The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-02-29
A NEW YORK MARQUIS.
French Nobleman Who Has Lived in
Poverty on West Side.

Poverty Oh WcSC SlUc.
Only a few persons in New York
knew the Marquis de Guichainville
and none knew the unsavory little
basement store at 34S West 18th
street, where he lived with his blind
daughter and son nearly blind. So
when the marquis was knocked down
by a 7th avenue car and was taken
to Bellevue HOSPITAL with broken
leg and deep cut in his head only
his son and daughter knew and cared.
Before the days of the French
Revolution the family from which
the marquis springs was wealthy. But
they became embroiled in the politics
of that period, and the marquis s
grandfather mortgaged his property
to raise large sum of money. The
mortgage was foreclosed and their
wealth was gone. The present mar
quis came to this country about 40
years ago and for years earned liv-
ing as teacher of French in some of
the wealthy families of New York.
But after a time that source of in
come failed him, and he, with his son
and daughter, drifted over to the
lower West Side, where they have
1svoI fnr noor1xy ron
The basement store would never
be taken for a home. From the out
side it looks like store room, for
the little of it that can be seen
through the dirty draped windows,
partly covered by a strip of cloth, is
filled with boxes. The boxes contain
all that is left of the heritage of De
Guichainville, family relics that have
been treasured after everything else
was gone Among them is a marble
statue of the marquis's wife.
A few crippled chairs, two beds
that do not invite repose, a table and
many books are the only things which
the light arc of the small glass lamp
that is necessary even in the daytime.
Only the janitress has seen that
much.
De Guichainville, who is 80 years
old, and his son walk to work every
morning, and it was on this morning
walk that he was run down. The
aged, erect man, with his carefully
white waxed mustache, looked some
what out of place in that part of
West 18th street, even if his clothes
were threadbare. Both he and his
sen carried a cane, which aroused
mirth among the neighbors.
Years ago the marquis had a repu-
tation as numismatist, and possess
ed a collection of old coins of con-
siderable value. This he sold when
his reverses came, but his desire for
collection remained with him. He
carried a small bag on these morn
ing strolls and picked up anything
that he saw lying in the street. The
front room of the basement was lit
tered with cigar stubs and cigarettes
that had been accumulated through
the months and there were big pack
ages of labels from tin cans and bot
ties. Sometimes, though, he worked
for dealers in old coins in 23d street
and showed that he still possessed
skill in detecting false coins of sup
posed antiquity.
The resources of the family have
become smaller and smaller during
the last few years. They depend al
most wholly on the few French peo-
pie in the city who know of the mar
quis and his family and are willing
to help them.
When reporter went to the base
ment to see if the son-Raoul-was
in he found the place in utter dark
ness. Somewhere in that darkness
the daughter of marquis sat alone,
waiting for her brother to come home
from the hospital.-New York Sun.
Crematory Explodes.