Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-24

ing the natives on the place how to oper'
ate labor saving agricultural machinery
Farming in Chill is conducted very
much as it was in England in old feuda
times, each estate having its retainers
who are given houses or tenements and
are paid for the amount of labor they per-
form. These poems are not permitted tc
accept employment from any but theil
own landlord. and are always subject te
his call tor purposes of war or peace. II
is said that the madame can marshal a
thousand men from her two farms if she
needs them.
The vineyard of Macul supplies nearly
all of the markets of Chill with claret and
sherry wines. and the cellar of the place
an enormous building 500 feet long by
100 wide. is kept constantly full. Nine
Cousino makes her own bottles, but i'm.
ports her labels from France.
On this farm she has some very valua'
BILE imported stock, both cattle and hors
es, and her racing stable Is the most ex'
tensive and successful in South America
The madame takes great interest in the
turf, attends every racing meeting in Chill
and always bets heavily on her own hors
es. At the last meeting her winnings are
reported to have been over 100000 out
side of the purses won by her horses
which are always divided among the EN-
ployees of the stables.
In addition to Macul she has another
large estate about thirty miles from Santi
ago, but gives it very little attention, and
has not been there for number of years
In the city she has two large and fine
Of ha.n r.
residence of Henry Meiggs. the Califor
MIA fugitive, which was the finest residence
in Santiago at the time it was built. Al
the timber and other material used in its
construction came from California, and il
is mostly red cedar. The construction
and architecture are after the American
plan, and in appearance and arrangement,
it resembles the villas of Newport. The
cost was enormous, and it was built in the
days of Meiggs' glory. when money VS.:
of no value to him.
The other city residence of Sonora Cousi
no is a stone mansion erected on the Span.
ish plan, with court in the centre, and
is ornamented with some very elaborate
carving. The interior was decorated and
furnished many years ago by Partisan
artists at an enormous cost, and the house
is fit for the palace of 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. Fl. Vanderbilt in New York. The
widow spends very little time in its wall;
however, as she prefers her home at Lota
where most of her business is.
Her ability as manager IS remarka
BILE, and she directs every detail, receiving
weekly reports from ten or twelve super
intendents, who have immediate charge
Of affairs. While she is generous to pro
fligacv, she requires strict account o
every dollar earned or spent upon hel
vast estates. and is very sharp at driving
a bargain. One of her Scotch superin
tendents told me that there was no use il
any one trying to get ahead of the madam
''You cannot move stone or stick bu
she knows it," he said. In addition tc
her landed property and her mines. she
owns much city real estate, from which hel
rentals amount to several hundred thousand
dollars year, and she is the principal
stakeholder in the largest bank in Santa
go. Not long ago she presented the
people of that city with park of one
hundred acres, and race-course adoin
ing it.
Last spring the madame fitted out one
of her coal-ships. proysoned it in the mosl
extravagant manner. hired an orchestra
of twelve pieces, and invited fifty ladies
and gentlemen to take cruise. The
party visited Juan Fernandez, the island
sacred to the memory of Robinson Crusoe
and then sailed down the coast to Terra
del Fuego, where several DAYS were
spen. in search of good time. From
the stories told the errand was successful
and the gossips of Chilli will never
cease to talk about it. The cruise lasted
about three weeks. and cost the madame
many thousands of dollars. Fabulous
stories are told of her expenditures. A
million of dollars or 50 is triie to 8
woman whose income is so enormous
and there IS nothing in the world that she
will not buy if she happens to want it. She
doesn't care much for art, but has a col
lection of diamonds that is very large and
valuable, and sometimes appears loaded
down with them. Usually she looks very
shabby, as she has no ambition for dress
and her party toilets ordered from Paris
are seldom worn. Of late she has been g
sufferer from scatica.
Although comparatively yonng woman
being somewhere from forty i've to fifty
years of age. she declares that she viii,
not marry again, and there isn't man in
Chlll who has the courage to ask her.
From personal experience, states Mr.. j
M. Walker. Carroll, Baltimore County. Md
/ hnyA