St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 105

claimed her husband and shortly thereafter her only child, and the grief was almost more than she could bear. Then came the supposed message from the spirit world that when the construction of her earthly home was completed death would claim her. In all the years that followed she lived aioue. save for the servant who attended her. She' never entered another home, never sttended church, never was seen in a public building, never rode in a railroad train.

At times she would drive into San Jose in the early years, using her victoria. This equipage was always drawn by blooded horses, royall outfitted with harness with solid gold mountings. In later years she used a limousine. A servant always accompanied her and attended to her errands, while Mrs. Winchester remained secluded in her ear at the curb.

Her life wa3 not one of entire sadness, for she en-Joyed music and laughtea and the beautiful things she Lad gathered about her. One of the great amusements of her life was a series of love letters from a San Jose youth, who showered her with professions of love. Mrs. Winchester never acknowledged the but they were eaid to have furnished the lonely woman a keen diversion. It was the purpose of those associated with her to p1 L1 0 a if? rv.

C5 View of Mrs. Winchester's "spirit boase taken Iron a point outside the grounds. Ugh abave the structure, trot it a razed by the stock I Yifv 0 rejects II gad has never been rebuilt. The main living room in this unique place is a thing beauty. It is paneled in solid mahogany and fitted Hfc rare old Sberaton furniture and blue Antwerp frmnga.

Fantastic Oriental rcgs cover the highly pollsied floor. It is a room fit for royal affairs of lUte, yet it has never been graced by a gcest. An odd art of lis furnishings consists of two sa'es. is which vei kept the gold and silver plate which Mrs Winchester had ased on the table each day. The servants repaired to lock this plate away after each meaL The music room is another on which the elderly red use spent a fortune- She was very fond of good Busk, and it is told that at one time she offered the jtaffftiaw SCO.000 to render their opera in her home tar her exclusive hearing.

This vaa Impossible, owing la dates made for the company and to train sched-de. The masie roeB has walls and ceiling of stucco work, beautifcUy frescoed by a famous cira! painter. Is this room are to be found not only the piano, but a (pies did orchestral, phonographs, a pianola and TirtaaHy every known musical instrument, mst of vkieh sever have been played upon. The entrance hall to the mansion is known as prism ksB, aad its beauty prcbablw is not exeded by any sobs ia the world. The doors to the hall nver were kaOvB te have been unlocked, entrance to the house Mac hv aa uncomfortable side staircase that leads Stockade of eucalyptus trees grown by Mrs.

Winchester to hide her "spirit house" from vievr. been oed leads one to question wbat plans for entertainment may have been in the mind of Mrs. Winchester during all the years of her eeif-imoosed exile. Thoe who had accej to the bouse tell of the marvels of luxury the works of art. the many curkw.

antiques and tapestries that had been gathered from the ends of the earth to gratify the exquisite taste of the builder and apparently to ckrthe with beauty rooms that could Priam hall is 8x40 feet fce used only for the entertainment of large numbers of Ma a bare reception room protect her from every annoyance. It is told that when neighbors half a mile away annoyed her one night by an evening of revelry she ordered the purchase of their farm at any price. A real estate dealer, the story goes, once took advantage of this trait. He informed a servant from the house that a roadhouse was to be built upon a property opposite the home. Mrs.

Winchester was apprised of the fact and paid a fabulous sum for the land, this art. of course, having been anticipated by the realtor. Aside from the fact that she continuously kept the hammers ringing upon her house, destroying parts of it when necessary to continue the work of building. Mrs. Winchester was possessed.

of a remarkably well-balanced mind. She met the workmen she in a barren and sparsely famished reception room, with no bint of the lavishness which marked the remainder of the house, and her dealings with them were direct and always to the point. Her generosity was unquestioned. Ia her will, just probated, there is displayed tb ef- mmmm forts cf a keen mind plan peopie. The things would seem to indicate that there was always struggling with tb strange obeeseion a mind that pleaded for balance and reamred its possessor that at some time toe whim would be overcome and she.

would be able to take her place in the world again, without the continual fear. The gardens about the mansion were magnificent. Mrs. Winchester is said to have employed one man for the sole purpose of cutting flowers for the many vases whkC adorned the rooms. Tragedy had entered the life of Mrs.

Winchester just prior to the purchasing of the tract on which she maintained a continual buuding operation. Death had atxe and has a wainscoting of prism3 so solidiy set Oat so wood is visible. Thousands upon thousand at ttese prisms were used, and the effect is such that ate walking the length of the hall finds them a maze gC adatniating brilliance and dazzling rainbow colors. TWrc ia nothing in the hall to detract the attention hat a lew solid mahogany pedestals on which stand fart ItaCaa marbles. Despite the many handsome rooms and the rare far-of this home, the room about which centers 6a attention of the servants and the few other persons SsiB 30 years have had access tr the.hocwe of mys- ii the white satin room.

This was the retreat 1 Sit Winchester and ather foot ever had 2n known to cross its nshoki prior to her raSk. The floor is linec white, the walls are with white satin A the chairs are all tred with white satin. Jm after age had laid i palling hana on the habeas of the house and was wheeled to the of this sanctuary ar faithful servants. always managed to 3w it alone. Many of her time were there in aHent raedi- ning that her money do that which -she most d-aired.

During the life of certain relatives they are, to have the income from her properties, bnt on their death the remainder of the estate is to go to the Connecticut hospital which she founded and which was so dear to her. Despite the strange reticence which marked ber life and the peculiar whim which kept her always building, there was none who scoffed. Her charitable disposition was known and revered, and her neighbors conceded ber the right to live as she pleased- exquisitely appointed which never had PAGE NINE. SUNDAY MAGAZINE ST. LQUIS POST-DISPATCH NOVEMBER 19, 1922..