The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-10


populace"
He frequently drives about the town,
always accompanied by his coachman or
private secretary A. C. Bell, formerly a
New York attorney, who tFansacts all
the details of5the business growing out
OF his peculiar employers mind. Mr..
Bell, 1t is said. never .contradicts Lord"
SearleS' statements or attempts to con-
troyert his IDEAS, but simply humors
him in all his seccentricities. This is
deemed the best plan SO long as the
money lasts because Searles Is a man
or violent temper that has not decreased
with the increase of mental infirmity.
While the army of servants and detec-
tlves surrounding Searles concede all the
suoservieney necessary for a person of
Searles' temperament, the people of Meth
uen refused to- recognize the title Of
lord. - The absence of recognition preys
on Searles n1ndpand he hates them ac-
cord1ngly. Hei doesn't recognize any of
MS old schoolR1ates and neighbors-mere-
~ passes thengby without betraying by
sign that he ever saw them before His
race has assumed a habitual expression
OF superciliousness ~.
He sits for hours at a time in the
rover Of Chimes" which rises above
one corner of his unfinished manor The
tower is 100 feet high, and on the hour
ahc malt hour, day and night, Ginning
bells ring out
he, 1t Is said, told person In one Of
ms hts of cordially that the chimes re-
1ecleo the condition of his temperament
When. he said, his mind is gloomy, the
Deils strike minor chord; when his mind
IS st1rred by tempestuous thoughts the
pens ring out defantly, and when in re-
pose they reflect his peace by Ginning
the music of rest
oearles is an enthusiastic lover of music
ana IS talented organist. He purchased
Tor $4,000 the big organ which was too
large for the Music hall, in Boston. and
began to build a house for 1t at Methuen
Inc mouse is still unfinished, and the or
gan' In pieces, filling thirteen cars, stands
on side track in the railroad yard
Searles also started an organ factory for
the purpose of constructing organs after
ms own design. There are plenty of de-
signs, out no organs have been COM
pleted in the three years of the factorys
life >
NO person Is permitted to enter his es-
tate gates nor any land which is his He
employs large corps of detectives, who
are scattered all over his properties, and
trespasser is instantly surrounded and
speedily escorted off the grounds.
1t is estimated that Searles is spending
over $1,000 600 annually in perpetuating
his fads, the result of Constructive ma
MA
Besides the original SearIes property he
has bought all the farms surrounding
worlds End opond," greater part of
which lies in Salem, n. H. The total
acreage is aboutl2,000, and 1t is said that
Searles intends making a park of 1t on
the plan of Millionaire Corbin's in North
western New Hampshirt There are
hundreds of Italian. laborers on the Still
water farm, removing the farm houses
and changing the scenery in conformity
with Searles' ideas.
The only building erected on this prop
erty so far is lodge at the gate en-
trance. In parallel lines with the plan
OF the magnificent fortress at Methuen
he Is causing stone wall to be built
around his property surrounding World 8
End pond
AT Methuen.E Eord' SearIes proposes to
stay. Immured behind giant walls, pro-
tected by the massive iron gates which
swing to and fro only when their master
passes through; secure beneath the
frowning Tower of Chimes" and sur
rounded by a bodyguard of paid detec-
tives, who will fight for him so long as
his money pays them, he is secure from
invasion by the authorities. His great
wealth Is the basis upon which his Sc
| curity rests. He can laugh In maniacal
| glee at any attempt to apprehend him.
Two years ago, during the visit of a
party of English tourists, he raised the
! British flag to the top of the flagstaff
! surrounding the Tower of Chimes. -
This action excited intense wrath within
| the breasts of some of the citizens of
Methuen.
Searles was born of poor parents at
Methuen over fifty years ago. When he
| met Mrs Hopkins he was engaged in
| decorating the interior of the Hopkins
| place on mob HILL" San Francisco. She
was then the richest woman in the
| United States. His knowledge Of deco
| rating attracted and pleased her. His
| knowledge of her wealth Fascinated him.
! Their acquaintance began there and then.
For three years prior to the marriage he
| literally rolled in wealth.
| The widowed mother of Searles mortgag-
! ed her home in Methuen to raise funds
to send her son Edward to a training
school. The mortgage remained unpaid
until after he decorated the Hopkins man
sion at San Francisco.
! Mark Hopkins, the founder of the
Searles millions, was born in Great Bar
rington, Mass, in 1910. He went to Calf
fornia by way of Cape Horn in 1849, and
! soon. after his arrival there he started
| in the hardware business at Sacramento
with Coils p Huntington.
In 1859 Hopkins, Stanford, Huntington
| and the three Crockers began working
| up their great scheme of transcontinental
| railroading. Then all acquired vast for
| tunes.
Hopkins died In 1873, leaving no will and
his wife childAess and the possessor of
| over $30,000,000.
Mark Hopkins was noted for his fru-
gality; the wi6oW soon won fame for her
prodigality. Besides winning the latter
| fame she won,4Searles.
| She started TO build the grandest house
| on the Pacific coast. When 1t was finish
| ed over $1,0000Q0 had Oeen spent, and
| the Stewart house, in New York, alone
could challenge comparison with it.
Then she turned her attention to Great
| Darlington, where, 1t is claimed, she was
born. Searles designed a structure that
! suited her fancy, and she caused the
nesting in the Berkshires, outclassed all
| private residences Of the period. It's cost
| is estimated at So, 200, 900.
1t was during the construction Of the
! Great harrington house that the Hop
| kins-Searles marriage took place, on No
vember s, 1887. Mrs. Hopkins was seventy
| one years old when she married Searles.
| He was under fifty. When she died, July
| rs, 1891, she left everything to Searles
| by her will. He became possessor of a
vast accumulation of cash, the 81, 200, 00C
house on Mob" Hill, the So, 900 900 palace
| in the Berkshires, a costly summer house
| on Block island and a fine house in Paris
Searles began life as an apprentice to
| a carpenter in Lawrence, Mass, when
| that city began to grow
From there he went to Boston, where
| he learned the decorative art. When he
| was graduated he secured employment In
the house of Paul & Co, and remained
| with them until 1874. He was an ex-
! cellent decorator, and was employed by
Herter Brothers, in New York
Searles had a valuable acquaintance