Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-05
lLOndoR Daily News

WaV station. ana * surrounded bV m lf-
regular wall Of red brick short car
rage drive lead, directly from the
station - the ca,tle-gatcS, which
are Icy no means imposing. In front
Of the house Is q wcll-kcpt lawn planted
with colossal trees and surrounded by paths
thickly stTcWn with sand and slwdust.
The building consists Of two large wings
meeting II a right angle, at the back Of
which there is a yer1nda looking out upon
= bread green meadow encirclcd 10y the 90.
rest. Although the woods are wild, they
impress, the visitor with the idea that the
house is situated in the centre Of an En- sish
park. As vet gardens have li,llc or no hing
10 do with the surroundings OF Fricdrclis-
ruhc. which are entirely intruStcd TO the
care Of the forester.
1T is difficult to give the reader an idea
0f the general appearance OF Prince Bis
marck's house, the extreme simplicity OF
which i quite astonishing. our first i'm.
preston was that what met our eye was
rather m extensive fOrcstcr'S home, and
that we should have to 90 beyond to find
the so-called castle. Prince Bismarck has
added TO the original building. but without
much regard to symmetry or architectural
beauty. ON entering the house we are
surprised TO find that all the walls and
ceiling, are simply whitewa>hed no wall
paneT. no SluccO ornaments, not even coll
olcd border TO make the rooms and corridors
look warm and comfortable. The furniture
looks bleak and uninyiting on this cold
background. and some OF the articles are
Of more than classical simplicity. The
impression we received was that the men,
bcre of the Bismarck family have not been
able 20 make UP their minds TO comfort Of
shy kind where they did not consider it
their duty toward their guests. TherOoms
which they alone enter are cold and uncOm-
fertahle. the only luxury which they con-
tain being thick carpets in every part OF the
house. If we enter by the large door the
first steps take Us into q small antc-rOOm,
M one side Of which is the wardrobe. at
the other the buffers room. BY Walking
straight on we enter the large ante-roOm
leading into "A small chamber, the audience
room Of the Chancellor. one OF the best
furnished apartments in the house. The
first object that meets our eye is the p0r-
trait Of the E9rl Of BeaconSfield. a chalk
drawing dated 1875. under which Bismarck
bas written the British Premier's name in
q large. firm writing. Onthe opposite wall
hangs the French Minister'S portrait:
NJ. Thiers, d'aprOs le tableau de NJ. Bon
nat" In a corner we find MOltke's bust
in bronze. almost concealed under an enor-
nous laurel wreath; above il an oil
painting OF Cardinal Prince HOhen-
lobe. On the mantelpiece stands .
very good east of Schldtcr's statue OF
the Grosser Kurfiirst" and small plas-
ter east OF the equestrian statue in which
ChaTl6magne's original portrait IS supposed
TO have been lately discovered. The room
also contains u cabinet full OF rifles, book
case with maps, two chairs, and small
round table. Every room used exclusive
" by the master Of Fnedrichsruhe pro-
ducc> an inharmOniOus impression, ~ II
not one thought had been given 10 general
appearances. and necessity and practic1luse
were all that had 10 be taken mo consider
alton. The rooms i'm which company is re-
celved show a more careful hand and a
more aesthetic mind. one OF the doors in
the audiencC-rOom opens into the study OF
/ Count RanlZau, the Chancellor's sOn-in-
law. II is furnished like all the rooms OF
German landed prOprietorS who have spent
> couple OF wears AT a university, and Ia a
mixture OF the learned and the agricultu-
raj. Another door in the audience-r0Om
leads 10 Prince BismarCk's private apart
mcnts. the first Of which i the library.
which contains books on all subjects OF
GfitiNI Interest,". anu His ~ Nv blftip tii'
! character Of boOkWOrm', fayOritc "rc-
/ the" hut rather that OF anan'> library who
find, little on no time to devote to reading,
The Princes study is very large
, .com, with several mahogany tables well
/ able 10 bear large loads OF manuscripts and
/ documents. The windows look toward the
south ana close TO them stand, an cnor
nous writing-dcSk, with IN uncomfortable
chair that has no back to il. bronze
inkstand, blue sand. and paper are the onlN
implements, besides goOse'qnill. the oniy
. kind Of pen ever used by the Chancellor
who abhOrS steel pens. In corner OF M
window recess, lust opposite the Chancel
B lor'S seat, stands bureau. above which
hangs the Emperor, portrait AT Tx
other end Of the room. where IN
light from the windows does not well pene
tratc, stand several couchc> and armchalrS
. in which Bismarck loves to rest. with
nine IN his mouth and deep thought Of
his earnest brow. The walls OF this sane
/ tum are decorated with portraits OF tn
Chancellor'S only daughter, Counties Rant
zau, Princess Bismarck, and Counts Her
hcri and William. In 4 dark corner stand
a small card-tablc which Bismarck brouSh
home from the Franco-Gcrman war. On
WAS signed the peace between German
and France, February Pc. 1871. The mex
spartmeRt Is BismaTcEs bedroom. which
furnished with stlll more simplicity than IN
Two rooms preceding 1t. The walls ar
decorated with several family portraits. an
a comfortable couch is the only superfluou
niece of furniture winch the room mus
irrs. To the English eye. perhaps, th
large quantity Of fcather-bcds IN the Tour
poster would not seem altogether mas
pensabe. ON the first and only story
the house we find several wel-iurnishe
and comfortable bed aud Slttlng-rooms r.
served for Prince BismaIck's guests. The
have been occupied in turn by the tu
sian Chancellor, Giers, bV Prince OrloI
, Count Schuy3oil, Count halnoky, an
many Others. ON the same il0Or are II
room. OF the brothers Bismarck and u
family RantZau.' The suit Of apir
mems in which Prince Bismarck r.
rei,es company j. large and luNuriol
when COMPARED with that part Of the hou
which is devoted exclusively to the Use
the family. The diniDg-rOOm can accoi
mediate thirty guests. IT. wall, are dee
l.,tcd with seven views OF landscapes
Fricdrichsruhc. The room also contains
very handsome bronze statue OF the Gro
ser KuriurSt. the Emperor Cbri,im
prescnt TO Prince Bismarck in 1880.
another large room we ind several pi
turcs OF Bismarck's ancestors. Among {
family portraits we notice with much
,ercst that of Bismarck mother. ire
, whom. rather than from the father,
" seems TO have inherited his indomitai
I. will and the greatness OF hls mind.
. small portrait Of Queen Louise, the +
" peror's mother, In the exceeding low dr.
Of the First Empire, is also very attract
:, What we considered the most renarka
' object in the whole house is large broI
= east Of the NiedeIwald monument, wh
:, stands on an OAK cabinet in the smokl'
" room, and TO which Is attached sheet
= note paper, with the following inscrlpu
:, In the aged Emperor's own hand "Cnr
:, mas, 1888. The keystone OF your poll,
u . ceremony which was chiefly dedic i'ed
!, YOU. and at which You could, am sorrl
!, say. not be present. W."
UorsfOrd's Acid Phosphate