Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1878-10-17
ANOTHER BONANZA PALACE.
A Summer Retreat Rivaling the splendor
of Roman villas.

which will eventuate in the most princely
summer house in America The location
of this costly and luxurious. retreat is
three-quarters of a mile northeast of the
railroad station at Menlo Park. The
grounds comprise from 900 to 800 acres,
and stretch from the mansion to San
Francisco Bay. A more delightful loca-
ton for rural splendor could not be I'M
agined. The lands constitute natural
park, being thickly wooded with live oak
and numerous other of the choicest native
trees of California. The landscapes in ev-
cry direction are varied and attractive.
In fact nature has done so much in beauti-
fying the scenery that little remains for
art to accomplish. The country seats of
many of the English nobility will fail to
compare with this one when the present
plans are fully carried out. AT least
81 100000 will be expended. The task Of
erecting the mansion was inaugurated
three months ago, and rapid progress has
been made, but at least year and half
will elapse before it will be ready for oc-
cupancy. A quarter of mile from the
main road, and extending from that point
to the mansion, will be noble avenue Of
trees The site of the mansion is six feet
above the general level of the surrounding
country, and the gentle slope thus created
terminates in handsome terrace wall
that partly incloses the green sward at the
front. The structure, which is now being
rooted. will somewhat resemble French
chateau of the old regime transplanted to
California. Its ground dimensions are
100 feet front by 200 feet deep. 1t com
prises a basement and two stories. Its
exterior is very imposing and much must
be left to the imagination OF the reader.
Probably no private residence in the State
will excel it in size, admirable proportions
and beauty. The main front has south
western exposure. The superstructure Is
supported by brick wall fifteen feet high,
and across the entire front and along one
side extend upper and lower verandas six
teen feet in width. The composition of
the sky line is well adapted for harmonic
ing with rural scenery, its mOnotony being
broken by pipnacles, gables of different
styles, Onamented projections and two
towers and an observatory.
All the front rooms, and all the chief
rooms elsewhere, have large bay-windows.
Iron crestings, balconies, corbeled Chin
neys and other architectural devices Of
the kind, impart elegance and variety.
The style of the gables and projections is
much frecr than would be permissible
with city residence, but is well adapted
for the country. The roofing is covered
with imported felt, over which fine shing-
junctures of walls and Of roofs, and in all
other such places where tin is ordinarily
used, copper is employed. The descend
| q nNn
ial. All the windows, large and small,
front ndrcar, are fitted with French plate
glass. Judged as whole, the exterior
is ornate and the embodiment of
grandeur When the grounds are laid
out and improved and the structure is
surrounded by green foliage its appear
ancc will be noble and picturesque. The
observatory is l40 feet high and COM
mands a magnificent view of the estate
and adjacent lands. The staircase tower
isl2O feet in height, and is circular in
form. The other tower is 100 feet high,
and will be utilized to force water to ev-
cry door and every apartment. The base
mcnt is subdividcd into multitude of
large rooms or vaults, which will be used
for storage and variety Of other similar
purposes. Prominent among them is a
commOdious wine room. which will be
equipped with all requisite convenlenCes,
and in which will be deposited the rarest
wines of every land. In addition to the
front entrance there is a coach porch and
entrance on the left side, and garden
entrance on the right. Not far remote
from the garden entrance will stand an
elegant glass conservatory which will be
filed with choice cxotics. Extensive
forcing houses will be erected some dis
tancc to the rear of the mansion, where
shrubs and flowers will be produced on
scale OF luxuriance commensurate with
the other details of tins magnificent re-
treat. At present the plans for these ad-
juncts are held in abeyancc. The innu-
merHble apartments on the first floor are
laid off as follows: On the right of the
vestibule is a hat room and on the left a
cloak room. Thence, running rearwards,
is spacious hall, connecting with an
inner hall and with two other halls that
cross at right angles. One of the latter
forms an entrance from the carriage
porch at the left side of the mansion, and
also gives space for grand staircase
leading to the upper floors. The otEef
leads out to the garden grounds at the
right Of the mansion.
On first passing the vestibule the visitor
finds splendid apartment on the right
of the hall, which is intended for Ii
brary. To the rear of it, opening on the
hall, is stately muslc-room, which COM
muniCates with the main garden entrance.
To the rear of the music-room is the
smoking-room; one of the halls referred
to separates it from the billiard-room, to
the rear of which is the breakfast-room.
On the left side of the main hall, COM
mencing again at the vestibule, is large
reCeption-room, with sliding doors that
communicate with the drawing-room i'm
mediately to its rear. CThe music-room
and library are connected in the same
manner). To the rear of the drawing
room is the hall that connects with the
carriage porch, and hey yond that is the
dining-room; still to the rear is the but
ery, then the kitchen, sculleres pastry
rooms, china-room, lavatories, linen.clos-
cts and hooks and corners without end
The reception room, drawing-room, music
room and library are all very much Of
the same size, their width being forty
feet or more. One remarkable feature of
the dining-roOm deserves mention. 1t
is large apartment, sufficient in extent
for almost any ordinary requirements, but
by means of an ingeniously contrived ar
rangement it can be made to include
section of the hall, and also the commo-
dious billiard-room opposite, thus consti-
tuting an unbroken banquet hall 100 feet
in length. Here can be spread feast
from which many hundreds could partake,
and no better OR more extensive ballroom
could be desired in private mansion.
Throughout the interior of the structure
polished woods Of the most costly charac-
ter will be used. All the floors will be
inlaid, and the cornices will be of an eab.
crate description. A hundred and fifty
feet to the rear of the mansion the stables
are being erected, which will conform in
style to the principal building. Foun-
tains and ornamental waters will be ad-
vantageously established around the front
of the mansion and in near proximity to
it. Also, 6sh-pools, such as the old Eng
lish monks were won't to create on their
abbey lands. The drives will be laid out,
graded and graveled in unexceptionable
style, and will be bordered by choice ferns
and frs, and in the vicinity OF the mansion
some fine statuary will be placed.
Financial.