The Days of a Man 1891 



Adorning an artificial lake with a tiny island bearing a ruined 

 nature castle, to enhance (as the owner thought) the charm- 

 ing natural features of the property. Opposite the 

 cottage rose a plain but substantial brick building, 

 the lower floor of which served as office, while above 

 was housed a considerable library of Elzevirs. In 

 the immediate neighborhood several small barns 

 provided stalls for a hundred blooded cows, groomed 

 regularly each day. When Stanford acquired the 

 property, this particular corner was used for the 

 Thoroughbreds and became known as the Running 

 Ranch - - in contradistinction to the famous Trot- 

 ting Ranch, a mile away. 



In vain search for enough water to supply the 

 elaborate arrangements he contemplated, Coutts 

 tunneled many of the hills, and built on Matadero 

 Creek a brick water-tower of medieval type and still 

 of romantic interest to succeeding generations of 

 Stanford students. Unfortunately, however, there 

 was something amiss about it all, some important 

 matters the French Government wished to have 

 explained. Yet the preliminary inquiry conducted 

 by a French agent seems to have turned out satis- 

 Dis- factorily to both sides. But with the advent of 

 appear- another consul in San Francisco, Coutts suddenly 



anceoftbe r , . i i r -i T- 



"French- round it necessary to take his family Last on im- 

 portant business, leaving the place still filled with 

 guests and the children's playthings scattered about 

 on the floor. Investigation then revealed that the 

 estate had been bought in the name of Eugenie 

 Chogensen, the " governess." Rumor further said 

 that Coutts had fled from France with Alsatian funds 

 entrusted to his bank during the Franco-Prussian 

 War in order that they might escape sequestration. 



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