The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-01-05

dreds and thousands Of square miles
Of grazing lands, and around all thi.
vast scope Of country he began tt
erect a wire fence. he. instantly
broke ground for the purpose Of estab
fishing home place on the banks o.
the San Saba. Hundreds Of laborers
were set to work quarrying rock, while
other hundreds we're engaged in dig
ging for the foundation Of his house
It took him two years to complete this
immense structure. 1t covers ae least
a half an acre Of ground and is five
stories high, aud altogether cue Of Che
most beautiful and astounding pieces
Of architecture in America to-day.
The walls are Of pure white marble,
while great columns Of blush granite
support magnificent porch extending
around two sides Of the entire struc-
ture. Artists came from Paris to ex-
ert their skill on the ceiling and walls.
During the time that he was building
the place away out here on the from
tier Of Texas, Carleen never said a
word of Instantly, or, for that matter,
a word Of his own history. His
tongue ran like bell-clapper on all
subjects but one, and that one was
Carleen. His agents had purchased
cattle all over eastern Texas, and as a
consequence at the end of a year OF
more his immense estate was we'll
stocked. At that time he was regard
ed as one of the greatest cattle men on
the frontier.
The strange man did not limit his
extraordinary improvements to the
palace that he erected. He kept "a
large force in his quarries, and little
army Of masons were employed for sew
eral years in building long lines Of
stone fences. These structures were
not erected after the manner of such
old tumble-doun affairs as one often
sees in the older States. The walls
were of solid dressed stone, and there
were great stone pillars around the en-
tablature, on which were trailing
vines, clusters Of grapes, and festoons
Of flowers, exhibiting in the highest
style Of art the skill of the sculptor.
Between these pillars swung massive
iron gates. These are not yet ruins,
but here Oil the wild hills of the San
Saba, where wolves howl at night and
deer sleep beneath the shade of the
oaks, miles and miles of these magni-
hcent walls may be seen winding over
the undulating prairies and through
the green valleys, while up there on
the mountain stands white against the
western sky that gigantic pile of stone
and mortar, of which no man can say
whether it is a monument to the
genius or folly of the Frenchman Car
leen. He was certainly of great ad-
vantage to this particular part of Tex
as. He brought an abundance of
money into the country, and he gave
thousands Of people employment. As
long as he prosecuted his gigantic
schemes this was the most prosperous
portion of the State. At one time
more than 1000 people were employed
upon the ranch. He kept the road
open to San Antonio, a distance of
nearly 300 miles, and relays of horses
were established every ten or fifteen
miles. He had daily mail, and the
road was filled with teams hauling
supplies and machinery to the famous
ranch. Carleen was very fond of the
society of educated men and accom-
plished women, and for long time
the big ranch house. which he called
the palace of St. Cloud, was crowded
with people who appeared to be there
in search Of pleasure to the exclusion
Of everything else.
He had been pursuing his strange
career about seven years, living like
Monte Cristo and exciting the wonder
Of all Western Texas, as if he were
cagliostro in league with the devil,
when one rainy evening, just before
Christmas, lauy descended from the.
overland stage in Mcnardvillc. This
woman carried crucifx in one hand
md Bible in the other. She in
luired for Carleen, and then asked for
| room in which she might appeal to
'od undisturbed. On the next day
'he went to the palace Of St. Cloud.
md as she entered at tonc gate Carlcen
vent out at the other. He never
stopped until he was safely eEsconced
inside of the White Elephant in San
Antonio. &c never denied that the
title woman was his wife, but that
here was some terrible secret between