The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-26
4 RRnARKABLE CHARACTER
He Heard the Cannon OF Waterloo, and
Lived TO Know That Cleveland was
Elected to the Presidency.

is 20 near a century old that he wore beard
lon & 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 ut Reval, 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
tending in the summer of 1888 the corona
ticn In Moscow of the present Emperor.
The venerable mrn saw the riEe and fall OF
the First Napoleon, and witnessed q Third
Napoleon topple to his ruin, and q second
Empire crumble into dust. He was &C
quainted with the second, third fourth and
fifth Chief Magistrates Of our country. aad
clearly recalled the gloom which settled over
London when the news arrived OF the cap
ture OF the British ffigate Guerrero by the
Constitution, and the rejoicing and firing of
the Tower guns in the same city, when
Broke's despatch YVES received announcing
the Sbannon's victory over the always un-
lucky Chesapeake. He knew Bayard, the
grandfather of the Secretary of State, and all
the other signers of the Treaty of Client ana
heard the cannon of Napoleon and Welling.
ton at Waterloo.
his Excellency Count Nicholas Pahlen,
the venerable man of whom write was born
at Reval. May 81. 1888. His father, General
Count Pahien. was one of the great German
nobes of the Province of Esthonia, who POS.
sefsed large estates on the south side OF the
Gulf OF Finland.
At the period of the Emperor Psurs assas-
sination he was the Governor of 81. Peters.
burgh, the dreaded Chief of Police, and the
sCul of the conspiracy that elevated Alexan-
der TO the throne of Russia by strsngling his
father. After completing iis classicsl studies
the young count accompanied al 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-
phia, New York and Boston In 1911 he was.
with the Russian Minister the guest for sew
ersl days of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.
ard during the same ear the brothers visited
John Adams at Quincy. He had vivid recol
IL ciioDs CT President and Mrs Ma iisou and
OF tEeir pleasant dinners; of James Monroe
and Albert Gallatin, as well az of the other
members OF Madison's Cabinet. and vas &C.
Guainted with all the prominent people OF
that period, most of whom" as he said to
the writer in April. 1885, have been dead
for half century" He remembered the
magnificent distances and shabby. struggling
houses OF Washington. and the beautiful
girls of Baltimore" Are they still rs lovely
as they vera seventy years ago?' asked the
lively old bachelor OF ninety-fvs
Count Pahlen went from Washington to
England in 1872 and soon became quite
lion in London society, and YVES well &C.
quainted with Prince Regent aud q frequent
guest at Devonshire aud Holland Houses.
He was well known to Byron, Scott, Wash.
ington Irving and Goethe, and often dined
ut Apsley House with the Iron Duke"
About 1920 he went to Paris, where his
brother was Ambassador for many years,
and in 1896 proceeded to Italy. While so.
1ourning ut Venice IN 1888 he was summoned
to Russia by the Emperor Nicholas, but did
not long remain In his nstive land. When
he reappeered in England he was again q
persona grata at all Mont Bancs" of the
social struggle, such as Stafford House. Hol.
land House, Devonshire House and Straw
berry Hill and his memory was rcnly stored
with anecdotes of Beau Brummell, Lady Jer-
sey and other society magnates OF that day
and generation. He was one of the most re-
nowned Of whist players. and when passing
thror gh Berlin or Vienna, on his way to
Russia, he won the enormous sum of one
HUNDRED thousand dollars from Prince John
L'ohtenstein at q single sitting.
When became acquainted with theCount
he was ply sically weak, requiring the as
distance OF his valet to walk or rise from his
chair, but his mental faculties were q, clear
and bright as ever. He was, like bis friend
John Randolph, master of sarcasm and in
vective, of which CHARACTERISTIC the writer
witnessed several instances. He was very
tall ana slight. with long limbs and arms,
his figure strongly resen bling President Lin
coins. His free was much finer, with much
of the patrician in look and bearing, aud
with wonderfully bright and expressive blue
eyes. Bis linguistic requirements were 60
admirable tbat it was impossible to detect
the slightest accent in his English, French,
German or Italian. The old Count, who
wrote 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
We passed under the same roof
on the Riviera in the spring
OF 1858, it was my good for
tune to hear many charming incidents OF by.
gone percentages and events. and much in
terestipg Information concerning people oil
the present day. or Alexander III. he said
The Emperor is probably the strongest man
IN Europe. When he was sho vn few years
ago rod or bar of iron which had been bent
by his ancestor Peter the Great, he took
hold Of il ard Strengthened it out again. He
can twist silver rouhle into roll with as
little apparent effort as you would visiting
card. and for the amusement of his children
has t~is.ed kitchen pokers in coils about
their necks. These astonishing statements
we're fully Endorsed few months later by
tire American Minister at St PetersbUrgh.
Who sdded 70 the foregoing a, follows: The
laptror is particularly fond of wrestling
with bis sons tutor. . big, sturdy Engtisa
man. who Is rsnally vanquishsd, althoug 4
ne uses bis utmost strength and skill. The
contest is ususllv Concluded said JUDGE
Emit. By the Emperor throwing him head
lcrg into spok bank or over Il fence. do
rot bslisve that even the eminent Bostonian.
Ny. Sullivan, could successfully exchange
blows with him I"
What has been your rule of lie in regard
10 your health? one day Inquired of the
cid Couut IN whsch ho N, ado ar,-o~. At