Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-03-26
A Dukes Fancy.

A Dukes Fancy.
The grounds at Welbeck Abbey, the
seat of the late Duke of Portland, are
literally undermined. Extending in
all directions from the Abbey are bur-
rows or passages; not mere borings or
excavations, but lofty, spacious pas
sages, brilliantly lighted by costly ap.
paratus for letting in sunlight, and
where sunlight cannot be admitted,
by lights from gas. By AN underground
passage we come to the celebrated rid
ing school, the like of which is not to
be found in Europe or in the world. It
is entered by a trap-door, opened by
means of q curiously-desi sned crank in
the passage. In the dsys of the Duke
of Newcastle it was used as riding
school; now it is magnificent museum
of art over one hundred and eighty
feet III 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 of this gallery is
of oak. and the ceiling is made to rep.
resent q brilliant mid summer sky.
Mirrors in profusion are placed about,
and light is shed from four chandeliers
suspended from the roof, and each
weighing q 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 un-
der the ground. One extends from
the Abbey half the way to Worksop;
another was used only by the Duke of
Portland. The passages are all broad
enough for three people to walk
abreast in them, and pleasant to walk
in. The library, like the picture gal
! lery, is underground, and is the work
of many years. 1t is divided into five
large rooms, and SO arranged as to
form, when desirable, one very large
room. This library is two hundred
and thirty. six feet long. Another i'm
nense 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 admirably
for both. 1t was begun five years ago,
and is left in an incomplete state.
There are many of these rooms ut
Welbeck. They are free from draughts,
admirably lighted, magniicently dec
GRATED, and all very costly. Compare.
lively few out-buildings are to he seen.
The most remarkable is the new riding
school, building of gigantic proper
tons and of extraordinary beauty. The
walls are of solid stone, and the roof
of wood, iron and glass. 1t is nearly
four hundred feet in length aud one hun
bred feet wide, and divided into great
center and two aisles. The central de-
partment is decorated with frieze OF
painted brass work representing birds,
beasts and foliage, and of perfect work
manship aud exquisite design. 1t is
fifty feet high, and lighted by eight
thousand gas jets. Here the Duke
took pleasure in seeing his horses
exercised. The works" are mar
vels. He employed constantly up.
ON them over two thousand work
men. 1t was popularity of the
duke that he would rarely see ap2r one
except his confidential man of business
and his valet. The rule was relaxed
every now and then; but when his
nieces came to stay at Welbeck they
scarcely ever saw their uncle, who lived
in his own rooms, and talked with peo-
pie from them with the doors shut. He
was very fond, too, of moving large
trees from point to point in the park,
aud this, of course, at an enormous
cost, while the money which he spent
upon the lake is something fabulous.
OF late years the duke was great suf-
ferer, and led quite the life of az inva-
lid. His dinner was laid in room,
| notice was given to him by bell that
| it was ready, when he went in and ate
it alone. During the time spent over
his dinner his sitting-room would be ar
ranged, and, in the same way, his bed
room before he retired at night. The
duke was very hayward in many things.
Thus, for no apparent cause, he refused
to hold any communication with his
two sisters, Lady Ossington and Lady
Mary Topham; and upon one occasion,
after giving Lord Galway and some
friends permission to shoot over his
Scotch forest, he suddenly changed his
mind, and had telegram sent them to
that effect. They we're all the more
10th to leave because, not only had they
fallen upon some very good shooting 6,
but, much to their surprise, they had
found a staff of servants, including an
eminent French cook, awaiting them.
All these good things had been pro,
vided by order OF the duke. He came
to London occasionally, but he always
stayed at Harcourt House, Cavendish
Square, arriving there from Noting
hampshire in one of those old travelling
carriages which belong to the pre-rail-
way days. This carriage was put on
the train, so that the duke accomplish
ed the journey without being seen.
GoRMANDIzING.-" Four-and-tWenty
blackbirds baked in apie," our old MUIR
sery rhyme told us, was dainty dish
to set before king" but Zimmerman
tells us that Frederick the Great re-
| ,o~akhipu mora Hu DAtantIaI.