The Washington herald., 1911-11-10

4
Bakhmetieff. the successor Of Baron de
Rosen, and brother-in-law of John r. Nc
Lean. accompanied by Nine. Mary 'Beale
Bakhmetieff, his wife, will arrive in this
city tomorrow and will at once enter
upon their new duties here, official as
well as social
The Bakhmetieffs are no strangers in
Washington, where the new ambassador
some years ago was attached to the Rus
sian Legation as one OF the secretaries,
and Nine. Blakhmeteiff spent her girlhood
days as Mary Beale. Her father was
Gen. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a grand
son OF Commodore Truxtun, one OF the
first six captains appointed by Gen.
Washington In the early days Of the navy
to protect the commence Of the United
States. Gen. Beale himself fought under
Commodore Stockton, made a notable
record in the army, was one OF the Cali
fornia pioneers, brave and gallant gen.
tleman, and an intimate friend, the most
intimate friend, perhaps, OF Gen. Grant,
from the days Of the war until the lat
ter's death.
Met Husband Here.
The BeaIes lived in the. house on the
corner OF H street and Jackson place
Quilt by Commodore Decatur, and where
he died after his celebrated duel with
Barron), which they acquired for purely
sentimental reasons. Decatur had served
as midshipman and lieutenant under
Truxtun, with whom he was Q great
favorite, and to preserve the mementos
Of his gTandfather's protege, and per-
vent the house from falling into un-
worthy hands, Gen. Beale purchased 1t,
and here Mrs. Beale, who was dis
tinguished woman of the old school,
established salon which was one Of
the most noted at the Capital It was
is this house shortly after the war that
Mamie Beale, as her friends called her,
made her debut. At that time one Of the
secretaries of the Russian Legation was
George Bakhmetieff, young and hand
some Russian nobleman, a general beau
in Society, and an all round fascinating
man. 1t was small wonder that this
drawmg-room hero caught the fancy Of
Miss Beale, who spoke French fuently,
and passed some time abroad, and was
in sympathy with things foreign. Their
marriage followed a short engagement,
not long after which Mr.. Bakhmetieff
was ordered abroad.
At the time Of his marriage the rank
of the young diplomat was only that Of
attache, but he was steadily advanced,
and some eighteen years ago was pro-
NOTED to the grade OF minister. Preyl-
GUS to his service in Tokyo, Mr. Bakhme-
tieff was chief Of the Russian legation in
Athens, where Nine. Bakhmetieff was a
prominent member OF the court circle
The Russian interests in Greece make II
necessary for its representative to enter
tain lavishly in that country, and no one
Is sent to its capital who Is not equipped
for this service. The Bakhmetieffs were
lavish N their scale Of living and enter
taining, and it was with great regret
that news of Mr.. BakhmetIefrs transfer
to Tokyo was received there.
Has Wonderful JeweIry.
Nine. Bakhmetiefr would be taken for a
woman in any circle, for,
while she is no longer a great beauty,
she has an air of breeding and she wears
original clothes, and most interesting,
bizarre Jewelry. Her favorite adorn-
ments are some superb torquoise, a won
derful necklace, and great earrings,
which hang nearly to her shoulders, the
stones OF which she has been years in
and are most becoming Quite
as interesting to her Washington friends
as her wonderful jewelry, during her last
visit, was her little Yorkshire terrier, a
most intelligent and interesting beast,
which made the long journey with her to
Tokyo.
Nine. Bakhmetief"s only brother, Trux-
tun Beale, Is man OF parts, a success
full diplomatist, and an authority on
Asiatic questions. his interest in which
was awakened when he was American
Minister to Persia His articles on this
subject have excited keen interest and
have been widely quoted. After his df-
vorce from Harriet Blaine, Mr. Beale
married Marie Oge, a niece Of the late
Chief Justice Chase.
Nine. Bakhmetieff's only sister is Mrs
John r. Mclean, widely known in Wash
ngton for her hospitality, and who is a
sister-in-law OF Mrs. Dewey, wife of the
Admiral of the Navy.
The mother of this interesting trio Is
still remembered in Washington, where |
she passed her declining years, and was
often seen driving about the streets in a |
ow-hung victoria, dressed in handsome |
clothes beautiful laces and !
yelvets that have been banished from the |
Tardrobes of to-day by modern fripperies, |
her weak eyes covered with great dark !
goggles On the high box OF her Carriage |
we're her negro coachman and footman, |
who had been in her service for a lifetime, |
n their plum-colored Hveries, very proud |
If their thoroughbred horses, their hand
'ome carriage, but proudest of their old |
whom they tenderly guarded.
There are few American-born ambassa-
iresses of European powers who have
played a more notable role abroad than
George Bakhmetieff's clever wife, and on
me occasion she brought about a cabinet
'risis in the capital to which her husband I
vas accredited. 1t redounded, however,
o her honor, and she had in the affair
lot only the Endorsement of her hus-
,ands government, but likewise the good
will of the people of the country in which
he was stationed. It was when George
was Russian Minister y at
'ofia' one of the most difficult and deli
ate Of posts in the Cars dipIomatic