Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-12-15
A FAMOUS BUILDING.
Where General Lew Wallace wro
Part CT "Rcu-HurD


where General Lew Wallace Wrote
Part CT "Ren-Hur."
Associated with the name OF General
Lew Wallace and with that of his most
FAMOUS book is the name OF the Oldest
building on the continent, which has
1 been continuously occupied as a seat
Of government since its erection. This
Is the governors palace, which bounds
one side of the plaza in the center of
the city OF Santa Fe. Unlike the Old
South church, Mount Vernon, and 9th
er historic buildings which have been
/ saved from destruction only by con-
version into museums, the palace has
never once ceased TO be the seat of
authority since New Mexico was a
crown colony of Spain Spanish vice
roys, Mexican governors and territorial
governors sent from Washington have
all lived there.
1t was as governor OF the territory
that General Wallace occupied the
house in 1S79-S0, and in the great. RAM
bling old adobe structure there is one
room called the "Ben-Hur" room. The
author was known to have written a
part OF the book there, and when the
novel became famous former Governor
Bradford Prince, who has had a life
long interest in the historic features of
New Mexico, wrote to General Wallace
for confirmation of the fact. Genera;
-Wallace's reply. which has been pre-
served in Santa Fe, said:
when in the city my habit was to
shut myself up in the bedroom back OF
the executive Office proper and write
I'LL after - o'clock. The sixth, seventh
and eighth books were the result. and
the room has ever since been associ.
ated in my mind with the cruci6xion.
The retirement, impenetrable to sound.
was as profound as cavern's."
The force Of the reference can be un-
cerStood when one observes the thick
ness OF the mighty adobe walls which
have lasted SO many generations. 1t Is
n perfectly unpretentious building.
very long and only one story high. The
visitor is astounded at the spacious.
ness OF the interior. 1t has scores OF
immense rooms, each warmed by the
quaint three cornered fireplace copied
from the Pueblo Indians, and fired.
Ike theirs, with the resinous pinon
boughs. which make the brightest and
most beautiful of flames.
Vast loads of these pinon boughs 60
perambulatlng about the streets of San
Ia Fe, apparently without any motor
power. But IL one looks closely he may
discover the legs and nose Of a sad lit
tie Mexican burro protruding from
the mass. And in making his bargain
with the bright eyed Indian boy who
accompanies it he Will decide that the
fuel trade in Santa Fe has picturesque
features denied to load OF coal dump
ed through a hole In the sidewalk.
a skylight in the roof OF the building
Mt one point has q curious history. In
1OSO-the Pueblo Indians rose against
the Spanish invaders and drove them
temporarily from the country. The
Spanish garrison was massed in the
governors palace, which they evacuat-
cd on Aug. 20 OF that year. Great was
the triumph OF the Pueblo chleftains
when they gained possession OF the
building from which the commands for
their government had so long emanat-
ed. They burned the Spanish archives
In vast bonfire. but preserved the pal
ace to be the residence OF their chiefs.
But the Pueblo Indian from time i'm
memorial has entered his house from
the roof, drawing the ladder up after
him when there are enemies without.
One may see such houses today in the
remoter Pueblos OF New Mexico. So
the conquerlng Indians of IS6o closed
all the doors OF the palace. reared lad
ders outside and cut a hole in the roof
(stiil preserved as a skylight for their
exits and entrances.-New York Press