News Items

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4403, 27 April 1909, Page 1

News Items

A MAN WHO KNEW NAPOLEON M. Charles Famin, whose . hundredth birthday was celebrated at Chartres on February 1 Bth (by a service in the noble old cathedral), is probably the only person living who can boast of having received a kiss from Napoleon I. When the Emperor decided to restore the chateau of Rambouillet —the country mansion where M. Fallieres usually spends the shooting’ season—he employed Sainte - Marie Famin, an eminent architect to superintend the work. Thus it happened; that the architect’s two children, Chariot and his little sister, were making sand castles in the great courtyard of the Imperial residence when Napoleon passed. He stopped to the chubby youngsters and compliment their father, and, stooping, picked up - little Chariot and embraced him. Charles Famin followed in his father’s footsteps, became a : Grand Prix de Rome (architecture), and practised for many years at Paris, but retired to Chartres some fifty years ago. Hls four soldier sons (including General Famin and Colonel Famin), his two daughters, and fifteen or sixteen other descendants and relations werej present at the centenary cele-* bration. The ex-architect bears his five score years lightly, is still alert and occasionally sarcastic, telling the children they ‘‘might consider them--? selves luckier than he was, he had never met a centenarian.” '