The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-05-09
NAPOLEON'S TOMB
ALMOST IN RUINS
Shrine at St. Helena Reported
Falling to Pieces.
ANNUAL GRANTS BEGRUDGED
French Historian Attributes Neglect of
Famous Relic to the Government.
Caretaker Can Hardly Get Enough
Money to Keep Structures From
Tumbling Apart, He Says.

Caretaker Gan f1ardIy Get Enough
Money to Keep Structures From
TumbIins Apart, He Says.
Some Indignation recently has been
caused in France by the publication Of
facts concerning the deplorable condi-
ton into which Napoleon's last dwell
ing place and tomb at st. Helena have
fallen.
In volume entitled after the EN-
peror's Death" the well known his
torian, Alberto Cahuet, prints a vivid
description of these landmarks Of
French history, which We're acquired
by the government from England in
1858 for $35,713, and vigorously COM
bats the movement now on foot to re-
duce, if not cut off entirely, the annual
grants for their support.
zone would imagine he was visiting
a shooting shelter for sale," he writes.
"All the doors are open. In the first
room, where Napoleon died, is a small
altar, painted blue, and opposite it is a
bust of the emperor. A wooden balus-
trade marks the exact spot where he
drew his last breath.
"All the other rooms are absolutely
empty, everything that could be re-
moved having been carried away long
ago by foreigners as souvenirs. One
experiences a feeling Of desolation and
poignant sadness. The emperor's house
only just remains standing on its old
beams. Very soon the violent winds
and torrential rains will have their
way with It,
Foundations Are CrumbIfng.
"The superficial repairs and the coat
or two Of paint and even the new wall
papers, put on in 1911, will not COM
pensate for the crumbling foundations
and ruined walls.
"The present caretaker, who is at
least a man Of good intentions, wrote
to me recently:
"I am endeavoring to stay up the
old house to enable it to keep standing
a few years longer
| "Napoleon's tomb, in the Valley of
Geraniums," continues M. Cahuet, sis
as sheltered as the Longwood house is
exposed, but the guardians continual
vigilance is necessary to prevent the
surrounding farmers from pasturing
their cattle in this valley, which is the
property of the French government
His efforts to have the tomb respected
keep him in constant conflict with
other residents Of the island.
1.-The present caretaker of the do
main has to insist strongly every year
in his letters home on the necessity
for money in order to obtain the cred
its which enable him to keep the tomb
in decent order.
Government Indifference.
"But who troubles about this in
FranceT' asks Cahuet, in conclusion.
occasionally at long intervals the gov
ernment asks the commander of one
of our Atlantic squadrons to stop at
st. Helena and visit Longwood and the
tomb. A report in a few lines arrives
at Paris and is quickly filed away.
"As a matter of fact, both the house
and the sepulcher are now thought a
useless burden on the budget of for
eign affairs to the extent of 81 800 an
nually-$1, 200 for the caretaker's sal
ary and 5000 for the expenses of up
keep and Of the watchman. Attempts
are being made to reduce this amount,
and in a few years time, when the
old house tumbles down, the French
sentinel will be withdrawn from Long
wood. In that way the ruined hovel
and the empty tomb will be definitely
abandoned"