The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-09-22
Vanderbilt Jew PALACE.
Tho More II Cost, tEe Better" says the
Railroad King.
Cor. Ncus and Courier.
NEW York, September |

Cor. Ncrs and Courier.
NEW YORK, September |.
1t was my good fortune TO get q
g!ympsc =. the inside Of the new Wander.
bit Palace last Friday evening. / say
good fortune because it is no easy ma. ter
to get into the Vanderbilt mansion, es.
pecially ifone is suspected of being news.
paper Inan, and after many futile previous
attempts / was only allowed to pass rap.
idly through the building, after the work
men had gone for the day, and was,
moreover, requested not to show .gn of
pencil Or paper, and not TO exam.. any
thing zoo closely. Early in the week
had gona 30 Herter, who, though an up
holsterer and furniture maker, has de-
signed Yanderbilt's house outside and
inside, taking with me request from one
Of our foremost daily journals that
might be allowed to see the marvels OF
interior finish which are said be Law
ished upon the inside Of the railroad
kings future home. / WAS treated very
cOurteously but met with refusal. Mr..
Vanderbilt would not like it, was the
answer. To cut Il long story short / met
with refusal from every one connected
with the work-Herter, Snooks, All archi-
tcct employed to supervise the construc-
ton, and Flint, furniture maker, who
Informed me that he was only finishing
three bedrooms and buffers pantry, the
contract for which amounted to $lSO,000.
But l got in at last and saw enough TO
make me enviOus for the rest of my
days if were disposed that way.
Twenty years ago BILLY Vanderbilt" I"
as he was called in those days, struggling
with sterile farm down on Staten Is
land, barely making living and some.
times falling in arrears for taxes and
other expenses. Then his father, the
rich but crusty Commodore. would help
him out, remarking with many an oath
that "Billy was no good" and would die
in the poorhouse. With years the old
man softened and gave "Billy" char
taking him into the railroad business.
So it happens that ten years ago we find
"Billy" installed in splendid house on
Fifth avenue and on the high way to
fame. Whether w. III. Vanderbilt has
any real shrewdness for money making
is q disputed point with men who know
him. When he and Gould became part
ners to q certain extent in the Western
Union speculation last Spring it was said
that Vanderbilt would soon have all the
experience to be got out of that financial
melon and Gould would have all the
money, and so it is said to have proved.
THAT will be the way in all speculation
in which those two men are together"
said shreTd broker to me, commenting
upon the affair. "But," 1 remarked,
II sometimes hear it said that Wall street
is afraid of Vanderbilt. Ifhe is SO stupid
how is that" "Thc big man." was the
answer, "who Eiows nothing about spar
ring, can sometimes by mere weight
crush the little man who may be chock-
full of science. The weight of Wander
bilt's money enables him to play game
that is not possible to any who does not
control one hundred millions" What
ever lie may be, Ounce or genius, he had
come sufficiently to the front ten years
ago to live in splendid house and drive
twenty thousand dollar horses.
When the Commodore died and he be-
came the richest man in America he
resolved TO let people know it, and
for that purpose he called upon
Herter, the fashionable dictator of the
day in the matter Of rich furniture and
decorations, to build him house. Her
ter, who was not anxious to get the ill
will of every architect in New York by
going outside of his business to
design houses instead of sideboards. said
that he would rather not. '"rhen will
get every thing in the way of decorations
and furniture in Paris" said Vanderbilt.
You must do it all or jon will get moth
ing of it." So Herter reflected that he
could make at least $250,00 out of the
job and resolved to brave the architects.
The result is that we now have on Fifth
avenue piece Of Cabinet work as big
as palace-n gigantic stone bookcase in
the highest style Of Herter's art, with
windows on all sides. The most common
criticism is that it is not house at
all, except in having windows and q roof;
all the rest and all the details might be-
long to bookcase. Another criticism
which is freely made is that the material
out of which it is built-brownstone-is
wholly unsuited to the delicate carvings
which have been lavished upon it al cost
of $280,00 for carving alone. Mr.. w.
X. Vanderbilt, the eldest son, who is
building house across the street from
his fathers, has paid even more for elab.
crate carving, but it is done on light
colored and very durable sandstone. 1t
is conceded that brownstone will not last
in this climate for more than thirty years
ness of outline before thoy have been ex-
posed to the weather twenty years. To
this criticism it has been answered that
brownstone is the handsomest building
material in the country, and that when
it is worn out Mr.. Vanderbilt can build
another house just as handsome which
will not only give him something to think
about, but will give employment to sey-
eral architects, q score of draughtsmen,
and several hundred workmen and build
ers for three or four years. This is all
very true, but waste is waste, whether by
the cook or the million lire, aud it is new
er pleasant thing to the man of sense
l had occasion this week to go through
the Kennedy mansion, noble old dwell
ling house at No. Broadway, built in
1742 by sir Peter Warren, and connected
with n dozen famous names in Ameri-
can history. Washington lived there
nearly year, Clinton, Howe and Andre
have all lived there. not to mention sev-
eral famous New York merchants-Na-
ihauiei Prime, Robert Hay anu others
whose homestead it has been. The body
Of the house is of brick with intels Of
marble and steps of brownstone. The
marble is just as perfect es the day it was
laid one hundred and forty ycars ago,
while the brownstone steps are almost
worn into pieces. In less marked degree
the same deterioration of brownstone may
be seen in every New York house ofthat
material built more than twenty-fiv
years ago. Even fiat surfaces of brown
stone are apt to scale off What will