The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-06

for number of years In the city she has two
large aud fine houses, one of them being the
former residence of Henry Meiggs, the Califor-
MIA fugitive which was the finest residence in
Santiago at the time it was built All the tim
Der and other material used in its con-
struction came from California, and il is
mostly red cedar. The construction and archi-
lecture are after the American plan, and in ap-
pearance and arrangement it resembles the
villas at Newport The cost enormous. but
1t was built in the days Of Meiggs's glory, when
money was OF no value TO him. The other city
residence Of Sonora Cousino is a stone mansion
erected on the Spanish American plan, with
court IN the center, and is ornamented with
some very elaborate carving. The interior was
decorated and furnished many years ago by
Parlslan artists, at an enormous cost, and the
house is ut for the palace of a king There is
no more elaborate or extensive residence in
America and the money expended upon it would
build as fine house as that of w H. Wander
bit In New York. The widow spends very little
time In its walls, however. as she prefers the
home at Lota, where most of her business is.
Her ability as manager is remarkable, and
she directs every DETAIL receiving weekly reports
from the ten or twelve superintendent who have
immediate charge of her affairs. While she is
generous to profigacy, she requires a strict &C
count of every dollar earned spent upon her
vast estates, and is very sharp at driving bar
gain. One of her Scotch superintendent told
me that there was no use In any one trying to
get ahead of the madame you cannot move
addition to her landed property and her mines,
she owns much city real estate, the rental of
which brings her several hundred thousand dol
lars year, and she is the principal stockholder
in the largest bank in Santiago. Not long ago
she presented park of hundred acres to the
people Of that city and course adjoining it.
The madame is very fond of young men: and
has from fifteen to twenty young fellows around
her constantly, to whom she gives all the money
they can spend. In return, she expects them to
entertain her. While the United States feet
was at Valparaiso not long ago, she invited all
the officers to spend week with her at "MacuP
and Santiago and sent special train to bring
them up. Admiral Upshur and about twenty of
his officers accepted the invitation lodged at the
widows houses, rode in her carriages, and had a
high old time at her expense. She would not
allow one of them to spend dollar, and sent
word to all the shops and restaurants that any
thing the American officers ordered was to be
charged to her account, There was good deal
of scandal over this affair at Santiago and
the Americans who were not asked
share the madame's hospitality felt at lib
they pleased. BUT the officers were in no
way to blame for this was of the ladys
freaks and her method Of having good time
Every person of distinction who comes to Chilli
is entertained by her, and her balls are marvels
of social spendor. Lady Brassey, in her story of
the voyage of the Sunbeam, gives an account Of
her acquaintance with Sonora Cousino, and the
splendor in which she lives.
Last spring the madame fitted out one of her
coal ships, provisioIed it in the most eXtrava-
CANT manner, hired an orchestra of twelve pieces,
and invited fifty more ladies and gentlemen
to take cruise. The party visited Juan Ter
nandez, the island that is sacred to the memory
of Robinson Crusoe, and then sailed down the
coast to Terre del FGego, where several days
were spent in search of good time. From the
stories that are told the errand successful,
and the gossips of Chill will never to talk
about it. The cruise lasted about three weeks,
and cost the madame many thousands OF dollars.
Fabulous stories are told of her extravaganza.
million of dollars Or so is a trfie to a woman
whose income is enormous, and there is moth
ing in the world that she will not buy if she hap
pens to want it. She doesn't care much for art,
but has collection of diamonds that is very
large and valuable, and sometimes appears
loaded down with them. Usually she looks very
shabby, as she has no taste or ambition in dress,
and her party ccstumes that are ordered from
Paris are seldom worn. OF late she has been a
sufferer from sciatica, and it has not only de-
stroyed the madames own pleasure. but has seri
ously impaired the comfort of those who have
relations with her. Although comparatively
young woman being somewhere between forty
five and fifty years of age she declares that
she will not marry again, and there
is not a man in Chill who has the courage to
ask her. Not long since she took a fancy to a
young German, with very blonde beard and
hair, and insisted that he should give up his
business and make his home with her. The in
ducements she offered were sufficient, and for
several months the young man has been tied to
her apron strings, having the ostensble employ
ment of private secretary. But the madame is
very tickle, and will probably throw him over
board when the within seizes her, as
she has many others. The portrait which / send
represents Sonora Cousino in her everyday
tune, which consists of the traditional black
embroidered manta, worn by all the women of
Chilli aud Peru when they appear in the street
The pictures of her daughters show one, Senior
ita Pacifica, in fancy costume, and the other
Senorita Isadora, in ordinary reception dress
Neither of the girls inherits their mothers
business ability, or least they have not devel-
opeG it, but very popular in society and
Senorita Isadora, the elder. has great deal of
musical talent, performing on the violin and
piano Both are very bright and pretty, one
being about seventeen and the other nine
of twenty-three or twenty -four, will share the
thing for boy with so much money to develop
the business capacity and industry that he
shows. He looks after the estancia at Macul
and spends from six to eight hours aday in the
saddle, riding about the place, seldom joining in
the festivities that his mother enjoys so much,
and being quite pronounced in his disapproval
of her extravaganza. He is to marry young
lady Of rather humble station and it is expected
that the Meiggs mansion, which l have de-
scribed, will be given to the bride by his mother
as wedding gift
The Expert Billiard Playing at st. Louis.
ST. LOUIS. Dec. 5-Slosson, tonight won for
the second time in the series of billiard games
played here during the latter part of this week.
Nhn hn4rr