The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-19
Correspondents of the Boston Tran
gcrInt.l

tOOrrtspOuuenco OF the Boston iran
scrlpt)
Washington, Sept. ia palace built
literally around u superstition Is Wash
ington's newest marvel, and one may
safely say that nothing TO match IL has
ever been seen anywhere. Bnronial
castles, as well as ediflcss OF other kinds.
often gain resident spooks or acquire
curses as incidents Of their history, but
1t has not been the fashion hitherto to
provide In the architects plans against
ouch troubles, and the notion of embed :
Ing hoodoo-kiiIer In the very fabric of
q mansion Is wholly novel.
The owner of this remarkable house,
which as yet Is not quite half finished. IS
Mrs. r. III. Townsend of Philadelphia.
Before her marriage she was Mary Scott.
daughter of the late Colonel "Tom"
Scott OF Pennsylvania Railroad fame.
Her wealth runs up into millions, and
the mansion aforesaid will cost her about
500, 900. 1t will be nearly twice the size
of the famous Letter house, on Dupont
circle. being l25 feet in width and 1913 feet
in depth. Mrs. Townsend Is building it,
she says, for ner young daughter, now
seventeen years of age and almost ready
to enter society. 1t will be the scena,
doubtless, of some OF the most gorgeous
entertainments ever given at the national
capital
Now, once upon time-a very proper
way to begin such story as this--Mrs.
Townsend interviewed witch. 1t was
q remarkably clever witch, and, In re-
vealing the future to her. lady patron, he
predicted a number of events since real
lied with astonishing accuracy In Mrs.
Townsend's life. 1t was very bright
ana cheerful picture shs drew, on the
wholesome may command good deal OF
brightness and cheerfulness II one pos
sssses millions of dollars-but there was
one unpleasant representation. This
was that, If Mrs. Townsend should ever
occupy a dwelling that had never been
lived in before, she would die within six
months after moving into 1t.
This prophecy struck Mrs. Townsend rs
gruesome. to say the least, aud up to now
she has carefully avoided all risk of in
curing the penalty suggested. Though
anxious I or some time past to move her
residence to Washington and build a home
b ere, she has been restrained from the
accomplishment OF this desire by the
witch's ominous yaticination. She
thought Of buying house, but could
hn none that was large enough or ade-
quate In other respects for her purposes.
At length, however. she hit upon an In.
genious method OF evading the hoodoo
and getting what she wanted at the same
time. Shs decided to purchase the old
Hfllyer mansion, on Massachusetts, ave-
nue., and to construct "a palace around Ii.
Inis she Is doing in such a manner
that, while occupying the new mansion,
house, the skeleton of which is retained
as middle portion OF the revamped
structure. Her bedroom, her dressing
room. and bathroom, and her boudoir
will be In the ancient dwelling, the
origi nal fioor-joists and framework, as
we'll as the roof, being kept intact. Thus
the hoodoo will be defeated, inasmuch
as the construction on which the builders
are now engaged comes under the head
OF "Alterattons," technically speaking.
and Mrs. Townsend may consider herself
safe against the fulfilinsnt of the con-
dit'onal threat recorded against her In
the book Of fate.
One Interesting point In the story is
that the retention Of the framework and
roof Of the Hillyer house does not save
one cent OF expense; on the contrary, 1t
aids to the cost OF the mansion, being
very much in the way of the builders,
who are Obliged to accommodate their
plan to the old skeleton instead of putting
up a fresh one TO suit the requirements
of the new structure. The arc hite,ts, Eby
the way, are Carrere and Hastings, who
erected the Academy of Design and the
Public Library in New York city.
Another very curious fact, well worth
mentioning in this connection, Is that
the Hillyer no Use, which the millionaire
Philadelphian Is thus employing rs q
nucleus fos h er magnificent future habi-