Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-23
MR. rILDEN,s CITY PALACE
A House That will Cost $500, 900.
HOW MONEY HAS BEEN LAvIsHED ON THE ART
DECORATIONS OF THE NEW EDIFICE ON Ora
MERCY PARK-wHAT $35, 600 DINING-RooM
LOOKS LIKE.

NEW YORK, September IL.
While the unsubdued Pashas of the Tammany
and Irving Hall tribes are drilling their Bedou-
ins for active service at the state democratic
convention In Syracuse, 'Uncle Sammy Tilden.
New Yorks political Khedive, is in retirement.
wrestling with private architectural problem.
year or so ago he decided to transform his
famous Gramercy Park retreat into mansion
that would throw Vanderbilt's new palace COM
pletely in the shade. At that time it was said
that the house. with its owner and other curos.
was 20 FORM sort of matrimonial prize package
Tor a st. Louis belle. but as there is no nursery
in the new ediice the story is now believed to
nave been made out of the whole cloth. Be that
as IL may, the mansion is undoubtedly the hobby
OF Mr. Tilden's fe and when completed it will
have cost something like half a million dollars
and eclipse in artistic finish anything OF the Kind
in this country. For months past he has spent
one or two days every week in his architectural
temple and when he does not appear on the
scene of action he sends down tri-weekly dOcu-
ments of instruction from his five million dollar
place on the Hudson.
When he began the alterations Mr.. Tilden in
tended to spend about $50, 600 on them. but
that sum has swelled to $500, 600. and it is
thought that 500, 600 more will be required to
finish the decorations. The building fronts on
Gramercy park and takes in No. Is Mr. Tiden's
old house, which has been remodeled through
out and united to an adjoining building of the
same size. This gives the new palace, which is
four stories high. a frontage Of sixty and
depth CT one hundred and ten feet.
THE STYLE OF THE STRUCTURE.
Traces of the Gothic style of architecture are
noticeable in many parts of the building, but no
conventional rules have been carried out The
architects have worked under the personal
supervision OF Mr.. Tildcn and the result is one
of the most unique and beautiful residences in
America. The front of the building is based on
brown sandstone from Beleyile n. j. with
superstructure of delicate pink Scotch sand
stone. The prevailing tone of the facade is
pink and brilliant contrast is brought about by
narrow belts of Maine granite which separate
the native and imported sandstone These
black granite belts are highly polished and
prett1y engraved The arches and window
trimmings are all of black trimming
There are two entrances to the front of the
mansion. and the main one leading into Mr.
Tildens old house. is remarkably beautiful
Four columns of polished red notified granite
support the handsome porch. over the main en-
trance, and above those columns are four cOlOs-
sal feminine busts. representing the seasons
These were carved from Scotch granite and are
framed In craven foliage. typical of spring. sum-
iner, autumn and winter. slab of black gran
lite. so highly polished that it's under side re-
fleets Ike mirror, forms the top Of the porch.
The stone trimmings of the porch. and indeed
ofthe whole front of the house. are beautifully
ana eiaborately carved. and the designs are as
quaint as they are varied In the countless
clusters and garlands OF foliage are birds. rab-
bits. squirrels, frogs, toads. turtles snakes
lizards, bugs and butterflies the whole forming
maTvelOusly executed study IN natural his
tory. 1t would take hours to examine the foil
ated carvings in the pink sandstone, for these
carvings are representations of no less than 159
varieties Of foliage. ranging from fern and clover
to maple and oak. In this mass of foliage are
over quo animals. birds, reptiles and insects.
4 CLASSICAL. GROUP OF HEADS
Between the two immense bay-windOWs is
found one of the most striking pieces Of deco
ration on the building. In large panel of
brown sandstone are five inches containing the
heads of Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe. Dante,
and Benjamin Franklin, the latter occupying
the center: with the others at the corners of the
tablet. The high roof is broken by dorner win
dows OF modern Gothic style and finals Orna-
ment the coping.
Notwithstanding the artistic beauty of the
exterior of the mansion. 1t is the interior that
VIII excite the most general admiration from
lovers OF prOfuSe decoration. The front rooms
parlor and library. flank the hallway, and
one of the huge bay-windOws affords light for
each apartment. The library, which is twenty
feet wide and sixty long, is the largest room in
the house. Mr.. Tilden has one of the largest
and most valuable private libraries in America
and the twenty thousand volumes it contains
VIII NIL this new apartment to OVERLOOKING. The
bookcases are of solid rosewood richly carved
The main pariOr is thirty feet long and twenty
wide, and the work of frescong it and the Ii
bfary is not more than half done.
or all the rooms in the house, however the
dining hall is the most handsome. 1t is thirty
five feet square and has a vaulted ceiling. This
Is believed to be the finest dining-rOcm in the
country. and although $4,000 have been ex-
pended in decorating it the work is not near
finished.
DECORATIONS OF THE DINING HALL.
iri in
and has tor years been noted as beautiful
apartment-sO beautiful, in fact, that the owner
would not consent to any changes in the dado
or the French walnut. bird's-eye maple and
ebony base of the hall. The top of the room is
covered by gorgeous canopy of light blue and
gold. and the magnificent center piece consists
of solid carving in bold relief in sandal-wood.
The idea of animate lie in the decorations has
been followed as consistently in this CENTER
piece as it is on the exterior of the building and
the sandal-wOod is covered with the same
charming pictures of birds and masses of way
ing boughs. Above the foliage is backing of
gold leaf on the body of the sandal-wood, which
reflects an indescribably soft and golden light on
everything below. The semi-crcles over the
huge mirrors which line the walls are similarly
decorated. The other parts of the ceiling are
covered with delicate diaper-work made up of
narrow strips of the carved and gold-back san
lakewood crossing each other dagOnally and
framing light blue porcelain tiles. No money
has been spared in identifying this apartment,
and no form of plant or bird life seems to be
considered too intricate or too minute for truth
full representation. One of the most striking
features about this art work is the endless vari-
ETY. of the subjects. no two forms of plant or an
imal life being represented in any part of the
room.
The hall ceiling is gorgeously frescoed, and its
polished granite and pink sandstone walls are
beantifled by artistic designs. The elevator is
ofcarved rose and sandal-wOod, and the art
work on 1t is said to have cost 5000 The
artistic decorations in the upper part of the
mansion are not so far advanced as those in the
| rooms below, but they promise to be fully as
perfect when. in the spring of 1883, they are
! ready for occupancy.
Specializing I'm Cattle in Wyoming
From the Laramie (Wyoming) Boomerang.
With the present high prices Of beet, and the
COW literally jumping over the moon. Wyoming
men are reaping q rich harvest and many Of
them will make Independent fortunes this sum-
mer. The rise has been so rapid and transfers
| are made so easily that large transactions are
made every day in which the buyer does not see
hoof Of his purchase. and very likely does not
actually use more than one-half of the purchase
money in the trade before he has sold and made
N rrl( INC. rfr, in fh,1