The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-20
THE NoU0UN HOMESTEAD WRatNiA.
A Panorama of the Life OF New York
With Glimpses at the Famous
Figures of Other Days

| L
told him that I had come to call on
the Emperor. Finally after much ex-
PLANTATION 1 persuaded him to send in
my name. which I wrote on a piece OF
paper. 1t was that guards turn to
look surprised when a servant in impe-
rial livery came for me and took me
through the great palace door and
I along the grand stairways to the i'm
perial suite.
THE Emperor received me most
kindly and sat me down by his side
| He asked me all about the lake and
about my home. But there was a re-
markably beautiful woman in the
room, as beautiful and as gracious
woman as had ever seen, and 1 could
not keep my eyes away from her.
Sire / said. may l ask who that
beautiful woman tsp He smiled, and
SO did the woman. That Is the EN-
press, he replied. And she came to
me and took my hand and thanked me
Tor the compliment.
Where are you going, Henri?' he
| asked me kindly.
81 think that I shall go to Amer
ica,' replied
That is good he exclaimed. 4
know America and like II. i have
been there. 1t is a land Of great op-
| portunities. and for an honest boy
with courage and ambition such as YOU
have l know no better pace. You
will succeed
And that is how 1t happened that
l came from the little Swiss republic
to this great republic of America, on
the advice OF an Emperor"
| There was another meeting with
royalty that NJ. Mouquin tells with
good natured ,naivete. At the outbreak
OF the civil war he was a member of
the Ninth Regiment. n. q. s. n. Y,
and before the departure Of the regi-
ment for the front he was, at the in
sistence OF Gen. Arthur. then Provost
Marshal OF New York city, appointed
to drill the troops at old Mercer Hall.
At the time of the visit to this city
OF the Prince OF Wales afterward King
Edward VII. the Ninth Regiment was
designated as the guard OF honor to
escort the Prince.
shook q Princes Hand.
when the Prince landed" said II.
Mouquin, there was a great crowd of
official and prominent personages to
I welcome him in the name of the State
and the Government. But the Prince,
with that breezy democracy that won
the country, elected to enter the ma
/ ton by clasping the hand of a private
soldier. And I. Private Mouquin. be-
! ing the first in line at the foot of the
gangplank, had the distinction of being
the first TO be greeted, and very eff
fusively greeted, by the distinguished
visitor"
The restaurant which NJ. Mouquin
founded could never be called. as
many other famous restaurants Of this
country have been called. a national
institution" 1t is and always was
distinctly New York and like the city
thoroughly cosmopolitan. Because of
this character it has the breadth and
freedom of cosmopolitanism. 1t never
troubles itself about rules; the only
suggestion OF such a thing is the I'M
obtrusive sign which says This stair
way Is for the use Of employees only"
on the steep stairs leading from the
high ceiling first floor room to the
room above.
This stairway Is distinctive fea-
ture Of the restaurant. There is moth
| ing exactly like it anywhere else and
/ all the old patrons Of the place would
rebel II It was removed. But It is
strong temptation to a dizzy flight and
II any one cares to make the venture
1t is his own affair. No one opposes;
in fact, Etienne and Mark are very
likely to station themselves at the
foot ready to stop the tumbler before
he touches the ground. A, guest, who
for ten years had a seat near the foot
of the stairs, was somewhat timorous
for the first five years. At the end OF
that period he confided to Etienne:
Strange no one ever falls down there
I don't understand it,"
| Free and Easy Customs.
"Marveillense!" replied Etienne,
when everything is taken into con-
sideration. Just luck"
| And there Is the same liberality
and freedom In the service. For in
stance. II you did not know that "es-
cargots" meant snails you can send
them back and get the roast beef
that you thought you were ordering.
II your omelette is not brown enough
or your filet de boeuf Is too rare, Gas
ton will take II back to the kitchen
without frown. But II you question
the quality OF the bouillabaisse he
may slightly shrug his shoulders for,
Mon Dieu! there Is not a better bouil-
labaisse made anywhere else in the
world. not even at Marseilles-and
your reputation as a gourmet is done
for. And II you should find fault with
the onion soup au gratin-but why
speculate on such a thing? Impos-
sible that such a catastrophe should
happen! Did not Madame Mouquin
begin making that soup sixty years
ago, and is not her recipe followed to
the very last onion and piece of
cheese?
| NJ. Mouquin does not claim to be
the first to introduce to New York
many OF the French wines and for
eign delicacies that to-day are IA
miliar to the good livers of the city.
There were plenty of good wines and
plenty OF the finest of French yege-
tables, such as ceves and artichokes,
av Ae best OF Frc.ch mushrooms