The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-13

factorily at the terrace. H.. N. Bodwell
| superintendent the work, while a local ply
stefan acted as financial manager.
But the widows house on Mob Hill, San
Francisco, needed redecorating and refuf-
nishing. and o New York firm, we'll up in
bic representatives to the spot. Then and
thus Mr.. Edward f. Searles appeared upon
the scene as the decorator, the admirer of
his patron, and the man who was to dispe ell
young Tins" dream of ever succeeding
to Marks millions.
MIR. Searles eventually made his appear
ance in Great harrington, and assumed the
duties of architect, superintendent, finan-
cial manager. and confidential adviser Of
the wealthy widow
The house was then far from completion,
when the attempt of a local photographer
to make a picture of it caused Mr.. ~t;earles
to have a rough tight board fence fourteen
feet high erected along the entire frontage,
shutting of a 10000 view of grand old
East mountain and the mansion at the ter
race from the public eye. The eye was
soon discovered to have blood in 1t, while
the wrath of the public. if not loud, was
deep. The most beautiful street in the
village, shaded by elms of a century's
growth, was disfgured BY that terrible
fence, and grcat was the indignation
thereat.
But the fence was only to be temporary,
they said. OF course, nobody knew exactly
who they" were, but whatever they" say
goes. But, after poplars notorious for
growing proclivities were planted along the
inside of the fence and aided in still further
obscuring the view. the public pulse beat
all the harder against the fence, and in
this and other ways MIR. Searles was sincu-
larly unfortunate in gaining friends among
the business men of the town. In fact, he
held them at a distance and himself as a
bulwark between the o and Mrs. Hop
kins.
Then it was that on a certain e~ventful day
in October, five or six years ago, the news
reached Great Darlington of the marriage
of Mrs. Hopkins to Mr.. Searles in New
York. Now the mansion is virtually com
pleted. Once inside the lowered and tur-
reted wall that has replaced the board fence
a person is completely shut out from the
sights and sounds of village life. Approach
ing the main entrance the coming guest
passes up a low, wide sweep of steps, a
white marble sphinx mounting guard OF
both sides. After that the vestibule, built
entirely of slate, is reached. The stone
work above the entrance is u mass of deli
cate carving, that portion of the work alone
costing $6O,00O, while the towers and chin
neys above the roof cost $1O0,00O more.
Amain hall. two stories in height and
thirty feet wide, extends across the entire
song, it is a marble one, and like the stair
case at tho mansion, Is of imported marble.
and costly statues adorn it. Opposite the
entrance is the atrium, a noble apartment,
the wainscoting of which is Mexican onyx.
behind which are hundreds of small electric
lights, which. shining through the ouyx,
give the effect Of softened sunlight. The
rear of the atrium opens upon n loggia,
commanding a view of woodland. moor
and mountain, and overlooking the 100.
acre lawn, upon which is n massive foun-
tain, tho water being brought through two
miles of pipe from lake Mansfield. The
tho house and the organ in the music room.
The rttium Is divided from the latter
room by q row of pillars, and the music
room itself ia a marvel of skilled and nrtis-
tic workmanship. In length it is nifty feet,
i'll height forty-two feet. The finish ia of
qnartcred oak, and, RS in tho atrium. the
ceiling is paneled in stucco. Tho stucco
work was first cast and given an ivory tint,
then fastened into position, extending
downward about twelve inohes. Each panel
contains, or will contain. a costly oil paint
ing. Ono that nearly came to grief by
being swept from a freight train. and which
cost $4,000, mnv give an Idea of the style
of adornment of tho music room. The
organ, which was built at q cost Of $4,000,
IL, no doubt, the fne, house organ in
Arerica. Reaching nearly to tho lofty
ceiling, 1t extends one third Of the distance
TIM longth OF the music room.
or the other forty rooms in tho house
the most prominent among them Is tha
dining room, taking in n portion of one Of
tho four towers, and finished in quartered
onk; tho Winds room, 80 called because
the door liz said to have been spirited from
Windsor castle; tho library finished In
black walnut. oa the second floor aud over