Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-03
COMEDIAN OVERLOOKING

0N the apex of a hill. the highest
point of land in town. Francis
" Wilson built his beautiful home in
New Rochelle. From the windows of
the house, which is spacious affair.
with wide halls. many windows. a wind
ing staircase and big sunshiny rooms.
one overiooks the undulating meadows
and many pretty residences in which
New Rochelle abounds, out over the
reaches of Long Island sound. In the
springtime the house Is in the middle
OF a pink and white sea of flowers, for
II Is built in the center of a big apple
orchard. In fact, Mr.. Wilson calls his
home "The Orchard" and so close are
some of the trees to the house that in
the late summer the comedian could
lean out of his study window and help
himself to his favorite luncheon.
New Rochelle is the home of many
who are prominent in the theatrical and
artistic world but Francis Wilson's
Orchard" Is the show place of the
town. The halls and drawing rooms are
filled with pictures, for both the come
dian and his wife are fond of paintings,
and in the collection are many valuable
ones There are some especially fine
examples of modern Dutch art-lsrael,
Thaulow, Mauve and Van Marck being
represented, and there are also Corot
or so. a Detaille, Rembrant, Jules
Breton, a Jacque, a Neuhys, Blum
mers, a Scllreyer, q Zeim, a Moncha-
blon and a Rosa Bonheur. If the
comedian had the purse OF Monte Crtsto
or the Standard Oil king and Queen
wilhelmina were to put up her galleries
for sale the entire collection would
most probably decorate the walls OF
Francis Wilson's home, for the painters
of the lowlands are by long odds his
favorites.
Under a wide window on the broad
landing of the staircase is handsome
collection of brasses and coppers-great
bowls from Benares, teapots from Hol-
land, giant candlesticks from Allen
street and samovars from Russia
A Famous Library
Just I'D the stairs is the comedians
study--his den, no calls 1t; and IL is
here he spends most of his play time in
good hard work. This room Is essen
TALLY the intimate home Of the book
lover, for well worn volumes line the
walls all the way up to the ceiling, and
here and there are interspersed mezzo-
tints of some of his favorite authors.
Above the fiat topped writing table,
which is also Uttered with manu-
script, looks down a bronze Napoleon-a
copy from the death mask of the great
Frenchman, taken by his Corsican ply
sician, Antommarchi; and In blue
vase upon the table are always some
freshly cut flowers. crimson roses,
black-eyed susans, blue cornflowers, !
which give color to the room.
Mr.. Wilson, dark and whimsical, |
when seated in his low chair looks !
around at his books with smile that is
almost q caress. He is fond of quaint |
things, although he tries hard not to |
appear overproud of his remarkable |
collection OF autographed letters from |
famous men, and only very casually !
calls attention to a settle of black oak |
which was fashioned from pew taken |
from the {. urch at Stratford on Avon,
where the immortal bard attended SER
vices
Just how the comedian secured this
treasure should ! made into an inter-
esting story full of mystery. But un-
fortunately the plain facts are that
the rector of the church was very |
ritualistic person who desired prize |
tlieux instead of the old time pews and
who turned deaf ear when they called |
him a vandal for selling the old pews |