The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-05
MIR. TILDEN's GIFT.
His Houses in Gramerey Park, ami His
Splendid Library.

|
! tnctive by marking an entrance at either
| end, each having stoops-one wide, the other
! narrow; one overhung by balcony, the
| other surmounted by an deliberately carved
! marble arch, of which the head of Michael
| Angelo, in bas-relief forms the keystone.
! The bay-windows in one house run up to the
/ third story; in the other they stop at the
| second. Yet these and other variations only
! go to make up single picture. In a wide
space where the two buildings join are set
/ five noble heads in bas- relief, sculptured in
! dark tine-grained marble Just above the head
of the passer-by. Shakespeare and Milton oc-
! cupy opposite corners OF the tablet. Frank
| lin is set below in the center, and Goethe and
! Dante look out from the lower corners As
| cending the low, wide steps of what may be
! called the old house, one is struck with the
protuslon OF the stone-carving and the
| wealth of detail everywhere exhibited. The
| basement railing is of deliberately wrought
! iron. That it cost Mr.. Tilden So 000 is cold
| fact, which is easier to state than to describe
| the variety and grace of its design. On cross
| ing the wide marble vestibule the reporter
| turned TO admire the magnificent stained
glass doors. Red roses and white lilies
! blossomed in the panels, and ''jewels" like
! rubes, emeralds and sapphires spar<led and
/ glowed amid the wealth of color and design
| which was magnitied by great mirrors on
/ either side of the hall. These doors, with
one exception, are the only new features in
| the lower part of the house. The wide mar
/ bic hall, the spacious and lofty parlors and
! library on the right, the mahogany stair
! case on the lett. the quiet dark tone of the
| wall decorations, the rich carpets and
! furniture are the same as of yore. The
! impression conveyed is rather one
| of solid comfort than of luxury
or magnifcence. Passing through the hall
/ into the extension at the rear one enters
strikingly handsome ROOM 1t is the old,
/ large, square dining room, but wonderfully
] Chanup6 From HOor n cailinu bo vualIe
/ covered with rich carving in oak and maple
! over a light gold background A splendid
chandelier, with ten arms surrounding a
| large movable shaded light, is suspended over
! the table in the middle of the room. The
! light streams in through two large plate-glass
windows, looking out on Nineteenth street
across a NEGLECTED. garden.
The rooms upstairs remain as before, with
! the exception OF the Governors dressing
room on the second floor, which is immed-
atey over the front door. To this a bay
! window has been added Mr.. Tilden's bed
room, to the left of the dressingroom has
/ been repainted and the walls hung with a
! cretonne of warm tint and graceful design.
! 1t is kept in readiness for him constantly.
! An old mahogany door, which formerly
| concealed a closet opens on the passage con-
Meeting the old building with the new one.
1 There are similar passages on each floor AT
! ter rambling about upstairs. downstairs in
| the ''old house" the reporter retraced his
| steps through the dinIng-room, pausing now
and then TO gaze with bookworms longings
on many a quaint and curious volume of
forgotten lore"
The great library overlooked with books.
There were books in the dinng-room books
| in the bedrooms, and books in Mrs. Petons
| boudoir. Space forbids anything like an ac-
| count of the treasures of Mr. Tilden's library
! or even of those works which a passing
| glimpse stamped on the memory, but it may
| be promised that nearly every volume was of
rare value. The bindings were sumptuous in
many instances. The works on manners cos
! tune, ornithology, natural history and travel
| are filled with beautiful illustra tons, The
Americana is rich in material which cannot
fail to be of rare value to the student and the
historian.
"a splendid nucleus for a great public
| library" exclaimed the reporter.
| "There was no room in The old house for
| all Mr.. Tildens books" said my ancient
| guide. He has as many more at Greystone
and nearly as many packed away in six
| boxes down stairs"
Remembering that Mr.. Tilden is lawyer
and that [ had not seen law book, won
Gered if the big boxes contained his law
library.
He will have room for them in the new
! house, though" said my guide, opening a
door from the old library into the new one
The reporter found himself in the center
of three beautiful large rooms thrown into
| which separated them. The floor was of in
| laid woods of various color and design Rich
| oak carving ran around the cornices and
| crossed and recrossed an inlaid ceiling of
blue tiles The middle room of the suite is
! splendidly illuminated by a dome of stained
| glass set in Ornamented bronze work which
rises into light shaft sixteen feet square
A handsome carved oak mantel and fire.
place, each OF singular design, ornamented
each room. The walls ali around are lined
with bookcases of carved maple and satin
| wood, with doors of beveled plate-glass. The
front room is lit up by bay windows looking
across Gramercy Park. The windows of the
back room open Oh the garden before men
| toned.
The reporter was informed that Mr.. Tilden
spent much time in directing and overlook
ing the work in these rooms, taking a special
interest in the arrangement of the book cases
The result of his care will be that his books
| are spared the fate of most books in public
libraries. Here along the bottom are deep
fiat shelves, where precious heavy folios may
be laid without fear for their edges, and may
be withdrawn without bruising their fell
lows. There the stately quarto need not rub
elbows with the airy octave or crowd the
gentle duodecimo. Every book may be
found in a twinkling, taken out and returned
without trouble and preserved inViolate
from dust or dampneSs
The carving in these rooms cost 600
Each of them opens into the hall, which is
not as wide as that of the old house. al
though it is longer. The woodwork of the
hall and staircase is of cherry and mahogany,
deliberately carved and affording a pleasing
contrast in its rich, dark tone to the light
oak and maple of the library. At the top of
the stairs one enters a dressng-room hand
somely fitted up. A large mahogany ward
robe on one side is heated by hot-air regis
tiers at the foot, 80 that the old gentleman's
clothes can't get cold or damp" as the guide
explained. A large porcelain bath-tub is set
in mahogany case fitted with many labelled
stops, which enable the Governor to draw
hot water from either his private boiler"
the Kitchen boiler or the "laundry boiler"
Opening small door under the handsome
IL H. D.,