The Monmouth inquirer., 1905-11-16
A FAMOUS BUILDING.
Where General Lew Wallace Wrote
Part of "Ben-Hur."

Where General Lew Wallace Wrote
Part of "Ben-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
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
SCdth 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
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 1879-SO 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 life
long interest in the historic features of
New Mexico, wrote to General Wallace
for confirmation of the fact. General
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
till after II 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 crucifxion.
The retirement, impenetrable to sound,
was as profound as cavern's."
The force of the reference can be I'M
derstood when one observes the thick
ness of the mighty adobe walls which
have lasted SO many generations. 1t is
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,
like theirs, with the resinous pinon
boughs, which make the brightest and
most beautiful of flames.
Vast loads of these pinon boughs go
perambulating about the streets Of San
ia Fe, apparently without any motor
power But if 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
at one point has curious history. In
1850 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-
ed on Aug. 20 Of that year. Great was
the triumph of the Pueblo chieftains
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 NAV see such houses today in the
remoter Pueblos of New Mexico. So
the conquering Indians of 1860 closed
all the doors of the palace, reared lad
ders outside and cut a hole in the roof
(still preserved as a skylight for their
exits and entrances.-New York Press.