mother before her
marriage was Miss Mary Mason Jones.
one Of the bellies of New York in her day.
Her grandfather was Mr.. Isaac jones'
president OF the Chemical Bank. Baron
de- Trobrisnd, as his title then was. became
sB9naNI 60 Miss Jones while on visit
from France to New York in 1872. at which
pAffod, as his letters tell US, il was not an
uncoumon sight TO behold pigs wander
tnR undisturbed on Broadway. MIR.
Hbnes lived at No. 1874. which adjoined
h the houses OF Mrs. Jones's two sisters.
y H'rs. Colford Jones and Mrs. Hamersley.
-<rhe drawing rooms Of these residences
<nmmunicated and when thrown open
ARMED what was then considered one OF
4he handsomest bathrooms in New York. :
Xhe young couple were married, however,
not here but in ls41 in Paris, whittier the
hEids's mother had gone for q prolonged
<5nit The early part Of their married
N1iRs was spent largely in Venice. to which
he Baron de Trobriand was drawn by
4rtason Of his interest in the French Roy
nIist pretender the Comte de Chambord
(Henry W and his attach -ent to his
cause.
That attachment was hereditary. Born
~ ls10 near Tours. during the reign OF
King Charles x. Philippe Regis de Tro-
BRAND when only years OF age was sp-
pointed q page to that monarch. who.
however, was dethroned and succeeded
By Louis Philippe before the boy had
'completed the requisite preliminary edu-
cation and was prepared to enter upon
his duties at court. His father, who had
beeu one OF Napoleon's Generals and had
nafved in the disastrous expedition to
Kussia, was 90 loyal to Charles \. and so
h inimical TO Louis Philippe that he COM
PEELED his son TO drop the name Philippe
aftsr the revolution OF 1880. Young de
Trobri&nd hrst met the Comte de Cham
bofd, who was four years his junior, when
tthe latter was a child at the Tuileries
playing with his toys on the floor. He
r~uained true to the cause OF the Legiti-
niists until he finally took up his abode in
N tke United States in 1854 and adopted
'xspublican principles as well as new
oountry.
"A BIS daughter gives many interesting
.
&SSsce between 1914 and Is47. when the
X rity was under the domination OF Austria
and the Comte de Chsmbord. who called
kHnaelf Henry v. and was addressed as
1tpneeigneur, maintained a petty court
there. Among the pleasurable expe-
rssnces OF the summer Of Is4S was the
|f<Rt OF emulating Byron's famous swim
ming OF the Hellespont. The poets
explcit was being discussed before Mon
eelgneur and the question was raised who
among the young men present could swim
the tame distance. On a wager four OF
them agreed TO make the attempt. the
C0rnts de Chambord. the Duo de Lewis, the
vicomte de Mont and the Baron de Tro-
hxiand. Not knowing Trobriand's powers
ns q swimmer, Monseigneur seemed to
npubt his being able TO accomplish the
|faslr. but my father said: Not only will l
swim the distance, but afterwRrd will row
xRur Highness home in my gondola.' The
n8kf day these young men swan from the
piAssetta To Fusine, a distance OF seven
and one half miles. They were preceded
BY q gondola acting as a guide and fol-
lowed by one carrying provisions. The
ngroement was that an occasional glass
% brandy could be handed the swim
Erers. but no one was to rest even finger
uss the gondola. They accomplished the
faat In two hours and quarter Though
sfiH and sore from the effort. my father
1rspt his word and himself rowed Mon
ssixneur and the Duo de Lewis back to
the palace" II thus appea RS that the
vuung men were not all mollycoddles in
khpse DAYS. sven among the nobility OF
- effete monarchy.
It will have been observed that the
oariy portion Of the life Of Regis de Tro-
brand was that OF a gentleman OF leisure.
I'm America he became first a journalist
and then q soldier. From 1854 to the
outbreak OF the civil war he was one
I OF the editors Of the French daily news
pspef in New York. the Courier des FtJts
Csis. to which in addition 10 his general
editorial work he contributed regular
weekly review OF the notable events in
the social, operatic. dramatic and srtis-
tic world under the title OF -Feuilletons
de- Lundi" They commenced at the.time
OF the opening OF the Academy of Music
IN Irving Place and the articles are prac-
tiezlly a history Of the performances
there describing the first nights of the
new operas 'Trovatore. 'Sonnam-
bula,' 'Traviats. William TELL DC.
snd the debut Of every great singer who
sang within those walls"
The character of NJ. de Trobriand's
work as journalist led to his acquaint-
ancs with the most distinguished singers.
sbtors. musicians and artists who vis-
lea this country and many of them were
guests at his house. Among the latter
his daughter mentions Piccolomini.
visuxtemps. Gottschalk. Thalberg, Patti
and Rachel. Indeed NJ. de Trobriand's
homo was the only place in America
where the great French actress Rachel
accepted any private hospitality. She
came TO New York In September, 1885,
and if the evidence OF those who witnessed
her performances hcre is TO be trusted
NO woman has ever equalled her in power
and intensity and thrilling effect on the
drzmatic stage. NJ de Trobriand ad-
mired her profoundly. and upon her
farewell appearance in New York she
reoited an ode which he composed for
the occasion and which Bayard Taylor