The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-12-04

are IN us valleys, ana nor HOcRS ana
herds feed on the foothills. The Maeul
vineyards supply nearly all the markets
of Chile with claret and sherry, and the
cellar of the place-an enormous struc-
ture, 500 feet long by 100 feet wide-is
kept constantly filled. All the wine
bottles, as well as those for the cele-
brated Cousino beer, are manufactured
in the glass works at Lota, but the
labels are mostly made in France. On
this farm the Sonora keeps some valua-
BILE horses and cattle and her racing
stable is one of the most extensive on
the continent. She takes as much inter
est in the turf as any English woman,
and it is said that when in Chile she
never fails to attend every racing meet
ing and bets heavily on her own horses.
1 am told that at the Diaz ocho races
just preceding her last departure for
Europe, her winnings exceeded one hun
dred thousand dollars, not counting the
purses which are always divided among
Va oldOlOos ADOllJ
three hundred men are given employ
ment at Macul, all organized under
superintendent, most of whom are
Scotchmen; and it is asserted that in
case of need Mrs. Cousino could marshal
a thousand men from her farms alone,
who are in her employ. A few years ago
she presented to the people of Santiago
beautiful park of one hundred acres
and race-cOurse adjoining it, all within
the city limits.
She has another extensive estate about
thirty miles from Santiago, to which,
however, she pays little attention. Lota
is her favorite place where she spent the
happiest years of her youth, when the
now grown-up children were little and
the gallant and handsome young hus-
band was living. Besides the old man
sion upon it, a new palace is in process
of construction, which when completed
will have cost more than million dol
lars. The architects and chief builders
are Frenchmen, whom the Sonora
brought over from Paris for the purpose,
and much of the material is also i'm
ported. A year or two ago she shipped
a cargo of hides and wool on one of her
own steamers to Bordeaux, and it re-
turned laden with building supplies for
the mansion and also bringing decora-
tors, designers and upholstery men to
add the finishing touches.
The structure stands in the midst of
what is said to be the finest private park
in the world-an area of $50 acres laid
out in the most elaborate manner and
beautified to the last degree by both art
and nature. Its botanical garden far sur
passes that at Washington, and there are
extensive enclosures for flowers and
vegetables, enormous greenhouses, an
arbor-vite labyrinth, Turkish towers,
miniature Moorish castles and Chinese
pagOdas. belvideres overlooking the
broad Pacific, little lakes, fish and lily
ponds, running streams, cascades, sus-
pClolJu lOuhpNilloY olNOutbl
wonderful grottoes, domestic and wild
animals, and miles upon miles of beau
tifully kept shell walks, with rustic seats
at intervals. Fifty men are kept con-
stantly employed upon this magnificent
estate under the superintendent of a
sturdy Scotchman, who told me that his
ord fn Yr,nlyn ~ TnaraAicn
gardless of cost; and he added, Though
the Sonora spends so much of her time
nowadays in Paris, l cannot cut tree
or move stone about the place but she
sees it the minute she returns"
| am sorry to say this female Cr9sus,
despite her many charities and the good
she accomplishes in Chile by furnishing
steady employment to so many people, is
not altogether a happy woman. Like
other folks, she has her trials, not least
among them being chronic sciatica
which has almost disabled her. SANDER,
like death, loves shining mark, and
the world over, one SO favored by for
tune is sure to have plenty of envious
enemies with venomous tongues. There
is nothing on earth she cannot buy if
she wants it,-except happiness, and
youth and health that has slipped away
from her, as it will some day from us
all.-Fdnnie B. Ward, in Belfast Journal.
The agitation over the Black River