The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-16
THE RICHEST WOMAN.
More Wealthy Than Any Other
In the World.
A. FULL
Of Nine. Cousino, Of Chill, Who
Owns Parks, Mines, Etc.-Her
Affection for Young Men.

than she. There is MT end to her none.
and no limit to her extravaganza, ant
people call her the Countess OF Mont
Cristo. She traces her ancestors back tt
the days Of the Conquest, and has tn
record of the first OF her fathers who landed
in the New World.
Like hers, the ancestors OF her late hus
band came over early, and in the partition
OF the lands and spoils of the conquest
both got ii large share, which they kept anc
increased by adding the portions given tt
their less thrifty and less enterprising asso
ciates, until the two estates became the
largest, most productive and most valu
able in all the haciendas Of Chill. sand were
finally united into one by the marriage
twrnty-four veal RS ago, OF the late Don AND
his surviving widow. While he lived he was
considered the richest nan in Chill and she
the richest woman, for their property was
kept separate, the husband managing his
estates and the wife her own, and people
say she was altogether the better admins
traitor of the two. This fact he acknOwl-
edged in his will when he bequeathed all OF
his possessions to her and piled his PeliOn
upon her Ossa. 81 that she has millions oil
| acres Of land, millions OF dollars in money,
| hocks and heards that are numbered by the
hundreds of thousands, coal, copper and
silver mines, acres OF real estate, in the
| cities of Santiago and Valparaiso, a fleet
of iron ships, smelling works, Il railroad
and various other trifes in the way OF pro-
ductive property, which yield her an in
come of several millions a year, that she
| tries very hare to spend, and, under the
| circumstances succeeds as we'll as could be
expected.
THE VINE OF Two TOWNS.
Mime. Cousino owns every house in the
| town Of Lots, and every one of its six or
| seven Thousand inhabitants is dependent
| upon her for support. In Coronel her pro-
| prietorship is not quite so complete, but
ninc-tenths of the people, and there are
5000 there, are on her ray-rolls. She has
brick kilns aud potteries, as well rs smelt-
res, and makes all the tiles and earthware
! used on the west coast. 1t is said that she
| pays out from 500, OOOe to $12O 900 Il
month as wages in these two towns, most
of which comes back into her pocket
through the supply stores, where she sells
food and clothing to her own people.
Although Lota is only a mining town, as
| dirty and smoky as any OF it's counterparts
| in Pennsylvania, it is the widows favurite
| place of residence, and she is now building
a mansion that will cost a million dollars
at least. The architect and chief builder
arc Frenchmen, whom she imported from
Paris, and much OF the material is i'm
ported also.
The mansion stands in the center OF what
is undoubtedly the finest private park in
the world, including $50 acres OF land, laid
out in the most elaborate manner, fields
with %statuary, fountains, g%rottos, caves,
cascades and no end of beautiful trees and
plants. The improvement OF the natural
beauty of the place is said to have cost
Sonora Cousino nearly a million dollars,
and she has a force OF thirty gardeners
constantly at work. The superintendent
is a Scotchman, who says his orders are to
make the place a paradise, without regard
to cost.
FOND OF YOUNG E
The Madame is very fond OF young men,
and has from fifteen to twenty young fel
lows around her constantly, to whom she
gives all the money they can spend. In re-
turn she expects them to entertain her
While the United States fleet was at Nalpa
raisO not long ago. she invited all the Off.
GERS to spend a week with her at "Macul'
and Santiago, and sent Il special train tC
bring them up. Admiral . pshur and about
twenty OF his officers accepted the invita-
ton, lodged at the widows house, rode in
her carriages. and had q high old time al
her expense. She would not allow one o
them to spend d dollar, and sent word tc
all the shops and restaurants hat any
thing the American officers wanted was to bt
charged to her account. There was Il gooc
deal OF scandal over this affair at Santiago
and the Americans who were not asked te
share the Madame's hospitality felt at lib.
erty to talk about it as severely as they
pleased. But the officers were in no way
to blame, for this was one OF the lady.
freaks, and her method Of having Il good
nan Ex-nrr- rs .iIfIp,, ,u1,<
comes to Chill is entertained by her, an
her balls are marvels OF social splendor.
Last spring the Madame fitted out one o
her coal ships, provisioned it in the mos
~extravagant manner, hired an orchestra o
twelve pieces and invited fifty or NOR,
ladies and gentlemen to take a cruise. Th.
party visited Juan Fernandez. the islant
that is sacred to the memory Of Robinson
Crusoe, and then sailed down the coast t
Terra del Fuego, were several days wer
spent in search of a good time. From tn,
stories that are told the errand was sue
c~essful, and the gossips OF Chill will neve
cease to talk about it. The cruise lastee
about three weeks and cost the Madam,
many thousands OF dollars.
ExrRAvAaANcE.
Fabulous stories are told of her extrava
gance. A million OF dollars or so is a trif
to q woman whose income is so enormous
and there is nothing in the world that sh,
will not buy if she happens to want it. Sh
doesn't care much for art, but has a collec
ton of diamonds that is very large ant
valuable, and smetitnes appears loaded
down with them. Usually she looks very
shabby, as she has no taste or ambition il
dress, and her party costumes that ar
ordered from Paris are seldom worn. o
late she has been a sufferer Of sciatica, ant
it has not only destroyed the Madame
own pleasure, but has seriously impaired
the comfort of those who have relation
with her.
Although comparatively young woman
being somewhere between As and SO year,
Of age, she declares that she will not marry
again, and there is not a man in Chill VIII,
has the courage to ask her. Not long sine
she took a fancy to a young German with
very blonde beard and hair, and insisted
that he should give up his business ant
make his home with her. The inducementa
she offered were sufficient, and for severa
months the young mar has been tied tt
her apron-strings, having the ostensibl
employment of a private secretary. Blu
the Madame is very tickle, and.,will probabl,
throw him overheard when the within siezes
her, as she has many others.
TWO AND A SON..
She has two daughters, Senorita Pacific:
and Senorita Isadora. Neither of the girl
inherit the mothers business ability, or a
least have not developed it. but are yer,
popular in society, and Senorita Isadora
the elder, has a great deal OF musical tai
emit, performing on the violin and piano
Both are very bright and pretty, one bein
about II and the other 10 years Of age
Their brother, a young man OF % OF "a
will share the property with them; and i
is quite an unusual thing for a boy with s,
much money to develop the business ca
pacity and inG ustry that he shows. H
looks after the estancia at Macul, spendl
from six to eight hours a day in the saddle
riding about the place, seldom joining tn
festivities that his mother enjoys so much
and being quite pronounced in his disap
prevail of her extravaganza. He is tt
marry a young lady of rather humbl
station.
Diphtheria in New York.
New YoRK, December 12.-The Board o
Health authorities saw that the diDhtheris