The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-08-25
I'll. Richest Woman in South America

a woman, Donna Isadora Cousino
of Santiago, Chile, and there are
few men OF women in the world
richer than she. There is no end
to her money and no limit to her
extravaganza, and the people call
her the Countess of Monte Cristo.
She has million of acres of land,
millions of money; flocks and
herds that are numbered by the
hundreds Of thousands; coal, cop
per and silver mines; acres Of real
estate in the cities Of Santiago and
Valparaiso; a feet of iron steam
ships; smelling works, a railroad
and various other trifles in the way
of productive property, which yield
her an income of several millions a
year that she tries very hard to
spend, and under the circumstances
succeeds as we'll as could be ex-
pected.
From her coal mines alone Sc
nora Cousino has an income of
$4,000 month and there is no
reason why this should not be per-
petual, as they are the only source
in all South America from which
fuel can be obtained, and those who
do not buy of her have to import
their coal from Great Britain. She
has feet of eight iron steamships
of capacities varying from 1000
to 5000 tons.
Although Leta is only mining
town, as dirty and smoky as any of
it's counterparts in Pennsylvania,
it is the widows favorite place OF
residence, and she is now building
q mansion that will cost at least
100000. The architect and the
chief builder are Frenchmen, whom
she imported from Paris, and much
of the material is also imported.
Not long ago she shipped cargo
of hides and wool in one of her own
steamers to Bordeaux, and it is to
return laden with building supplies
for this mansion. She herself has
no time to go across the sea, but
the Captain Of her ship will bring
with him decorators and designers
and upholstery men, who will finish
the interior of her mansion regard
less Of expense.
The structure stands in the CEN
ter of what is undoubtedly the finest
private park in the world-an area
Of $50 acres of land laid out
in the most elaborate manner, con-
tanning statuary, fountains, caves,
cascades and no end of beautiful
trees and plants. The improve
ment of the natural beauty of the
place is said to have cost Sonora
Cousino nearly 81 100000, and she
has force of thirty gardeners con-
stantly at work. The suberintend-
ent is a Scotchman and he informed
me that his orders were to make
the place paradise, without regard
to cost. She gives employment to
800 or 400 men, all organized un-
der the direction of superintend-
ents, most of whom are Scotchmen.
She has in her employ at "Macul 4"
one American, whose business is
that of general farmer; but his
time is mostly occupied in teaching
the natives how to operate labor
saving agricultural mac hinery.
Farming in Chile is conducted
very much as it was in Europe in
old feudal times, each estate hav-
ing its retainers, who are giving
houses or tenements and are paid
for the amount Of labor they per-
form. 1t is said that Sonora Cou-
sine can marshal 1000 men from
her two farms if she needs them.
Another city residence of Sonora
Cousino is stone mansion erected
on the Spanish plan, with court
in the center, and is ornamented
with some very elaborate carving.
The interior was decorated and fur
nished many years ago by Partisan
artists at an enormous cost, and
the house is fitting for king.
There is no more elaborate or ex-
tensive residence in America, and
the money expended upon it would
build as fine house as that of w
H. Vanderbilt in New York. The
widow, however. spends but very
little time within it's walls, as she
prefers her home at Lota, where
most of her business is.
Her ability as manager is re-
markable, and she directs every de.
tail, receiving weekly reports from
ten or twelve superintendent who
have immediate charge of affairs
While she is generous to profligacy
she requires strict account Of
every dollar earned or spent upon
her vast estates, and is very sharp
Mt driving a bargain. One of hel
Scotch superintendent told me
there was no use in trying to gel
ahead Of the sonora. "You cannot
move a stone or a stick but she
knows it," he said. In addition tx
her landed property and her mines
she owns much city real estate, from
which her rents amount to severa
hundred thousand dollars a year
She is also the principal stockholdel