The Washington herald., 1911-05-21

It IL not often that the ultra-aristo-
cratic princely family of Thurn and Taxi
adds chapter to the 'chronique scan
daleuse." the tit-bits Of modern society.
but such actually has been the case re-
Gently when Prince Macmillan Chose Of
the elder branch Of Ratisbon are all
Maximiians or Max" for shorD fell in
love with "plebeian." the daughter Of
Isidor Kraus. a millionaire manufacturer
and banker Of Budapest, and Jew at
that. But the climax was reached when
the rich banker refused to give his
daughter a dowry Of 100000 forms.
Nothing daunted. Prince Max, who
was entirely fascinated by the lovely
Lola" and determined to overcome the
unwilling fathers objections to the
match, addressed himself to his god
father, who IS no one else than the En-
peror Of Austria, whose approval he
gained, which was better still So that
settled 1t and the betrothal FOLLOWED.
Prince Max is but eighteen years OF
age. He Is the hereditary Seigneur OF
Buchau and Krotoszyn, in Prussia: Duke
Of Woerth and Donaustauf. in Austria;
Count OF Friedberg-Scheer. in Wurttem-
berg; Count Valle-Sassina, in Italy. and
Of half a dozen other baronies in diff
ferent parts Of Germany and Austria.
No doubt he will know how to make
good use Of the big dowry. for he is be-
yond all doubt the most lavish and ex-
travagant of the Thurn and Taxis family.
But, withal. he is more sensible than
was his late father, Prince Albert, who
never donned a suit twice. and whose en-
tire wardrobe always was perfumed with
the costliest odors.
Here is an incident that Is character
istic of our hero. He was enjoying him.
self one evening rather late in a we'll
known musical cafe" here, grew en-
thusiastic over the playing Of a gypsy
band. and just before leaving threw his
pocketbook to the conductor exclailn-
ing: That's for your good playing
When he had gone the leader Of the
orchestra opened the pocketbook and
found that 1t contained about $500 ir
| Austrian notes Supposing that some mis-.
take had been made. the gypsy band.
master sought the prince next day ant
told him he had made a mistake; the
pocketbook contained a small fortune.
You rascal" retorted the prince, "a
Prince Of ThWn and Taxis never take:
back a gift he has once made. KeeI
the wretched paper"
So the gypsy went of. few day
afterward the prince found himself shor
Of ready money-a condition to which HI
| is said to be no stranger-so he instructed
his lawyer to apply to the gypsy to re-
turn the money given by mistake. Bu
the gypsy also consulted a solicitor, whC
told him to reply: "Sir. a gypsy who ha!
been honest once and been insulted fo
his pains knows better next time"
The prince did not get his money.
The Thurn and TaXis is one of the old
est families OF the medieval German no
bility. It originated in the County of Ber
game, in Italy. by Reinerius de Tass'
| (hence the surname Taxis) in 11l1. Dur
| ing one Of the many wars in the time o
the crusades a Tasso was made chevalie
of the Holy Roman Empire of the Ger
man nation at Treves (Trier on tn
Rhine). and in May. 1872, one Jean Bap
| tiste Tasso was ennobled and made
baron at Saragossa- Their rise after tina
was rapid enough. At Vienna in 1904 the!
were made counts of Austria, and a
Madrid following the Infamous Neither
lands campaign OF the notorious Duk
| D'Alba, Princes de la Tour and Iassis
in 1851 In I7oi Alexander Ferdinand, tn
third son Of Charles Anselme. founded 1
branch house, known as the Bohemian
| line.
| What perhaps has made that family
better known than any of their achieve
ments on the field Of battle or in the dip