The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-06
AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER,
The Duke Of Portland,s Expensive
Whims.
Reynolds Newspaper.l

Reynolds Newspaper.l
The late Duke of Portland was very
eccentric character. He Stunned the
society of his fellow-men, and that prob
ably because he was afflicted with the
most terrible of human maladies-he was
a eper. The Dukes income was proba-
bly, over half million annually. A local
coremperary, in speaking of bis Graee's
endeavor to convert stream through bis
park into a lake six miles long, says:
Hundreds of laborers were employed in
this and other work on the estate in hand
at good wages, but on one condition-no
one was to speak to him or salute him.
The man who touched hishat was at once
discharged. The village doctor and the
parsOn had the same orders. The tenants
were informed of the Dukes wishes, and
lif they met him they were to pass him as
kthev would tree. Yet he was constantly
labout his domain, planning and superin-
tending improvements"
Welbeck Abbey is thus described:
1.-THE grounds seem to be literally under
mined. Extending in all directions from
the abbey are burrows or passages; not
mere borings or excavations, but lofty,
spacious passages, brilliantly lighted by
costly apparatus for letting in sunlight,
and where sunlight can not be admitted,
by lights from gas. By an underground
passage we come to the celebrated riding
school, the like of which is not to be
found in Europe or in the world. 1t is
entered by trap-door, opened by means
of a curiously designed crank in the pas
sage. In the days of the Duke Of New
castle it was used as riding school; now
it is magnificent museum of art over
one hundred and eighty feet in length.
Hundreds of pictures are arranged-not
hung-round the gallery and piled in
stacks on the floor are thousands of
volumes of books, some modern, and
many old, rare and valuable, The floor
i of this gallery is of oak, and the ceiling
is made to represent brilliant midsum-
mer sky. Mirrors in profusion are placed
about, and light is shed from four cham
deliers suspended from the roof, and
each weighing ton. This apartment is
lighted up by over two thousand gas
| lights, and when all are illuminated the
effect must be extremely brilliant There
are some miles Of passages under the
grounds One extends from the abbey
half the way to Worksop; another was
used only by the Duke of Portland.
"The passages are broad enough for
three people to walk abreast in them,
and pleasant to walk in. The library,
like the picture gallery, is underground,
and is the work Of many years. 1t is di-
vided into five large rooms, and 80 ar
ranged as to form, when desirable, one
very large room. The library ia twenty
three feet long. Another immense and
superbly constructed room has been
erected underground. At one end it is
approached by spiral staircase, and at
the other by subterranean passages.
Church or ballroom? 1t would do ad-
mirably for both. 1t was begun five
years ago, and is left in an incomplete
state. There are many Of these rooms at
Welbeck. They are free from draughts,
admirably lighted, magnifcently deco
rated, and all very costly. Comparative
ly few outbuildings are to be seen. The
most remarkable is the new riding school,
building Of gigantic proportions and
of extraordinary beauty. The walls are
of solid stone, and the roof of wood, iron
and glass. 1t is nearly 400 feet in length
and 100 feet wide, and divided into a
great center and two aislea The central
department is decorated with a trieze of
painted brasswork, representing birds,
beasts and foliage, and of perfect work
manship and elegant design. 1t is 80
feet high and lighted by 5000 gas jets.
Here the Duke took pleasure in seeing
his horses exercised. The works are
marvels. He employs constantly upon
them over 2,O00 workmen. In fact, Wei
beck was like an industrial village"