Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-02
Surrender Park, Mr.. Winan's English Home.

too. Whatever may be the reason, Ameri-
cans certainly are more popular on the con-
tinent than English folk. By the way, I
have been told that I have bit of Ameri-
can accent. Do you think so7"
I couldn't detect 1t. But II Mr. Winans
lacks the much-abused American accent,
which he seems to regard as something to
be desired. he has the cordial, unaffected
American manner which puts the stranger
in his presence instantly at ease. He is free
from that air Of naughty frigidity which
characterizes the typical Englishman Of
wealth and leisure in dealing with such
humble folk as American newspaper corre-
spondents. He doesn't make you feel you
have to thaw him to get at him.
He was born in st. Petersburg. His
father. William Louis Winans, and his
uncle, Thomas Winans. rich railway con-
tractors. from Baltimore. made huge for
tune building railways for the Russian gov
eminent. The story goes that the Russian
engineers angered the car by their con-
fused plans for a railway from st. Peters
burg to Moscow. At last, taking a rule
he marked on the map a straight line be-
tween the two cities. and said that was the
line the railway would have to follow. The
route thus arbitrarily chosen involved such
tremendous physical difficulties that no one
could be found to undertake the task until
the Winans brothers appeared on the scene
and offered to take the contract for the
railway at a fancy figure.
Give 1t to the audacious Americans
said the car. at the same time STIMULATING
for heavy penalties if they failed to COM
plete the work in specified time. But they
didn't fail. and they cleared nobody knows
how many million dollars between them be-
fore they left Russia. Both brothers had a
nervous dread Of the sea- While Thomas
took his courage in both hands and returned
to America. William settled in England
His son Walter was then eighteen years
old, and had been educated in st. Peters,
burg. The father did not believe in piling
up more money when he had made enough
He devoted himself to the invention of a
cigar-shaped ship to safeguard himself
against seas sickness. 1t is said, on his return
voyage to America. The ship was not a
success and the voyage never was made
Mr.. Winans. ST.. died in London In 1897
His widow survived him until 1905 Both
his parents were delicate, Mr.. Winans told
me, and 1t was due to their wish that he
should remain with them. as we'll as his
own sense of flial duty, that he did not take
up his residence in America long years ago
The attraction of the land he has never
seen must be strong indeed to Induce him
to give up Surrender Park, the beautiful
country seat which has been his home for
many years. Situated near the quaint old
village of Pluckley, In kent-''the garden
OF England as 1t Is not unjustly called in
the guide books-it is on Of those places
which requires centuries for the making
and no amount of money can create, Off
hand. in the new world. Here the gallant
family of the behring's made their home in
the stately old mansion of Surrender, with
its noble park and mile-long avenue of
beeches. 1t still belongs to descendants of
that very parfit knight who fought at
Hastings, and of men and women whose
names are written on many a brave page
of English history.
Mr.. Winans leases the place. but that has
not prevented him from spending money on
1t lavishly. Although the glory of Surren-
den Park Is of ancient date, he has added
one feature to the mansion which alone
would make it worth going far to see. The
beautiful and splendid stables, built from
his own design. are of more than royal
magnifcence. for when it comes to the
things that money can command. royalty
cannot vie in these days with the multi