The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-05-25
John Howard Payne.


the letter. says the incidents therein related We're
obtained from who was intimately acquainted
with the author of " Home, Sweet Home" and al
though not entirely new viii possess for many no
small interest.l
While In Rustuch, on my way here, |
formed the acquaintance of Mr.. Richard
Reed, the British Consul at that place,
who was the son of Sir Thomas Reed,
the Adiutant- general under Sir Hudson
Lowe at st. Helena at the time That Ma
poleon Bonaparte was imprisoned there.
Sir Thomas Reed was Consul-general
at Tunis at the time that John Howard
Payne arrived there as American consul.
and the present British Consul at Rus
tuch was then young man in the con-
sular service under his father.
Mr.. Reed says that Immediately after
Mr.. Payne arrived he called at the Brit
ish consulate, and said that he had been
placed In a position that he felt himself
entirely unfit to occupy, scarcely know
ing why he had been appointed, and
hoped that they would give him such in
formation as they could in regard to the
discharge of the duties of the consular
service. He said that he had not thought
of receiving such an appointment, but
that one day, In conversation with Presi-
dent Tyler, with whom he was acquaint
ed, he remarked that he had great
anxiety to make thorough exploration
of the ruins of ancient Carthage; but, as
he had not the means, he did not expect
that he would ever be able to do SO. The
President said, in reply, that he would
see that he had the opportunity of doing
as he desired, and in few days he was
surprised at receiving notice of his APP
pointment as Consul at Tunis-which
city, it will be remembered, is only about
twelve miles from the site of the ancient
city he desired SO much to visit.
The British officers, of course, rem
dered Mr.. Payne such assistance as they
could, and so energetically and thor
oughly did he devote himself to the
task of becoming familiar, not only with
the ordinary routine Of the Office, but
with the treaties, precedents, and every
thing relating to his position, that he
was very soon recognized as one of the
most able and efficient consuls in the city.
1t has often been said that Mr.. Payne
was possessed of a morose, uncomfort
able disposition, and that he was subject
to fits of melancholy. This my in
that, on the contrary, he was very fond
of society and was one of the most
genial, companionable men he ever met,
and that he had been In Tunis but a
short time when he became great
favorite, not only with his consular as
sociates, but with the government
authorities and the people generally.
AS an evidence of this good feeling, as
we'll as of his integrity as an officer, the
Bey of 'Tunis once offered him span of
beautiful gray horses as a present but
Mr.. Payne, thinking that he would not
he justified in accepting such a gift
from foreign prince, would not receive
them. The matter was finally arranged
by his taking them to use for the time
| being.
| This reminds me of an anecdote, re-
lated by Mr.. Reed, which is in accord
ai1ce with the character of Mr.. Payne,
as he portrays it. One morning Mr..
Payne came to him, and in a laughing
way said that a great joke had happened
to him during the night. Mr.. Reed in
quired what it was. 81 shall not tell
you" was the reply; "but you must
come and see for yourself. On going
into the yard at the American consulate,
Mr.. Reed saw hole in the ground some
ten feet deep, where wall had been
commenced, and standing in the bottom
were these horses, where by some mis-
hap they had fallen during the previous
night. "Did you ever know man who
provided such stable for his horses as
that?" said Mr.. Payne. g I think it is
the most comical thing I ever saw in my
life. It was found, on removing the
horses from their subterranean impris-
onment, that they were not harmed.
It has been said that he was man OF
quite irregular habits but my inform
ant says that from the time that Mr..
Payne arrived at Tunis until 1847, when
Mr.. Reed was appointed to the consul
ate at Tripoli--after which they did'not
meet-they were on the most intimate
terms, meeting almost every day and on
all sorts of occasions, and that he never
saw anything to cause him to believe
that this charge was true. Mr.. Reed
admits that Mr.. Payne never had any
amount of money at his command long
at time : but he says that it was be-
cause of his extreme generosity, and
not from extravaganza and prodigality.
He always spoke of the United States
with great apparent affection, and said
that he always felt proud Whine abroad
that he could call himself an American
citizen. He also referred very often to
his separation from relatives, and said
that he was a man without home but
that the fact was rather the result of
circumstances than matter of choice.
The following is the history of ''Home,
Sweet Home, as Mr.. Reed says the au
thor related it to him, in Tunis. Mr..
Payne had written several pieces for the
stage that had met with considerable IA
vor, and had been sent for to go to Paris
to look after the introduction OF one of
them in one of the theaters of that city.
It was the afternoon before Christmas,
and, although in winter, the day was