Evening star., 1911-08-27
ME GEORG BAKETlEFF WIFE OF THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR

aginatiOn and he applied for service in
the army President Pierce appointed
him brigadier general, and he entered the
Union army after the firing on Fort sum
ter and served throughout the four
years, part of the time on the staff of
Gen Grant. When the hostlities ceased
Cen Beale again sought the quiet OF civil
life. and took up large estates in Los
Angeles and about Santa Clara county,
Cal, where he engaged in sheep raising.
His two daughters, now Nine. Bakme-
tieff and Mrs. John r. Mclean, who were
Mary and Emily Beale, spent their early
girlhood on the Pacific coast and re-
ceived most of their education there. In
1876 President Grant appointed his old
friend and staff officer minister to Aus
tria and he remained there for nearly
four years. His daughters received every
advantage of travel and of residence at
one of the most cultured and stately
courts in Europe, an experience which
fitted them both for the high social po-
>sition attained in their after life The
elder daughter Mary, now Nine. Bakme-
tieff, was always noted for her love of
history and philosophy and gave many
hours to the study of the languages She
made her debut in Washington in the
early eighties in the fine old Beale man
sion, on II street. This old house is ia
HiouS III IOIdl dHiIdlS DIS the nome OF COM
modore Decatur. and ii was to this resi-
dence that he was brought after his fatal
duel with Barron at Bladensburg.
The old mansion has passed through
many vicissitudes and was once the
French legation. 1t was purchased by
Gen. Beale after his return from Vienna
and fitted up in superb style. Both
MS daughters were married in St. John s,
which Is opposite. and their wedding re-
ceptions occurred in this stately home
NJ. Bakmetieff was filling a minor post
when he captured the heart of the elder
Miss Beale. The wedding was one OF a
series of brilliant nuptial events which
marked this same winter. 1888, and which
included the nuptials of James G Blaines
eldest daughter. Alice, to Gen. John j.
Coppinger; of Senator Thomas Bayard's
daughter, Mabel to William Warren of
Delaware: OF Miss Dora Miller, daughter
of the millionaire justice from California,
to Capt. Richardson Glover and of a
score of other weddings equally import
ant. NJ. Bakmetieff remained in Wash
ington only few months after his mar
riage. He was sent first to the Balkans
and later to Korea and to Toxic His
diplomatic career has been phenomenally
brilliant and he has stepped from one
post to another, always going higher, with
rapidity hitherto unknown in the grad
ed foreign service Of Russia He has
now reached one of the most exalted and
important posts under the foreign Office,
while he is on the sunny side of fifty
Nine. Bakmetieff has never permitted
her interest In her home city to lag dur
ing these many years in which she has
lived abroad. Seldom have more than two
years elapsed without visit of two or
three months to Mrs. Mclean and her
close friends in this country. She spent
several months here last spring and it
was then that the ha
Rosen's failing health would lead to his
retirement and the logical successor was
NJ Bakmetieff. But for a time II was
feared that Nine. Bakmetieff's nationality
would prevent her husband ever being
sent to serve In Washington But his
eminent fitness for the post triumphed
over prejudices and he will come to the
American capital as the youngest diplo-
mat of the first rank which Russia has
ever sent to any country and the first