New-York tribune., 1911-12-11
CRYSTAL PALACE SAVED
Why Lord Plymouth Gave $500,
900 for the PURPOSE.

Transferred eli bloc Immediately after
the close OF the exhibition from Hyde Park,
I'm the centre Of the British metropolis, 10
the metropolitan suburb Of Sydenharr, it has
| for more than ffty-four years constituted
| one Of the sights OF London. which every
| visitor TO the latter, no matter whether
| English or foreign. sovereign or peasant
| felt bound 10 include in the programme or
! his sightseeing when in the capital
| Garibaldl, the Shah OF Persia, Napoleon
! III and Empress Eugenie, Sultan Abdul
! Aziz Of Turkey and President Grant have
| all received there ovations from the
| masses of the people. For. with its huge
space inclosed by iron and glass. It's
enormous auditorium for concerts and It's
extensive grounds, including hills and
dales and big sheets of ornamental water,
Il has lent itself admirably 10 all sorts Of
national and popular festivals and to
| great pageants. such as the Festival OF
Empire. held last spring there in connec-
| tion 18th the coronation. which furnished
! 10 o. oeople some notion Of the principal
event. I'm their national history and also
some Pea of the grandeur and importance
Of the various colonial dependencies.
Densely thronged on holidays, the pal
ace was naturally more or less deserted
on ordinary week days. presenting an ap-
pearance of emptiness and desolation when
the attendance did not exceed, say 10000
The result of this was that it never
proved a paving proposition, and the sew
eral companies which have owned and
managed it in turn have been overtaken
by bankruptcy. Ultimately, II was re-
solved by the creditors of the last com
pany which had come to grief in connec-
tion herewith 10 put il up at auction.
with the object of tearing il down, selling
| the acres on acres Of glass and converting
the entire site and the huge grounds into
! building lots
Now. London. with its between seven
and eight million inhabitants, is singular
j. lacking in lung space; that is 70 say.
public parks and Fairgrounds. SO .
movement was inaugurated to arrange for
its purchase and its maintenance as a sort
Of national institution. The government
has thus far declined TO contribute any
thing TO the scheme. while the City Of
London, in spite of its enormous wealth,
and the London County Council have
shown themselves equally reluctant to do
anything in the matter. SO a national
subscription was started. and 100000 has
already in p very short time been sub
scrbed by the public toward the mini
mum price Of s1,000,0 900 fixed on by the
creditors as the sum for which they are
willing to refrain from putting 1t up at
auction.
The time was short, and as the day for
the sale had been iudicially fixed In a man
ner that did not admit OF its being changed,
the Crystal Palace would have gone into the
hands Of the building SPECTATORS had not
Lord Plymouth stepped forward and paid
out Of his own pocket the needed 100000
for the purpose Of preserving the Crystal
Palace and its grounds from destruction.
It is understood that If any more subscrp-
tions come in they will go primarily TO the
fund for the maintenance Of the palace and
grounds, and if after that anything remains
f. will be devoted to recouping Lord Plym-
outh in part for his publ. spirited and
patriotic contribution.
Lord Plymouth owns one OF the finest
houses in London, the walls of the big hall
being faced throughout with Penarth ala
baster from his immensely valuable quar-
ries in Wales; the floor is laid with green
and white marble squares, while beautiful
delicate white alabaster columns have the
effect Of removing any trace Of severity in
the architectural treatment. In fact, the
entire mansion is an artistic and stately
creation of marble and alabaster, and there
is scarcely a piece of furniture, from the
circular table Of malachite in the big music
room to the tortoise shell table in Lady
Plymouths boudoir, which is not work
OF art.
Lord Plymouth is a great collector Of art
treasures and a writer on art matters, as
we'll as a painter OF no mean skill. both in
water colors and oils. Lady Plymouth is
even more talented in this respect Her
gifts are inherited from her mother who,
nee the Prussan Countess Walpurga Hon
cnthal was the first maid Of honor Of EN-
press Frederick after the latter's marriage
and became the wife OF the late Sir Au-
gustus Paget, for so many years British
Ambassador at Rome. Walpurger Lady
Paget, who still makes her home in Italy
al Florence, was one of the friends and
! champions Of the novelist "Ouida" and
figures in many OF the latters works. Lady
| Plymouth is this Lady FACETS only daugh-
ter, and. although christened Alberta Vic
toria. as the godchild OF the late Queen
Victoria and OF the Prince Consort, used
to be known by the nickname OF Gay"
and went about in society as Miss Gay
Paget" as young girl. Under the crcUm-
stances it was only natural that on her
marriage TO the then Lord Windsor she
should have been dubbed "the Merry Wife
Of Windsor"
This title, however is no longer very ap-
proprate. as she has become extremely
serious, and is imbued with almost fanati-
cal ideas On the subjects Of vegetaranism
and OF Christian Science Her only brother,
Sir Ralph Paget, British envoy at Munich,
married his cousin, Leila Paget, daughter
Of General Sir Arthur Paget, commanding
the troops in Ireland, and Of his American
wife Minnie Lady Paget, who is the daugh-
ter Of the late Mrs. Paran Stevens. OF New
York.
Princess Will Reign Over Monaco.
The reigning Prince of Monaco's action
/ In issuing a decree legitimizing the fifteen
/ year-old daughter Of his only son, Crown
/ Prince Louis is an important event, I'm this
sense-that IL places her In the direct line
| Of succession to the Principality of Monaco.
always providing that her father does not
| wed and have son. The girls name is
/ Charlotte, and the rcgring prince not only
| recognizes her as his grandchild, but off-
| cialy Gecrees that she IS henceforth TO
/ be regarded as a full-nedged and legiu-
mate princess of his house, bestowlng on
her az the same time the title Of Duchessc
de Yalentinois The Sale law does not
I exist in Monaco. SO there is nothing to
prevent young Charlotte dc Valentinois
/ from ascending the throne OF Monaco
eventually, as sovereign princess. in her
| own right
| There have been great many quarrels
| alnnf fhis NnIlnp girl LNirut Of al hefNpnn