The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-31

from them, and upon the wall of his study
hangs striking picture done in oil, the
work of his leisure moments.
Il like to paint" he says. mean to do
more of it when this book is off my
hands.
Down in the front hall hangs an inter
estlng portrait of Abdul Hamid, the sultan.
think this might be a faithful portrait of
him. Surely it looks as if it might see and
hear and speak and smoke a hookah
Eyes. 1T is good likeness. says General
Wallace. without any affeetation. Il
made it little at a time and had to be
very sly about it, for the Turks hold it to
be an offense against religion to make a
picture of the ruling sultan. 1t would
have raised great row if it had been
known that l was making this one. No;
the sultan himself did not know it. Every
time / saw him | made a mental note of
some one of his features, and then when
reached my room fastened to add it to
the portrait"
Beside this portrait hangs an evidence
of the sultan's high regard for General
Wallace. 1t is the order comforting the
decoration of the Medjidie (first-class)
upon hIm-a very rare distinction and an
exclusive one, since on the death of the
holder it reverts to the sultan, never again
to be conferred on mortal man.
lace's military and diplomatic swords;
battle flag of the Seventeenth Virginia
cavalry, captured at Monocacy, and still
bearing the blood stains of the poor fellow
who chung to it until death; a number of
Indian relics, mementos of the Mexican
campaign, and statuette of Ben Hur,
which the author says in all seriousness is
a good likeness, for to him Ben Hur is as
real parsonage as if he lived and moved
on earth today. 1t may be seen in the &C
companying picture of General Wallace's
study, whittier it was removed before the
photograph was taken.
The parlor, too, is strewn with souvenirs
and mementos-magnifcen Turkish rugs
and hangings, pipes of every oriental pat
tern Chose for women as well as those for
men). very interesting Turkish tea table
artistically inlaid with pearl; an exquis-
ltely carved shell; souvenir of the
Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem;
daggers of many kinds from the Orient; a
Greek tear bottle in which, for aught any
body can prove. Admetus may have
corked the scalding drops he shed
when faithful Alcestis was laid in
her tomb; marvellous wood
carving, so minute that the figures can
hardly be seen with the naked eye, given
to General Wallace by ragged old Greek.
whom he had helped out of trouble in
COnstantinople; model of graceful
s.
and many other things, each having some
what of a personal interest to it's owner.
On the wall hangs large and very at
tractive oil portrait of former sultan,
taken in childhood. This was presented
by the Sultan Abdul Hamid to Mrs Wal
lace, and is counted among the richest
treasures of her interesting home.
Personally General Wallace is delight
full man. He bears his sixty-five years as
if they were but fifty. Tall, erect. digni-
fed, without a "frill." gracefully ap-
proachable and of a mild disposition. with
none of these "eccentricities of genius
which make many famous men so dis
agreeable personally, he is charming
man to visit. He and his gifted wife live
alone, as the saying is. That is. his son is
resident of Indianapolis. But the four
other dwellings in the vast Enclosure of Ell
stOn grove are occupied by relatives of q
brother and sisters of Mrs. Wallace, and
there is no dearth of company.
Since curious public is always inquir-
ing into the habits of great authors. and
the questions ''Does he drink ?" and ''Does
he smoke ?" may be asked, l may be par
doned if I relate harmless little story
which is still sometimes told in Craw-
louisville. There used to be a place in
that city-I believe it still exists-where
the cronies of the town were wont to come
and sit in goodly company the while they
spun Cneir reminiscent yarns anu reSpecta-
bly, slipped their toddies made from pure
runs of years long gone. 1t is said that
General Wallace now and then dropped in
here to meet his old friends and talk over
the events of the day. On one occasion,
SO the story goes, he entered and stood be-
fore the counter. At the same moment
his son Henry entered by another door.
and before either knew it both were stand
ing side by side at the counter. The dis
covery might have been embarrassing, but
the father promptly laid a dime upon the
counter, saying:
"Give me cigar"
"Give me cigar" said the son.
And the two locked arms and walked
away.
If this tale be true it would seem to in
dictate that there was a time. some years
ago, when General Wallace smoked to
some slight extent.
WILLIS b. HAWKINS.