The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-12
ny LA srAnauIsE DE FoNTENoY.

~ NIGHTS OF the principal orders OF
r. the Old World only possess
N life interest in the insignia,
which their heirs are compelled TO sur
render Immediately after their death.
Thus. when the late King Leopold
died, his insignia OF the Golden Fleece
was restored TO the Emperor OF Aus
tria, his star. collar and badge OF
the Order OF st. Andrew to the Gar.
and the George" the garter. the star,
and the gold collar of the Order of the
Garter. TO the late King Edward. II
is with this same insignia OF the Or
der of the Garter that Leopold's
nephew and successor, King Albert OF
Belgium. ia now about to be invested
by Prince Arthur of Conncught, who Is
proceeding to Brussels for the pur-
pose. at the head of G special en-
basSy, of which the veteran Field
Marshal Lord Roberts will form part.
Most OF these insignia are not only
OF great intrinsic. but also of historic
value. Thus, the insignia OF the Or
der of tho Golden Fleece bestowed upon
the late Prince Bismarck was hun
dreds or years ago suspended from the
neck OF the Duke of Alva, the Span
ish despot OF the Netherlands. who
virtually destroyed the grandeur and
prosperity of the city OF Bruges. at tho
King Humbert of Italy wore the
fleece which had formerly belonged to
Christopher Columbus; while Emperor
william OF Germany's collar OF the or
der was once owned by Cortez. the
conqueror OF Peru.
The names of the various knights
who have worn the insignia are en-
graved upon the links of the collar.
That OF Duke Philip the Good of Bur-
gundy, who founded the order in 1896.
is now in the possession of Don Jaime
of Bourbon. legitimist pretender to tho
throne of Spain; and. shameful to re-
late. was on two separate occasions
pawned by his father. the late Don
Carlos. al the Mont-de-Piete at Milan.
before he became Q rich man.
Calcutta's Turf Club has until now
been the greatest racing institution In
the Orient. and It's st. Leger, and espe-
clally Its Derby sweepstakes, a concern
of worldwide celebrity. The sweep
stakes got UP at the club for these two
classic English races were not in any
way limited to the members OF the
club. In fact. almost any one was per-
mitted to take part therein, with the
result that the stakes assumed enorm-
Gus proportions, the Derby swcepstak es
OF the Calcutta Turf Club having in
recent years exceeded q quarter of IL
million dollars for the first prize. or
course the winner invariably became
invested with as much international
celebrity as the winner of the grand
prize of the government lotteries OF
the Latin countries OF Europe.
This has excited so much criticism,
not only among English people in In
dia, where the government endeavorS
to check gambling among the natives,
but also at ho.nu. IN Great Britain, that
1t has been decided to restrict from
henceforth participation in the Derby
and st. Leger sweepstakes very rigor-
ously to the members of the club
This will have the effect of reducing
the amount of the first prizes to re-
fatively inf1nltesimal proportions, which
Will consequently cease to interest the
public.
Sir Smith Hill Child. who is about to
marry Lady Helen Grosvenor, youngest
daughter of the late Duke of Westmns-
ter. by his second marriage, and ten
years the Junior OF her nephew. the
present Duke of Westminster, Is the
head of very old family. and Is very
rich indeed. his wealth being derived
from an old -established banking con
Germ. though Sir Smith himself is o
soldier by profession, was a subaltern
of the Irish Guards. and served through
the South African War The original
name of the family was "LEnfant," and
Robert LEnfant was Provost OF
Shrewsbury In the thirteenth century.
In course of time the name of the fam
lily was transformed into lie chyide"
and from that to Child" Since the
beginning of tho seventeenth century
they have been eqttled In STAFFORD.