The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-29
A REMARKABLE CHARACTER
A Contemporary Of Washington, Jeifer.
SON and Adams.
BE Heard the Cannon OF Waterloo, and
Lived to Know That Cleveland Was
Elected to the Presidency.

IS so near century old That ne wore q oearo
long before his friend Bismarck was born.
He was living when Washington was first
elected to the Presidency OF the United
States, and perfectly remembered the an
nouncement at Rsval, Russia, of his death,
and survived to read in the papers Of that
country the news Of the election of his sue
cessor, Grover Cleveland. Born in the reign
of the Empress Catherine, he knew her son
who was murdered In the month of March,
1901, and witnessed the coronation OF his
successors, Alexander l., Nicholas and Alex
snder IL, and to the writer expressed regret
that the infrmities of age prevented his at
tending in the summer of 1888 the corona
ton in Moscow of the present Emperor.
Tbs venerable man sew the rise and fall Of
the First Napoleon, and witnessed a Third
Napoleon tcpple to his ruin, and second
Empire crumble into dust. He was &C
quainted with the second, third, fourth and
fifth Chief Magistrates OF our country, and
clearly recalled the gloom which settled over
London when the news arrived of the cap
tuIe Of the British frigate Guerrero by the
Constitution, and the rejoicing and firing of
the Tower guns in the same city, when
Broke's despatch was received announcing
the Shannon's victory over the always IN
lucky Chesapeake. he knew Bayard, the
grandfather of the Secretary Of State. and all
the other signers of the Treaty of Client, ana
beard the cannon Of Napoleon and yelling.
ton 81 Waterloo
His Exceilency Count Nicholas Pshlen,
the venerable man of whom write, WAS born
81 Maxr 10 fof al
Count Pahlen. was one of the great German
mobiles of the Province OF Esthonis, who pos
sessed large estates on the south side OF the
Gulf of Finland.
At the period Of the Emperor Paul's sssas-
sination he was the Governor of st. Peters
burgb, the dreaded Chief of Police, and the
soul Of the conspiracy that elevated Alexan-
der to the throne OF Russia by strsnghng his
father. After completing lis classical studies
the young count accompanied an elder
brother appointed Minister to the United
States in 1910, and spent two years with him
in Washington, mingliDg in the best society
OF that city, and also OF Baltimore, Philadel-
pbia New York and Boston. In 1911 he was,
with the Russian Minister, the guest for sew
eral days of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello
and during the same year the brothers visited
John Adams at Quincy. He had vivid recoi.
lections of President and Mrs Madison and
OF their pleasant dinners; of James Monroe
and Albert Gsllatiu, as well as Of the other
members of Madison's Cabinet and was ac-
quainted with ali the prominent people OF
tbat period, ''most Of whom" as he said to
the writer in April, 1888 'hsve been dead
for half a century" He remembered the
magnificent distances and shabby, struggling
houses of Washington, and the beautiful
girls Of Baltimore" Are they still as lovely
as they were seventy years ago?' asked the
lively old bachelor of ninety-6v
Count Pahlen went from Washington to
T.
lion in London society, aud was well &C
quainted with Prince Regent and frequent
guest at Devonshire and Holland Houses.
He was well known to Byron, Scott Wash.
ington Irving and Goethe, and often dined
at Apsley House with the "Iron Duke"
About 1920 he went TO Paris, where his
brother was Ambassador for many years,
and in 1926 proceeded to Italy. While so.
journing at Venice in 1888 he was summoned
to Russia by the Emperor Mich iss, but did
not long remain Ia his native land. When
he reappeaTed in England ne was again a
persona grata at sll Mont Blancs" of the
social struggle, such as Stafford House Hol-
land House, Devonshire House and Straw
berry Hill, and his memory was richly stored
with anecdotes of Beau Brummell, Lady Jer-
sey and other society magnstes OF that day
and generation. He WAS one of the most re-
nowDed of whist players and when passing
through Berlin or Vienna, on his way to
Russiz, he won the enormous sum OF one
hundred thousand dollars from Prince John
Lichtenstein at q single sitting.
When l became acquainted with theCount
be was physically weak, requiring the as
sistance of his valet to walk or rise from his
chair, but his mental faculties were as clear
and bright IS ever. He was, like his friend
John Randolph, master OF sarcasm and in
vective, of which characteristic the writer
witnessed several instances. He was very
tall and slight with long limbs and arms,
his figure strongly resembling President Lin
coins. His free was much finer, with much
of the patrician in look and bearing. and
with wonderfully bright and expressive blue
eyes. His linguistic requirements were so
admirable that il was impossible TO detect
the slightest accent in bis English. French,
German or Italian. The old Count, who
wrote a firm hand to the last, and without
the aid Of glasses, was fond OF talking OF the
past, and he found in the writer an attentive
listener, 50 that during several weeks viii ch
We passed under the same roof
on the Riviera in the spring
OF 1888, it was my good for
tune to hear many charming incidents OF By
gone peTsonages and events. and much in-
feIestiDg information concerning people of
the present day. OF Alexa lder ii he said
The Emperor is probably the strongest man
In Europe. When he was shown few vesrs
ego rod or bar of iron which had been bent
by his ancestor. Peter the Great, he took
can tT ist a silver rouble into roll with as
little apparent effort as you would visiting
card, and for the amusement of his children
has twisted kitchen pokers in coils ab0nt
their Decks. These astonishing statements
were fully Endorsed few months later By
the American Minister at st. Peterborough.
who added to the foregoing as follows: Tine
Emperor is particularly fond OF wrestling
with his sons tutor. a big, sturdy English
man, who Is usually vsnquished, although
he uses his utmost strength and skill. The
contest is usually concluded" said Judge
Hunt, "by the Emperor throwing him heat
long into snoEbsnk or over face. do
not believe that even the eminent 3 Jstonian.
Mr. Sullivan, could successfully excha 1ge
blows with him"
What has bsen your rule OF lie in regard
to your bealth2 one day inquired of ths
old Count. to which he made answer: Il
never had any, and never concerned myself
about it. Although have led z ssdentary
life, have always been we'll, and L have
row DO malady except the incurablo one Of
I'D age"
for many years Count Pahlsn spent his
winters ~ Cannes. Among his ire quent Wis
iiOrs while va were together were the Prince
Cf Wales. thu Compile de Paris the Duke Of
Argyll, Mr. Gladstone, and many otlser men
Of distiction who we're sojourning that sea
crrl AZ this r4oyr,fr,ff ~ U.-yfo~o