St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-17
MRS. yANDERBILT's. HOME.
How the Richest Woman in Amer
lea Passes Her Leisure Time.

How the Richest Woman in Amer
lea Passes Her Leisure Time.
Philadelphia Times.
Mrs. Vanderbilt, the widow of W. ID.
Vanderbilt, 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 unmar-
ried child, with large staff of servants.
occupy the huge brown stone palace at
the corner of Fifth avenue and Fifty
first street.
In many respects Mrs. Vanderbilt
leads very simple life, exactly as hum
drenS of other women who have not
hundredth part of her money. She
breakfasts between and o'clock, the
meal consisting of fruit, p0rridge. steak.
chops or brOiled chicken, warm rolls. tea
and coffee. George Vanderbilt break
fasts with his mother so that she shall
not be alone. er luncheon IS also a
comparatively simple meal, but at din
ner there is much ceremony. and there
are usually guests. The dining room is
situated on the first floor, with windows
looking out on Fifty-first street. There
is an immense fireplace with carved
Oaken designs in baS-relief at one end
from the japanese room. which has re-
Gently had billiard table placed in the
center. The dining room is furnished
with all Oaken furniture. A buffet fills
one entire side of the room, and Oh the
other, between the windows, are large
glass cabinets, in which is the finest COL
lection of old SevreS and other rare pOr-
celain.
When l lunched with her the other
day the table was set for eight people,
and the service was of Dresden china.
On each plate was large white linen
napkin so folded as to show an en-
broidered monogram about an inch and
half square of the letters w. II. V. At
the four corners of the table were tall
single silver caIdlesticks. with pink
candles and pink silk shades. and in
front of these small silver dishes for
bonbons, sailed almonds, olives, etc.
The glassware was finely cut and
sparkled like diamonds, and on the buff
fet stood other specimens OF eut-glass
ready for use. 1t all shone like eollec-
ton of huge gems. In the center of the
table stood large cut-glass bowl OF
rare Workmanship filled with chrysan-
themums from Mrs. Vanderbilts own
conservatory, which just now contains
an immensely beautiful display of these
autumnal flowers.
just outside the diningroom is a store
room. with safes built into the wall. 1t
also contains the buffers pantry. There
is balcony, with wrought-irOn rail-
ing, which extends around the room and
five feet from the top. The safes on
the lower range are lined with purple
velvet and contain large pieces Of sill
yer. There are silver punch bowls,
tankards, candleSticks, tureenS, all eX-
quisitely engraved and of immense size.
One safe contains only immense silver
trays, and one tray, especially large,
has a tiny railing an inch high sur
rounding it and large snowy handles.
1t is said to be the largest and finest en-
graved piece of silver plate iu the
gold DINNER service and tall gold can
dleStickS. 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 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 1 have said, the dinner is the one
ceremoniouS occasion of the day, and
each day the butler is requested to set
the table with an entirely different SER
vice of plate, glass, and china. l do
not say that there are 365 of these sets,
but there are enough to last for long
time before beginning over again. In
this way Mrs. Vanderbilt learns that
nf hnr Mt
seems a great responsibility for one
man to have charge OF all these posses
sions. yet the butler of the family is
that man, and he is required to give
bonds as to his faithfulness. He it is
VINO holds the keys to all these safes
and cabinets. and he is not only reSpon-
sible for their safe keeping but he is ac-
countable for any breakage. The pres
ent butler has been in the family some
time, and previously held the same po-
sitlon with Gov. Ames of Massachusetts.