Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-05-14
AN ODD INSPIRATION.
"BiIly tho Kids" Influence on the story
of Ben Hur.

"Btiy tho Kids" influence ON the btory
OF Ben Hur.
"The author of Ben Hur' will not
nave the warlike inspiration in writing
his new book that he had when he
wrote his Tale Of the Christ" said an
ardent admirer of Gen. Lew Wallace
while conyersins with some friends
upon the forthcoming war book the
soldier-author is now preparing.
"How's thatP" was asked by a gen.
tleman present. IL never heard that
there was any especial warlike inspir-
alton connected with his other work.
1t was just a good story well told. II
| remember correctly. Gen. Wallace
wrote most Of it in Turkey when he
was our Minister at Constantinople.
What do you mean by warlike inspira-
ton in tfis case, anyway"
"Well, my remark was not wholly
meaningless" was the reply. IL mean
that when Gen. Lew Wallace wrote
Ben Hur,' or ut least a part of it, he
had reason TO be in a state of great
nervous excitement. Whether he was
or not of course ] cannot say, rs | can
only Judge from circumstances. And
may add that your assumption that
Pen Hur' was written in Turkey is not
correct. Many Of the pages and proof
sheets Of the work were written and
read by The General in Santa Fe, N.
M. lie was Governor of that Territory
before being sent to Turkey, and it
WAS in the historic old place, the former
horne Of the Captain-General, that the
author & Ben lIur' reveled in visions
Of the Holy Land and evolved his pop
ular story. A misty old place, that
place. and well fitted for day-dreams.
Col. Ingersoll once said that Santa Fe
reminded him of some town of the
Orient which had worked itself up
through the center of the earth and
only succeeded in getting one story
above ground"
"But the warlike inspiration, how
about that?"
I'm coming to that. When Ben
Hur' was at the zenith Il its popular
ity many anecdotes of Gen. Lew Wal
lace were related. The work had not
been expected of him, and the squib-
bers never wearied of telling stories OF
the author. But they missed the one
/ am about TO tell you. Can you i'm
agine the sedate author, soldier, and
statesman preparing for a mortal COM
bat with so unworthy yet formidable
an antagonist as Billy the Kid?' Pict-
ure Gov. Wallace in n corral in the
rear of the palace firing at the figure
of Billy the Kid chalkcd on the adobe
wall. True as | am alive, every
morning the Governor took his pistol
and started for the corral to practice.
A few shots ut the chalked figure of
the outlaw and then a struggle with
Ben Hur.' That was the routine OF
Gov. Wallace's life. as the duties OF
his office were lighter. Why was he
shooting at the Kid? Not only Gov.
Wallace, but many other well-posted
men in New Mexico expected that
within a short time the Governor
would be called upon to protect HIM
self from the little desperate. When
Billy The Kid broke Jail in Lincoln
County, after killing two guards, he
set out on a mission of blood. He said
he expected to be killed or hanged, but
that before he passed in his checks he
would Kill Gov. Wallace and several
others. He swore that he would ride
into Santa Fe, hitch his horse to the
plaza fence. and walk into Gov. Wal
lace's office and fill him full of bullets.
This was the original Billy the Kid
The West has teemed with would-be
bad men of that name since, but this
was the little Boston lad, who boosted
that he had killed a MAJ for every
year of his life. Everybody vino knew
al, .K,If hnlta,+al that hA uUntlA r,rrv
out his threat. Gen. Wallace certainly
did, and from the time the Kid secur.
ed his freedom the Generals revolver
was always within reach. While he
WAS ut work in his office it was on the
table at his side, and no doubt many q
well-rounded sentence of Ben Hur
was interrupted by a nervous glance
at the door rs some n approached.
While the book was being written
Billy the Kid occupied q large share
of the attention of the author, and IL
is not unlikely that the little demon
may have had an influence upon the
trend Of the novel. Gov. Wallace
made no secret of his apprehensive-
ness. Like a brave man he said:
'Forcwarned, forearmed,' and he set
about perfecting himself in pistol prac-
tice So that he would be able to cope
with his enemy. SO expert did he be-
come that it would have been a haz-
ardous thing for the Kid to have VEN
tured into the palace. When Sheriff
Pat Garrett of Lincoln County, the
Kids arch enemy, set out in pursuit
of him, Gen. Wallace said to me: 1t
is an even chance which one of those
two men will pe killed. If they ever
meet it is my firm belief that one of
them will bite the dust. The Kid is
a dead shot. and filled with the cour-
age of desperation, while the Sheriff is
a man of great determination, and ex-
pert with pistol and rifle. and fired by
revenge for the death of his two best
friends, Bob Ollinger and John Bell,
whom Billy killed when he broke Jail.
/ shall watch this pursuit with the
deepest interest. Its result may have
some effect on my own future
"Gen. Wallace laughed as he made
this last remark, but the Kid and his
threats were nevertheless annoying.
The prediction that either Garrett OF
the outlaw would be killed was veri-
fed. A pistol in the hands of Garrett
sent a bullet through the Kids heart
in a little house near Fort Sumner,
N. NJ. When this happened Gov. Wal
lace had gone to Constantinople. but !
have no doubt that even there he was
reioiced ut the news of the Kids
death"
Why He Waited.