The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-21
HAY AND NICOLAY.
Chat with Colonel Hay and Look in His
Fine Library at Washington.

Carp, in Cleveland Leader.
1 called upon Col John Hay to-day, and had
chat with him about the biography of Abraham
Lincoln, which he and Mr.. John g. Nicolay
writing, and the first chapters of which are pub
lished in this months issue Of the Century mag
azine The publication of this biography
is looked upon here as the literary event
of the year. Colonel Hay spends much
of his time at Washington, and Nieolay
goes often to Cleveland They own together
romantic country home in the Rocky mountains
called Crystal Park Nicolay spent some time
there with his daughter during the past year,
and the young lady. who has a remarkable tai
ent for painting, has brought back some beauti-
full sketches in oil of Rocky mountain scenery.
Both Hay and Nicolay are we'll off, Nicolay
owns very comfortable home on Capitol Hill.
He gets a good salary as marshal Of the Su-
preme Court, is thrifty, go=ahead fellow, and
has made some very good investments. Hay is
millionaire. and he has magnificent home
here and in Cleveland.
Hays Washington house is perhaps one of the
finest in the United States. 1t is just across
from the White House, and in the very center of
social, political and historical Washington. The
ground upon which it is built cost Sc foot, and
the noted architect Richard considered it one of
| his best works. The library is, / Judge, about
twenty feet wide by forty feet long 1t is finished
| in old English oak with wanscoting Of BOOKS,
| and above these wall of magnolia
leaves in low relief painted by Cottier. of New
| York. Its ceiling is paneled in oak. Great
| the center of each caisson is disc of oak, the
| grain of which shows through the gold leaf
with which it is covered. This library mas many
cosy hooks and corners. 1t has a big fireplace,
with easy seats, over which canopies of oak;
| 1t has alcoves where one can sit and look out
upon Lafayette Park. and its walls are
| hung with beautiful pictures and some
| pretty curio meets the eye whichever way
| it turns. Over the mantel is a Madonna by
| Sassoferrato in gold frame of Florentine oak
hoar1 ff1ll U md 0f fhp CHI Of
| the library lies death mask of Abraham Lin
| coin. On another there is a bronze medallion of
! w. d. Howells about twelve by fourteen inches
| in size. and striking likeness. 1t was made by
| Larkn Meade, in Florence, about two years ago.
| Then there is portrait of Henry James by
| Lafsrge, which is very fine. Upon Colonel
| Hays desk is bronze Chinese incense burner
as big tea kettle and the desk itself is a
| large fiat one of oak, with q curious brentwood
chair such as Barrett uses in his playing of
| Hamlet"
This fine library, however, is not Colonel HAYS
workshop. The room i'll which he does his writ
ing, and where he works every morning from
half past till II, is in the top of the house. and
! it is very plainly furnished. It's finish is deli
cate terra Gotta 1t is well lighted and its win
dows give fine views of the greater part of
| Washington. Two low cases of shelves a
| couple of tables and chair or two make
| upon the shelves are books relating solely to
| the work upon which he is engaged. They are
histories of the war, copy of the Rebellion rec
ord, lives OF Lincoln and other books of this
character. Colonel Hay tells me that he and
Major Nicholay have bought and read over 1,200
| volumes in their preparation of this work. They
| have referred to thousands of Others and they
| have had access to all the private papers OF
president Lincoln, as we'll as 70 those OF many
| of the noted men of his time.
Said he: eve formed the idea OF writing this
| history while we were in the White House in
| 1863, and we commenced making notes then.
| During the last two years OF our stay there the
| idea was constantly in minds, and we were
| continually preparing for it. We took down
| conversations and incidents on the day Of their
occurrence kept . diary, and have three
large manuscripts volumes which are filed
| with the notes of this time. Nicolay
made great quantity Of memoranda We took
| down everything that we thought important, and
in the writing of this history we have not trusted