The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-01-16
A PALATIAL HOME.
THE INTERIOR OF NEW YORK'S
GRANDEST DWELLING.
Maenif1cence Revealed by Visit
to Mrs. William III. Vanderbilt's
Residence on Fifth Avenue
Apartments Fit for Royalty.


Apartments Fit for Royalty.
"Bcyond any question, the most su-
perb house in New York, in point Of
costliness and splendor, is the Wander
bilt palace on the corner of Fifty-trst
street. We went all over it the other
morning from hall to roof tree, sort of
triumphal progress from cover to cover
of the Arabian Nights, with such be.
magnihcence here, there. and
everywhere that only the most colosssl
mind could manage to carry away any
definite idea of it 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 a glow of rich. soft light that
fell through the stained glass win
dows with peculiar effective
ness. Every inch of that wall is
decorated by master hands; gilded,
carved, painted, till its dimmest corner
is chef d',ruvre of which King or an
Emperor might be proud to boast. An
enormous rug covered the inlaid floor;
there were silken hangings here and
there, carved chairs and settees, palms
and plants, and large portrait of Mrs.
Vanderbilt herself in one corner. Now
and then u noiseless servant came and
went. The great house looked homely
and cosey in spite of its luxury, but
there was no sound except those of our
own voices and that OF our hostess, and
it seemed as if we had suddenly come
upon that enchanted castle in which
beauty once slept for hundred years.
"Not so, however, when we went
thence into the picture gallery-the
famous picture gallery where there are
gathered the masterpieces OF the time,
acquired with infinite care and judg-
ment and patience by collector who
bought, not as the Philistines, but as o
true connoisseur. The two great rooms
were still and empty. One of them
opened on conservatory. The morning
light lay in a flood of sunshine on the
floor, and brought out the very best
points in every painting, as we wandered
about in dumb delight from Corots to
Daubignys, Detail!es to Tademas,
Meissoniers to Millais, forgetting in the
JOY of seeing those marvellous things
that every one had cost little fortune.
There is a library, exquisite beyond
description; drawing.room, filled with
artistic foreign furniture, its walls deco
rated by celebrated artists, and its brio
a-brac worth Kings ransom; a japanese
apartment, unique and curious, now
used as b billiard room, its ceiling oddly
wrought of bamboo, and everything in
it japanese; a dining room in richly
carved eek. No words can paint this
Whole volumes In folio
might pe written without giving the
faintest idea of its real fascination and
they could not convey the subtle convic-
ton that steals over one to the effect
that here is palace which is also q
home.
"In the dining-room there was ser
want laying the cloth for luncheon-a
luncheon for two, as there is no one
left at home now except Mrs. Vanderbilt
aud her son, George. It was such a
cloth! OF the finest damask, with an
open insertion of lace just above its lace
trimmed hem, and huge embroidered
monogram in the center, and the NAH
who was busy about it stopped to take
us into the buffers pantry, where every
thing was on Titanic and very COM
plete scale, and there showed us the
great safe, behind whose ponderous
doors, that swung reluctantly open, were
such treasures of silver as might well
make Titfany's hide its diminished head
and feel quite low in its mind.
$50 we might go on forever. Mrs.
Yanderbilt's own apartments look out
upon Fifth avenue. She has bedcham.
Der tit for the Princess who was bruised
by sleeping on q pea under seventeen
feather beds. One thing in it is dress
ing table, with q great mirror set in
silver, and strewn with silver toilet arti-
cles of every description. 1t is covered
with old pink plush, and over that hangs
a large piece of exquisite point lace,
which once belonged to the ill-tated Marie
Antoinctte, and is 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 en-
broidered satin coverlet. Next this
chamber is boudoir or sitting-room,
where cosey open fire burns on the
hearth. A pretty workable, with its
every implement in silver, stood invit-
ingly open, and on the various tables
scattered about were books and photo
graphs, magazines and newspapers in
lavish profusion. AS for the dressing
rooms they are lined from floor to cell
ing with vast mirrors, and fitted with
baths of silver set in precious stones. AT
least it seemed so. =,
THE most fascinating room in the
whole house is that they call Georges
Library But time does not suffice to
tell of its wonders-its book, and books,
and books, to drive bibliomaniac fairly
crazy.
80, dear! 1t is great privilege to
90 over the house of millionaire. There
was time when we used to sing Justly,
4 want to be an angel and yet since
that eventful morning we have changed
our tune, and put it now, 4 want to be
q Vanderbiltn n"-Prooidence Journal