The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-08
ORIENTAL BEAUTY
 OF RAJAH LODGE Some Improvements in the AId-
 rich Country Seat LONELINESS OF GARDENS MT. and Mrs. AIdrlch Will Pass the Winter at the Lodge and
 Then Go to France
 for a Visit.
LONELINESS OF GARDENS
BY ANNIE kENDRIck WALKER.

| BY ANNIE KENDRlCk WALKER. | RaJah Lodge, November 7.-(Special.)-
 The orinental splendor and beauty of the
 Lodge seem more pronounced these au-
 tumn days than at any other season. AL though the private park and the brilliant gardens show the wntry touch, there Is still vivid loveliness about them and
 the Lodge itself is like some wonderful old carving, the tints of which grow rich CT. more full of color.
 MT. and Mrs. Aldrich. with the exception of an occasional day in town, spend most of their time at the Lodge. Since MT. Aldrich sold his Monteyallo mines he has made additional improvements to the Lodge, and this means that he and Mrs. Aldrich will continue to reside here, all though after the mining properties were sold it was thought more than probable that they would close the Lodge for some time. They intend to pass the entire winter here, except for a visit to Wash ington, but in the late spring they will go to France for stay of several months on the continent.
 When the mines were sold, MT. Aid rich retained the magnificent Lodge which was built several years ago. The large private park and gardens, covering some twenty-five or thirty acres were also re-, tained and an additional acreage, ample enough for any plans Of MT. Aldrlch to further beautify what is perhaps the handsomest country seat in the state and one of the finest old places in the entire south, was secured.
 On the place to day, so many improve ments are going on that 1t seems as II a score or more of carpenters are at work erecting model houses for the employees at the Lodge, and making such Improve ments as are daily suggested by MT. Ald- rich. The mining camp at Aldrich was considered one of the most ideal camps and the whole village was almost | Arcadian.
 It was said that few mining camps presented such conditions as those found at Aldrich where the unwritten law was kindness and cruelty was absolutely un- known. The humane treatment of every one connected with the mines was recog- nized by the hundreds of employees and this attitude found expression in many ways with the result that the new own CTS of the Aldrich mines not only possess one of the finest properties, but mining village where justice and kindness nave ruled With the exchange of owners, the improvements now going on at RaJah LOuB6 GSldlt dlC oOAOiS AS' N-Ao e0--
 are in the private employ of Mr Aid rich The most extensive work that has
 been undertaken is the building of new
 reservoir and windmill with a tower some eighty feet high. A new we'll has | been bored, and will supply the Lodge | with purest water. The old reservoir was some distance from the Lodge and fed the water mains and hydrants running through the grounds and the Lodge has | always been luxuriously equipped with 1 elegant bath rooms on every floor. Recently Mr Aldrich has had a gas | plant installed and the Lodge contains several hundred lights. The drawing
 room fully sixty feet long, is lighted rom the sides, the rich panelings holding the | brackets. There are twenty-five or thirty | lights in the drawing room alone. The portecochere on the eastern Side or | the Lodge Is lighted with wrought iron | lanterns, and another improvement to be
 made Is in the main entrance to the ! park. Massive posts are to be erected | for imposing gateways Of iron, ana gas | lamps will ornament them. Besides these | artistic changes, handsome pronze
 fountain has just been placed in the gar
 dens and a bronze sun-dial now com | nletes their decoration. The beauty Of
 these gardens is hardly describable, for lthey represent od-world art combined | with the luxuriousness of the modern | Palms that rival those or the tropics arc
 seen here in profusion and almost every l sbr,,b and tree. both native to the soil
 as we'll as many rare imported things,
 make of these gardens dream gardens, | while even more time and care is spent
 unon the private greenhouses, of which | there are six.
 The Lodge is daily supplied with flowers from the private conservatories. For Mrs' | Aldrichs most informal dinner party the
 rarest roses are brought her, the rarest | orchids azalias towering hydrangias.
 ferns palms, and even when weeks pass | without entertaining of any Kind, the
 Lodge is daily bower, and her prlvate | ssa,tn,ante flled with the most exquisite | blossoms. a.,
 People drive miles just to see the gar | dens and the greenhouses. and the charfh.
 ing welcome from the most gracious or
 hostesses and a prince of hosts awaits
 everyone who enters the gateway 'o