The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1876-01-05
THE PALACE OF ALADDIN.
HOW A MONEYED MAN MAKES HIM
SELF COMFORTABLE:


One of the most enjoyable days
I have spent in England was a Wis
it to Mentmore, Buckinghamshire,
the seat Of the late Baron Roths-
child, and still the home Of his
widow. I had known all my life
Of the almost fabulous wealth
Of the Rothschilds, but had no
such vivid conception of the real
ity as I brought away with me.
The estate comprises $4,000 or
10000 acres of the finest land of
this famous shire. The approach
from Cheddington station, from
which it is distant about two miles
lies through a magnificent lawn
leading to a wooden acclivity; up-
on the summit of which the man.
sion stands. From the tower the
view is one Of the finest in the
Midland counties, embracing on
one side the ancient manor and
village of Wing, on another
the manor Of Tring, and on a
third the historic site of IvaDhoe.
How the course Of the worlds his
tory has been changed by the blow
which an ancestor of John Hamp.
den struck the Black Prince, the
victor of Crecy and Poictiers,
for which "Tring, Wing, and Ivan
hoe" were forfeited! In the dis
tance is the value Of Aylesbury,
and far away on the right of the
Chiltern hills tho monument Of
the Duke of Bridgewater bounds
the range of vision.
Tring Park, owned by another
of the Rothschild family, is said to
be second in the beauty of it's gar
den only to Mentmore; but this I
had no time to see. Subtropical
gardens, vegetable gardens, the
Fountain garden, and the Italian
garden occupied us for hours.
The first is second, I suppose, on
ly to the Royal Botanic Gardens
in Kew; the second embraces,
with the fruit gardens about tn en-
ty acres, the whole proceeds Of
which are consumed in the man.
sion.
In one Of the numerous grape
ries, arranged so as to furnish fruit
every month in the year, I saw
a single cluster of grapes which
would weigh six pounds, the ber-
ries on which were about the
size of good, large plums and the
most luscious I ever tasted. Or
suges, figs, pineapples, bananas,
and other tropical fruits consumed
in the mansion, are all grown in
the Conservatives of Mentmore.
When the Baroness is absent
catching in the Channel or at
her London house, orders by
telegraph are sent to Ment-
more daily for the supplies requir-
ed.
The vases in the Fountain and
Italian Gardens cost each $1,000.
The statuary is all Of the most
costly kind, executed by the first
masters, many of them copies OF
originals which I sawin the Louvre
or in the British Museum. The
great hall, which from the entran ce
seemed to me about 20 by 80 feet,
is filed with vases and statuary.
Its contents must represent a val
ue of not less than 100000. We
were not less than three hours
passing through the rooms. The
finish is exquisite, and the furnish
ing of each sumptuous. Somei idea
may be formed of the whole from
the furniture of single bedroom,
one of the many great chambers,
costing e25,OOo or 100000. In
the dining room and baronial hall
are furnishing exceeding 100000
each. Costly cabinets of the time
of Louis XIV. Of ebony inlaid
with ivory or gold; jewelled
blocks, made of solid gold, dia'
monds, rubies and all sorts of pre-
cious stones; walls hung with the
costliest tapestry Of Louis XIV.
or covered with the richest needle
embroidered satin, may give some
idea of the wealth lavished on
this more than prince}y mansion
The costliest paintings adorn the
walls, and the most skiilful anc
expensive workmanship is display
ed upon the ceilings. The ides
of The Baron seems to have beer
to build and furnish a mansion