Connecticut western news., 1890-01-08
VOL. XIX.

him and the unknown man was lef, dangling in the air. Sandy admitted he was very much surprised, but said it was a good hanging, and after brief time, during which the horses got well rested, the body was cut down<end the concluding heat was run to everybody't satisfaction. Then every one drank al the Palace saloon at Sandy's expense. and he and his wife entering the stage drove off amid the r,urrahs of all Washoe. No one envied him. Ven. turesomely had he sought Fortune out bravely had he wooed; the dover o1 all her wealth was in his hands and measureless happiness seemed to burst his days.
 Sandy Bowers and his wife, genuine specimens of the suddenly made rich of the early days of the West, roamed over Europe from capital to capital, aa suited their variable fancies. They had more money than they could spend, and in the untarnished inno- cence of their hearts they fancied they were as good as most people and g great deal better than many But the chief object of their trip soon became the purchase of works of art and articles of furniture to adorn the home they made up their minds to build out in the sagebrush land. Costly pictures and marvels of the sculptor's chisel, tapestries and rugs, beautifully bound books in languages that they did not understand were all purchased with an indiscriminate hand that rocked not of cost, and sought only certain bar barrie consistency of profusion.
 Wherever Sandy and his wife found a choice bit of artificial and decorative landscape a drawing was made of it and preserved for reference, that it might be duplicated in the pleasure grounds Sandy resolved to construct about the mansion that he would build. When Sandy had bought much more than the house he had vaguely planned could possibly contain he turned his footsteps homeward.
 When the return of the travellers was announced in Washoe every ve- hicle was pressed into service to enable the people to go forth and welcome their favorite. It took some time after the meeting for them to regain their enthusiasm that oozed out when at first they saw the toggery in which Sandy was arrayed, regardless either of cost or taste. There were men who never afterward regained the equanimity with which they had before been con- tent to regard their friend. Sandy at once set about realizing the dream with which this European tour had filled his mind, and selected as a site for his home 8 barren, desolate stretch of ground, in the lap and on the breast of low hill, the first of the range rising out of the Washoe valley. The hill rose to height of 300 or 400 feet and behind it rose another to greater height, and SO the gradually ascending hills lifted their heads higher and high CT until the Sierras themselves whose peaks shot heavenward with crowns of snow were reached. The foothills were treeless, but were garmented with gray-green robes of sagebrush that stretched down from the hills and thickly encroached upon the sandy plain below.
 On the breast of such a hill Sandy Bowers chose the site of his wonderful home, and from the spot one looked over the narrow valley to the bright blue waters of Washoe Lake, and ur and down like gray clad monks the sage green hills stood in long serried lines, hemming in the lake and valley. Sandy brought water from the ever lasting sources of the distant hills and poured it out on the sands. He cleared away the gnarled sage brush and planted grass and all manner of rare vines and bushes and trees. In appro. priate hooks he copied features o1 landscape gardening he had jealously observed in Europe. He dug out $ vast fish pond, and as the yielding sand would not hold the water in its place, he covered the bottom of the miniature lake with masonry and bull walls for it. After he had finished il he changed his plan and put an island in the centre of the lake.
 Serpentine walks were laid through the beautiful grounds that were cum ningly arranged to lead those who fol lowed them to some delightful bit O, landscape. Statues that had cost thou sands of dollars were mounted ol pedestals that rose from mounds o. earth purposely contrived for their re ception. An enormous amount O money was expended on the ground about the house, but the house itsel
 was the wonder of the community.