Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-03-04
BEN HUR ROOM
BELIEVED To Be
LOCATED At LAST
Question Which Has Agitated
Santa FeanS for Many
Years Thought to Be Set
tied by Ancient Letter.

ESPECIAL u1sPAfcH 70 MORNING ieURHALi
santa Fe, March Where is the
Ben lur room2 is % question that has
BEEN vigorously debated ia Santa Fe
for The past few years and many have
been the opinions that have been adj
vanced BY contemporaries Of Gov
ernor Lew Wallace. who hobnobbed
with him ia the years Of 1879 to 1881
during which he occupied the Palace
/ cf the Governors and those who had
located the room by tradition. But
the following letter from j. p. Har-
rlnglon, of the staff of the school Of
American Archaeology received today
from Ventura Callf. where Mr.. Har-
rington is making original researches
among tho Indians. should settle the
question,
When the School 90 American Arr
ehaeology was established IN the old
Palace Of the Governors n 1908. a
Ben Hur room was found to be in
oxlricahly interviewer with the life
and legends Of the place it seems
that Governor Lew Wallace. while
governor of New Mexico IN f879-18S1.
had lived Boo the puiace and mad writ
ten portion OF his famous novel, Ben
Hun, within its historic walls Just
rs piece of folklore or an abstract
myth often becomes localized and def
mite So q certain room in the old pal
lace had been fixed upon by tradition al
the ono in which the Tale OF the
Christ was penned. And this room,
determined In haphazard manner,
had been given an amount Of publicity
mat was simply appalling.
'lneXtricably interviewer. 1t did not
take any employee OF The school or
museum long 10 find that out Funny
indeed. were The experiences of some
.ot the employees who We're called upon
20 pilot visitors about the palace. III
imply would NOT 40 % ten the visitors
thai Hen Hur was composed iii thla
haildne, presumably I'M various parts
.of it especially IL they were from
Missouri. The fact was ihat the room
had become a verilablc shrine. Il rival
TO amy relies described i'm Mark
TRain Innocence Abroad II there
were mo- Ben llur room these visitors
would demand that one be 1T once
created An the hcautiful things Of
me museum are passed hY with hard
4 q glance by these shrine pilgrims
a whole pueblo Of live cliffdWellers
would not deflect them II Is the Ben
l4ae room Chat they have come to see.
mat they are going 10 see. Where is
~ When they ask Tor bread. would
you give them o. stone? II is cold
comfort TO ten them that Ben Hur
was written in various parts Of the
palace But how they enthuse when
Won tell them That this room or that
room Is the one Let me put my feet
on the spot says one 4 am going
80 So here and mediate. SAYS another
or one wants % write q postcard In
The supposed room This Is all right
II Il were the room but Il isn't o.
recall how late one afternoon / came
upon am EngIlshman standing tn the
dusk ia one uf ihc front rooms of the
building An am 7 in the Ben Hur
room he said with dramatic accent
hut % lady from Dallas. Tex. 10 whom
! once showed the sacred site capped
the climax She almost went into ec-
ai1eiea So am really III the room
Whero Ben Hun wrote Lev Wallace.
she exclaimed. rollins M her eyes
Rather Than % have these good
people prey 90 such Illusions. an at-
tempt was made to thorouehlv inves-
tlsaie the subject in the hope of dis
tuEHrlnr tho tfu. F.u rfup raof,. f,lt.