Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-26
MRS. vANDERBILrs HOME.
How the Richest Woman I'm America
Passes Her Leisure Time.

NOW the hlcneSt woman IN America
Passes Her Leisure Time.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE xAaxrrrcKScr By WHICH
SHE Is sURRoUyDED-RoYAL DISPLAY OF CHINA
AND TABLE PLATE-THE PICTURE GALLERY
AND IT'S Art TREASURES.
New York Letter.
Mrs. Vanderbilt, the widow of Vim. h. VAN
derpilt, is the richest woman in America.
Next to Queen Victoria she is the richest
woman in the world She and her son George,
the only unmarried child, with a large staff Of
servants, occupy the huge brown-stone palace
at the corner Of 5th avenue and 5lst street. In
many respects Mrs. Vanderbilt leads a very
simple life, exactly as hundreds Of other
women who have not hundredth part Of her
money. She breakfasts between and 3
O'Clock, the meal consisting of fruit. porridge,
steak, chops or broiled chicken. warm rolls,
tea and coffee. Geo. Vanderbilt breakfasts
with his mother. so that she shall not be alone.
Her luncheon is also a comparatively simple
meal but at dinner there is much ceremony,
and there are usually guests. The dining-room
is situated on the first door, with windows look
ing out on 51st street. There is an immense
fireplace with carved oaken designs in bas-re-
lief at one end of the room, opposite the door
leading from the Japanese room. which has
recently had billiard-table placed in the CEN
ter. The dining-room is furnished with all
oaken furniture. A buffet fills one entire side
OF the room, and on the other. between the
windows. are large glass cabinets, in which is
the finest collection of old Sevres and other
rare porcelain.
When lunched with her the other day the
table was set for eight people and the
service was of Dresden china. On each plate
was a large white linen napkin so folded as to
show an embroidered monogram about an inch
and q half square OF the letters W. III. V. At
the four corners of the table were tall single
silver candlesticks, with pink candles and pink
silk shades, and in front of these small silver
dishes for bonbons. sailed almonds, olives, &c.
The glassware was finely cut and sparkled like
diamonds, and on the buffet stood other speci-
mems OF cut glass ready for use. 1t all shone
like collection Of huge gems. In the center
OF the table stood large cut-glass bowl Of rare
workmanship. filled with chrysanthemums from
Mrs. Vanderbilt's own conservatory. which just
now contains an immensely beautiful display
OF these autumnal flowers.
SAFES FILLED WITH SILVER AND GOLD.
Just outside the dining-room is a store-room,
with safes built into the wall. 1t also contains
the buffers pantry. There is a balcony, with
wrought-iron railing. which extends around
the room and 5 feet from the top. The safes
on the lower range are lined with purple velvet
and contain large pieces OF silver. There are
tureens, all exquisitely engraved and of i'm
mense size. One safe contains only immense
silver trays, and one tray. especially large, has
tiny railing an inch high surrounding it and
large SNOWY handles. 1t is said to be the larg-
est and finest engraved piece of silver plate in
the country. Another safe contains a solid
gold dinner service and tall gold candlesticks.
There are few people of royal blood who can
excel in their table appointments this New
York widow. In the balcony row Of safes the
smaller pieces of silver are kept. spoons of
every kind and variety, ladies, knives, forks.
and small dishes. They are in gold, silver, and
platinum.
One may very naturally ask what does SO
small family as Mrs Vanderbilt and her son
George do with this immense amount of silver,
glass, and porcelain? As have said. the din
ner is the one ceremonious occasion of the day,
and each day the butler is requested to set the
table with an entirely different service of
plate. glass. and china. do not say that there
are 365 of these sets, but there are enough to
last for a long time before beginning over
again. In this way Mrs. Vanderbilt learns that
such OF her possessions are intact
THE WHOLE HOUSE SUPERB.
The whole house, in point of costliness and
splendor, is beyond any question the most SUI
perb in New York. We went all over it the
other morning from hall to roof-tree. a sort OF
| triumphal progress from cover to cover of the
Arabian Nights with such bewildering magnif-
cence here, there, and everywhere that only
the most colossal mind could manage to carry
| away any definite idea Of il all. A trim man
servant threw open the front door. and we
went up few steps till we stood in the vast
square hall, open straight up to the roof, with
| two galleries running around its sides, one
| above the other. and filled with glow of rich
soft light that fell through the stained glass
windows with peculiar effectiveness. Every
| inch of that hall is decorated by master hands
/ Oil is masf
| is a chef fGuure of which a king or an emperor
| might be proud to boast. An enormous rug
covered the inlaid floor: there were silken hang
| ings here and there, carved chairs and settees
palms and plants. and large portrait of Mrs.
Vanderbilt herself in one corner. Now and
| then a noiseless servant came and went The
great house looked homely and cozy in spite OF
its luxury, but there was no sound except those
of our own voices and that of our hostess. and
| il seemed as if we had suddenly come upon
that enchanted castle in which beauty once
slept for hundred years. There is library
! exquisite beyond description; drawing-room
filed with artistic foreign furniture. its walls
decorated by celebrated artists. and its bric-a-
brac worth kings ransom; japanese apart
! ment unique and curious, now used as O. bill.
| iard-room, its ceiling oddly wrought of BAN.
boo, and everything in it Japanese.
MRS. vANDERBILT's OWN APARTMENTS
look out upon 5th avenue. She has a bed cham.
~
sleeping on pea under seventeen feather beds
One thing in it is dressing table. with a great
mirror set in silver, and strewn with silver toll
let articles of every description. 1t is covered
| with old pink plush, and over that hangs large
| piece of exquisite point lace. which once be-
| longed to the Inflated Marie Antoinette and Il
worth many times its weight in gold. The bed
is of carved and inlaid wood, four posts and a
canopy, and it is finished by an embroidered
satin coverlet. Next this chamber is a boudoir
or sitting-room, where a coy open fire burns
on the hearth. A pretty work table, with its
every implement in silver. stood invitingly
/, open. and on the various tables scattered about
were books and photographs, magazines and
newspapers in lavish profusion. As for the
| dressing-rooms they are lined from floor to
| ceiling with vast mirrors, and fitted with baths
of silver set in precious stones. At least il
| seemed so. The most fascinating room in the
| whole house is that they call Georges Libra.
ry." But time does not suffice to tell of it,
wonders-its books. and books. and books, 10
| drive biblio-maniac fairly crazy.
Eiddletl Out of Church.