The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-24

Dedhtllul drives and with its deer park and
shooting preserves But. leaving the men
at their work, morse and rider Continued on
their way until lumber road was struck on
the right, which led abruptly up the steep
mountain, passing several quarries which
mad been uncovered without further prose-
cutting the work. The celebrated tslone
pine" was left behind on the left. with its
bare branches standing like an evil demon.
warning the intruder not to Dry into Van
deroilts secrets. Regardless Of its silent
admonlt1on, we Skirted around to the right
and over the brow of the mountain.
linen burst upon US a scene of life and
activity which was perfectly marvellous in
TINS seemingly barren and deserted wilder
ness. Fifty teams were at work hauling
away the earth. and several hundred men
were lndustriously digging away the top soil
from eight acres of land and loading it into
carts, where it was carried to large dump
on the hillside above Here the rich ground
which had been removed formed a mound
200 feet long and from % to 40 feet deep.
Several acres of clay had been laid bare,
whose surface was as hard as a road from
the constant passing and repassing of the
teams Trees had been cut down and the
stumps were being taken out All the clay
VIII be removed to the depth Of twenty feet,
and plateau will be formed with a grad lal
slope to the lowlands below. Then the TOP
soil will be replaced and the grounds around
the house laid out according to the taste of
the landscape gardener.
The house, with a length of 900 feet, will
face the French Broad. with the mountain
summit at its back, tufted with trees. On
the right can be seen Asheville, delineated
as if by the pen of draughtsman, while in
front and to the left the French Broad
winds In and out, now in broad expanse of
water, then disappearing only to reappear
again, until it stretches away like a thread
into the distance The surrounding noun
tains form vast circle, of which Wander
bits palace will be the center, and it seems
as If one were in the center of a huge era er
whose jagged edges cut the horizon in every
direction.
AN ARTIFICIAL LAKE.
To the left ard foot of the knoll on which
the house is located there runs a bride path
through ravine to an old farm house.
which is used as a stable for the various
teams The path sweeps by the house along
the bottom OF the ravine, and threads its
way in and out of the trees, until it ends
several hundred yards further on at the
edge OF a small pond, in the center of
which the surveyors have erected a
large pole surmounted with a flag.
Here a broad lake is in process of
formation, and it will be fed from the
large springs and mountain brooks near by.
The steep hills on either side render this
possible with very little artificial aid, and
it will present a beautiful prospect from the
house as its waters sparkle and CLEAN
through the interlacing foliage of the sur
rounding trees. Along its shores are herds
of cattle-guarded by a small boy on a
Texas pony-which Vanderbilt has grazing
on his grounds, according to an arrange
ment by which he is securing cattle tc
pasture on the impoverished soil Of his
property.
The amount of money expended on i'm
proving the grounds and building the man.
sion will be from 100000 to $4,000, 600
and that part of the work in the vicinity of
the house will be finished in a year, while
the entire work will take from four to five
years. The unskilled labor will be taken
from Asheville and vicinity, while skilled
mechanics and artisans will be secured in
the north and brought here
Vanderbilt intends to put in large plant
soon to make his own brick, and all the
roads. ETC., will be made by stem drills,
rollers. crushers, etc. Everything that can
be done by machinery will be done in that
way, and the greater part of the material
used will come from the estate itself.
On the return home, as we rode slowly
along looking at those acres and acres Of
farm land lying idle and going to waste
with houses standing untenanted, save here
and there where faint blue curl of smoke
betrayed the presence of Vanderbilt's work
men, a feeling of Loneliness stole over US
and both horse and rider would have beer
cheered by even the sound of dog barking
or black pickaninny running after us beg
ging for penny. But all was silent and
lonely, a deserted village, which will year:
hence be covered by the forest which the
white man won centuries ago from the In
dian, and, clearing off the timber, converted
it into good arabic land after many years
of hard toll One could almost chant &
requiem over it and then leave it to its res
in peace