The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-02-17
A KENTUCKY "REMINISCENCES.
An Old Mansion with Strange
IXfsiOry--A Story Connected With
the Chaumiedes Prairies.

An Old Mansion With a Strange
IXfsiOry--A Story Connected With
the Chsumiedes Prairies.
A Lexington correspondent of the
Courier enrnal gives the following
entertaining piece of domestic and 10
cal history: Some miles from Lex
ingtor, beyond the Jessamime border,
there is an old house, on a farm be-
longing to a Mr.. Hedley, which has
rather curious history. 1t was built
by Col. John Meade, wealthy and
eccentric gentleman, an Englishman L
believe. great many years ago, when
Kentucky was new State and as yet
sparsely inhabited, and. though the
original structure has undergone many
changes, still presents quaint and
unique appearance. Not time SO much
as the hand of man has wrought the
changes. Once, tradition says, on the
arose castellated walls whose turrets
and battlements, constructed after
the old Norman plan, seemed strange
iy out of place in country where few
men of those who were bes5 off in
worldly possessions aspired to any
thing beyond dwelling of hewn logs.
AT the entrance of the grounds stood
porter's lodge, over the gate of which
was the inscription cut in the solid
stone, "Chaumier des Prairies." The
grounds were extensive and beautiful,
and winding through them, there were
handsome and carefully kept drives
and walks among coopses and shrub
berry, rich ano sylvan statuary and
fountains. An artificial lake, with an
island in its center, was formed, and
on this island workmen were employed
first to build and then to throw down
a miniature castle that a view of pic
turesque ruins might not be wanting.
Nature supplied, in another place,
grotto, or cave, which your CORES
pondent has seen, and within whose
recesses there was abundance of sta
lactities-and where, by the way, it is
said gigantic human bones, that must
have belonged to people, at least nine
feet high, were found.
Lavish In the expenditure OF means
in the qualification of his peculiar but
cultivated taste, the proprietor re-
quired of his numerous menials that
everything should always be in perfect
order. His style of living was rather
that of
"A
than of the primitive and homely peo-
pie among whom through some caprice
he had cast his lot. 1t is related that
one day the Hon. Samuel Woodson,
the father of the Hon. Ii. Woodson,
of Missouri, and of the late Judge
Tucker Woodson, of Jessamime, then
gress from Kentucky, called at Chau-
mier on some matter of business, and,
meeting the proprietor before reach
ing the house. stopped to talk with
him. Col. Meade returned with
grace the salutations of his
visitor, after which the latter, declin-
ing an invitation to go within pro-
ceeded at once to explain the business
that brought MIN there. Like most
Kentuckians of that day, Woodson
chewed tobacco, and, as from time to
time during the conversation he
elected mouthfuls of amber upon the
white pebt,ly walk, he noticed that
there was something the matter with
his polite and hospitable host. The
latter restrained himself, however,
until at last, at the close of an ener-
get1c sentence, the Kentuckian took a
huge quid out of his mouth and threw
it on the ground. That was too much
for the stately old patrician. With
wave of his hand he summoned ser
want who was standing near. Bring
a wheelbarrow and shovel, and cart
that load off, said he with an express
sion of intense disgust on his face.
Having taken the quid of tobacco up
with the shovel, the man was ABOUT to
wheel it off, when Col. Woodson, who
had oone on talking as if nothing had
occurred, now seemed, for the first
time, to take in the situation. ''Stop
my man" said he coolly, cutting off
and putting into his mouth quarter
section from his plug of cavendish.
Stop, my man, I'll have another load
for you directly