The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-10

| the young man was equally valuable as
an adviser in the management OF the
sewing machine business. and was finally
made president, to succeed Mr.. Clark
That gentleman, now relieved from bus
mess cares, with millions at his COM
mand, again found himself a free man,
with leisure for music and books Music
was his greatest passion. His fine mind
and lofty Imaginative nature could now
take wings and soar to the skies.
He made frequent trips to Europe, Wis
iting places of renown, noted galleries
his haunts we're among the cathedrals
and ancient castles OF England.
It was while on one of these trips through
the country, visiting friends at one Of
the country seats. that he met the most
charming woman he had ever seen.
She was the lady of his dreams-a typi
cal English girl-gifted, a clergymans
daughter it is said. OF wondrous fascina-
ton and presence. She was different
from all other women that Mr.. Clark had
seen. In addition TO her exquisite charm
she had a fine intellectual head. with eyes
OF transhxing loneliness and a manner
sincere. simple. enchanting.
To say that the man of books. music
and poetry. under those English skies and
wide spreading trees, was. in love but
family expresses It. In her haunting eyes
he read the answer to his lifes desires
When he proposed she said yes. All Eng
land became heaven at that moment In
her he found a JOY beyond music or ca
thedrals. 1t was happy marriage. The
best Of England and America was in it
pure. ideal love OK the fields and skies,
with great fortune behind it TO keep Gu
pid warm in winter.
According to all accounts, Mrs. Clark
was not only lovely, amiable woman.
but she had intellect. was extremely dig
nified and self contained. With this she
was as modest as any country maiden.
with a temper so sweet as to make her
beloved by friends and strangers. She
was called a sensible girl She had an
attractive figure, with wonderful hair,
dark blue eyes and an indescribable fas-
cination that even the man Of millions
could not resist.
on bringing his bride to New York
there was a change in the quiet atmos-
phere Of the Clark household. Boxes were
bought at the opera and there were mu-
and entertainment became the feature OF
daily life. In America it was called
marriage of a thousand singularly
happy one-and four sons brought life
and joy into the Clark family.
Much has been said of the Clark acres
at Otsego Lake. 1t is a fact that Edward
Clarks association with Cooperstown
played an important part in its latter
day history. A friend of his brother,
Edward Lorraine, had a weakness for OF
sego Lake and persuaded him to visit the
region. The young man was even more
charmed than his friend and induced his
father. Edward, TO inspect the region,
which resulted in Mr.. Clark buying the
Apple Hill estate estate on the Susque-
hanna near its outlet from the lake
whence the noble river takes its rise.
A magnificent house was built by him
and named after Fernlegh Han. which he
had seen and admired in England. THIS
house has been called one OF the finest
country mansions in America. Mr.. Clark
Sr.. bought other property-Brown's ho-
tel, which he tore down and on its site
erected the present Fenimore house. nam
ed in honor of Cooper. the novelist. Other
improvements followed. The old Feni-
more Cooper homestead was bought and
improved It was here that "Deerslayer."
The Pathfinder" The Last Of the Mo-
hicans." and other famous Indian ro-
mances by Cooper were written.
And it was to this ideal American home,
surrounded by the loveliest of American
scenery, that Alfred Corning Clark
brought his English bride to spend the
summer months. She was even more
fascinated by the charm Of the region and
has always made il her summer resi-
dence. Since the death of her husband
she has still further improved It. mace
parks. erected monuments, established
a large observatory, commanding the
lake and the surrounding country for
miles. and set apart a fund for keeping
it in repair. When she finds worthy men
out OF work she puts them on living sal
arv and gives them employment
Although a woman fond of life and all
its enioyments. Mrs. Corning Clark Is ex-
ceedingly reucent and retiring in her dis
position. Many OF her benefactions.
amounting to hundreds of thousands Of
dollars. have been bestowed with liberal
hand and never heard Of outside of a few
intimate friends in charitable work.
When Alfred Corning Clarks father
died his fortune was estimated at from
SIS. 600 900 TO $4,000. coo but today, througs
Mr.. Bourne's sagacious management, it is
said to reach at least 100000.
Mrs. Clark four sons are al million
aires and among the richest young men
in the country.
The alliance with the sewing machine
company ten years before the civil war
was most fortunate for all concerned No,
only Mr.. Singer and the Clarks made
millions. but Mr. Bourne. who left his
humble clerkship in the Mercantile libra
~. doubled the income Of the great en-
terprlse and has become a multl-millioA
aire himself.
The steam yachts Revert, Colonia and
Aremis are among his pleasure craft He
is the commodore OF the New York Yacht
club and has country seat near Oakdale.
/. l.. which rivals the spiendors of the
neighboring country place, the Wander
bits IDLE Hour. His grounds cover
thousand acres. magnifcently situated on
the Nerrick road. stretching 70 the eceali.
The house is a marble palace, with long
lines OF colonial pillars. colonsdes and
arches with great drawing rooms. con-
cert halls. Conservatives, baths, artif-
ciaI lakes. canals. a trout pond and many
fancy bridges trimmed with white mar
bic arching the meanderng streams. all
designed by Ernest Flagg. a famous ar
chitect.
This palace Of Mr.. Bourne's. at Indian