The times., 1897-10-31
UNDER AMEn1cAs REGIME.
The Changes yauderbilt Millions
Have wrought at BIenheim.

| London, oct. 20 Blenheim palace has
| undergone remarkable changes since the
| second American Duchess OF Marlborough
| mas marie it her home. This was the invA-
| riabie remark last summer of those OF tine
| duchess compatriots WHO had visited the
| duke Ten Years ago Bleuheim, except or
| It's size, bore anything but rese mblance
] 10 even modest ideal OF what ducal
palace should be. The picturesque town
| outside its gates was depressed. unpros-
porous little village, the vast park and
] gardens were crying out for care, which
| they had no promise OF receiving, and gen
teeI decay and the auctioneers we're des.o-
iating tns halls ana drawing roorns and the
| great library.
1t was no secret that the roof was :eak-
ing, and the best of the art treasures,sfor
| which Blenhsim was SO famous, had passed
/ into other hands under the hammer.
The first American duchess did con-
| scientiously roof the whole gigantic struc-
| ture, aIdintroduced some sadly needed fresh
| upholstery In a few OF the living rooms,
| but even her good Will and income could
go no further, and It has remained for the
present lady OF Blenheim TO use the en-
chanted wand of restoration.
| Now, In spite OF the fact that the pal
| ace is vastly too large for anything but
| royal residence that its architecture could
| hardly be described as hOme-like or beau-
| tiIul, and that the interior decora ti0ns We're
| disgraeefully shabby when first she saw II,
the little lady who was engaged to the duke
admired ii from the first, decided to makeit
! her home and since her marriage his prov
| ed her interest in and affection for the
| ugly old pile.
This fact is clearly patent TO the visitor
who saw BlenheinH under the old regime
| and WHO stops In the village beyond the
| park gates fer q bit OF lunch and a gossip
| with any of the socidbIe townsfOlk. One
| and all they have "a word OF admlTing praise
| for the duchess. 1t evidently did not take
| her long TO win the hearts OF the elcerly in
! hahitants and the children. Since her corr
| ing all fees taken in at the gates, from
| tourists whc visit the palace, have been de
voted To charity and out OF her own pocket
| and her own heart the duchess degtsas
! many schemes for amusing and beuefitmg
| her husbands tenants.
One of her fayorlte recTeatiOns is vii
| lage visiting among the old people, and
another the planning of tea parties, pic
| mics, etr., for the school children. In the
latter she always takes part, dances about
| with the babies. cuts cake and cold meat
for ohler and greedier boys and girls, ami
s.. lies eniabiy on visitors, who flock down
| when they know the duchess il going 10
/ give party, and stare al the seven strings
| of pearls she invariably wears about her
unusually long slender white throat
Inside the park gates her presence Is
quite as cnaphaueally felt as n tie vii
Iage, for since her coming the park lake
has been dug out, cleared OF weeds and
| st1cEcd with water fowl and the gar
deaS arc once more in tie apple pie ortler
they used 10 present The old people
about tie village say, in the days OF the
| present duEe's gFandf father. Il is within
the palace itself, though, that he full ef-
fects Of the new regime are 10 lie fully
| appreciated, and, because the mistress
OF the estate is an American, Fas seryeI
| To just double the hpnber Of tourists, who
| pow visit Bienheia ana inspect it, new glo
| ries with an air cf slight proPrietorsliHp in
| all they see.
Que ,nprf>siDn deeply engraved upon ali
who visit inc palace is that no expense has
| been spared in replacing the ancient glo-
in republican state, the mistress Of the
palace is determined to surround herself
with every masuiTicence due one Of the
| wcalthie,t duchesses in the united kim.
dom.
| When the tall footTnau, in tan ard gold
livery, trimmed with silver lace, aud carry
ing d sllvcr-headed wand, took the tickets
| of party or Americans who went through
/ no fa
Cause Of the rain to see them under coverto
the great front door. To do this, Instead ~
crossing the double courts that lead to the
open place before the park of the palace
now inhabited, he piIoted them through
long suites OF deserted halls and rooms that
bound the sides Of the courts In the day:,
OF Queen Anne these Were living rooms for
the great dakes servants, suites of extra
guest rooms, and tie many offices needed
n 20 pEiIcely household.
They are empty passageways and lum-
ber-rooms now, but even in these the
latest appliances for electric lighting are
seen, and it afforded an excellent door
way to the palace proper. AT the hau
doors the fUotuau in livery resigns his
charges to an attentive young iGan, who
wears no livery. and whose business it is
to explain things. To the average Ameri-
can, however, his explanations are 80
nuch wind in the keyhole, for to them
the first matters of all Importance are
not the pictures and who painted them,
| but the strange lackeys about the house
On either side OF the door of the long
hall sit two huge red leather-itooded
chairs, one holding footmah of impress
| sive proportions in knee brceches buckle
shoes, goldlaced coat, and his hair white
with powder.
Exactly opposite this splendid but ap-
| parcntly inaninate object is a handsome
brown boy, whose Scared checks and
| cast of features prove he is an African
and Zulu, but oddly tricked out iii
scarlet, with Ii turhan wound aboat his
head, and Eastern slippers on his bare
brown feet. The black page is evil
IDENTIFY tradition Of the famous Duchess
Sarah's time, DOW revived for the great
duchess American successor, who Ger
tainly knows none of Nine. Sarah's hor-
ror Of spending her handsome income.
Everyw here proof of her generous in
terest In the beautifying of BIenheim
is apparent. Miles Of the costlieSt car
peting stretch over the long halls and
| drawing -ruoms, large and small. Upon
these again, with the utmost lavishness,
| oriental rugs are spread. Walls that
are not covered with tapestries ha We
been freshly hung with French brocaCes
and the art of the upholsterer exhausted
in supplying completely new window hang
ings, 1raperies ct the doors and coverings
for the old furniture. into the parlors at