Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-06
THOMAS W. LAWS0N'S PLACE
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.


COHASSET, Mass, July g. 1911.
| Those who have the privilege of explor-
ing this beautiful section of Gods coun-
| try in motor cars should
| Beautiful take the Jerusalem road.
| just outside the limits OF
Oi1'e. Hingham I do not know
| why, how or when it got that name, but
it is one of the most attractive drives in
| the world, following the line of what
somebody-Thoreau, 1 think-descrihed as
the rockiest shore in New England: and
there are some very rocky spots between
Eastport and New London. Both sides
of the Jerusalem road are occupied by
the villas Of summer residents. many Of
them offensive because of their preten-
sions ard ugly architecture; >others home
like attractive and very tempting to
artists. I should think. This rocky coast
with little strips of soil between the
lodges, is very expensive and an enor-
nous amount of money. has been spent
by rich folks trying to improve nature
and make the works of God more perfect
The shoulders of the hills have been
shaved off; the crevices have been filled
with soil and sodded to make lawns; the
bronze hillsides have been planted with
flowers and clinging vines, and great
punches of geraniums. dahlias and other
gaudy plants are placed in conspicuous
places; but nothing that landscape gar
deners have done can compare in beauty
with the seaweed that clings to the rocks
along the shore.
The neatly painted white farmhouses
of the colonial type, modest, dignified
more attractive than the betoWered vii
las that have been placed here and there
where they are most conspicuous. VIII
lagos are always In sight and each seems
lovelier and more quaint than the last
Each has its common or green" shaded
with mighty elms, and a spir ed
meeting house in the center.
On the left of the roadway the open
Atlantic is always before you. sometimes
mile or two distant. hid
Ocean ing behind Queen Anne vii
w.. las and colonial mansions,
and sometimes the incessant
surf is pounding at your very feet. The
Jerusalem road is very different from the
famous Cornich drive, along the Mediter-
| ranean. The scenery is not SO grand.
There are no mountains or vineyards or
ruined castles and Notifications for a
background. A gentleman from Man
chester-by- the-Sea declares also that it
is not so fine as the North Shore drive,
above Boston. but that is a delicate ques-
ton which must be ignored. No road
need be more beautiful, no sea more
grand than this. and while the work of
man Is not always to be admired, no one
can criticise nature.
The most conspicuous Of all the places
along the shore is Dreamwold the stock
farm and summer home Of Thomas W.
Lawson the apostle of frenzied finance
who has invested several millions Of dol
lars in one Of the most extensive and
elaborate fancy farms in the world. I dc
not believe there is anything either In
America or in Europe that will equal ii
| in display and extravaganza. He has al
together about 5000 acres. Much of 1t is
| rocky lodges. which he has covered with
Towering vines: more Of 1t is pasture
land. upon which two or three hundred
head of thoroughbred cattle and horses
are grazing: five or six hundred acres are
meadows. where he cuts the hay to keep
his stock in winter. and an equal area
is planted to oats. corn. alfalfa, turnips
and other crops that are consumed upon
the place by his animals or his hired
men. There are ninety employees on his
pay roll. ranging from the manager ia
the humble tiller of his fields.
The entire farm is inclosed and its
| fields are divided by fourteen miles OF
stone walls, breast high, COW
Miles OF cred with climbing roses By
WILL. the roadside he has planted
$500 rose bushes at intervals
| of sixteen feet, and the drive which leads
| from the street to Dreamwold Hall is in
closed with hedges of rose bushes the en-
| tire distance. All of the thirty-seven
buildings on the place are draped with
climbing roses-the racing paddock, the
pigsties, the COW stables and the hen
| houses are well as the cottages OF his men,
In June Dreamwold is a fairyland. the
greatest rose show in all the world. In
October his chrysanthemums are equally
remarkable. To preserve and cultivate
| these flowers costs him more than $4,000
| a year. but roses are his passion.
His Conservatives are the largest in
New England. He has a remarkable col
| lection of orchids that cost hundreds OF
| thousands Of dollars, and you will re-
| member that Mr. Lawson once paid
which he has given to his friends, Sc
| that the flower is now quite widely dis
tributed.
| Another Of his hobbies is elephants.
and while he has never undertaken the
responsibility Of keeping a live one.
Dreamwold Hall is filled with counter
feits, hundreds of them in gold, silver.
ivory. bronze and every other metal. of
| all sizes, in all pastures, and placed in
every room and corridor.
Mr. Lawson is very proud of Dream
void and spends a great deal Of time
| there. He is very fond of the name
also. His steam yacht is called The
Dreamer. Some people say that it is
only advertising, and no doubt he is
the greatest advertiser that has ap-
peared In this generation but those
who are near to him and know him
well insist that Dreamwold represents
his idea of home life. and within the
grounds, carefully screened from view,
is a mausoleum of exquisite design.
which shelters the remains of his wife.
who died five or six years ago, and for
whom he has never taken off mourn
ing. On the ANNIVERSARIES Of her birth,
their marriage and her death he spends
the entire day and night within the
mausoleum beside the casket that con-
tains her dust. and his devotion to her
memory is shown in every possible
way.
He has a delightful family. two sons
and four daughters. Three of the
daughters are married.
Lawson's Gladys is the wife of
r., Evan Stanwood. son OF
EonAAJ' the editor of the Youths
NJ of ba