The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-06
FINEST IN THE WORLD.
Tho New Palace Of Young GeOre
& Nr~.nl~-hlIA nHa"5FG#M

Tho New Palace of Young Georg,
Vanderbilt
II 10 interesting to learn that an Ameri.
can gentleman, for the lack of better en-.
ployment, has set himself the task of con.
struoting the most magnificent house. te
be surrounded BY the most beautiful land
scape and park effects in all the world,
barring no palace. mansion, castle. royal oil
duoal country seat whatever. Every one
to his taste! To plan, perchanoe to achieve.
such u triumph as this ia at least us
rational an undertaking as to strive to
own a horse that will trot a mile in two
seconds less time than Maud s., or the
fastest yacht atioat, or more miles of rail
way than any man living. But it ia a
whim that very few men could afford to
CRAFTY, and our renders may be prepared
to hear that the gentleman who has under
taken this extensive contract is at least a
Vanderbilt-George W. Vanderbilt.
The site of Mr.. Vanderbilt's chateau or
castle lies three miles from the little sta
ton of Baltimore on the Western North
Carolina railroad, two miles east of Ashe-
vile. A small manufacturing and indus
trial community has sprung up at Balti-
moro solely on account OF the Vanderbilt
chateau. A railroad has been built for the
transportation of material, supplies. etc.,
from Baltimore to the site selected. The
estate purchased by MIR. Vanderbilt COM
prises nearly 5000 acres and stretches away
four miles from Baltimore over hill. valley
and mountain, and includes q variety of
most charming scenery. The site of the
chateau is an elevated plateau command
ing IL glorious view of the mountains and
of the sparkling French Broad running
down to the town of Ashville in the dis
lance. The hugo embankment is completed.
The contract for the retaining walls of
masonry-40O feet long, forty feet high,
twenty feet thick-has been let.
The skill and taste Of r. M. Hunt, the
architect, and of Frederick Law Olmstead,
the landscape engineer, who laid out
Buffalo park with such success, are enlisted
in this notable project. Into the making
of the plans for the chateau and its sur
roundings will 60 the fruit Of careful study
by competent commissioners of the finest
examples of castles in Europe. There may
be hints of several historic seats in the new
chateau on the French Broad, but the
whole will be unique, not equaled by any
similar place in the world.
It is estimated that this great country
seat will REQUIRE ten years for conApletion
and an expenditure of $S,0Oo,O 600 or $10,000,-
900. The whole scheme is a hopeless riddle
to the unsophisticated natives IN the vicin-
ity; but they are not disposed to quarrel
with the whim or question the sanity of a
who sees fit to furnish an army of Ia
boring men with employment for a term
of years in this manner When it is fin
ished, although none cannot buy some
the historical associations and other
accessories which give many of the
old world piles their chief distinction it is
that the place will indeed be go
rare and fine a thing in its way rs to give
house that Vanderbilt real artistic
distinction of its own-an honorable and
world wide fame. We cannot help from
regarding it as a hopful sign when Crnsus
beplna to feel An lmUulEe to try to do some
thing or make something that shall excel
anything yet accomplished, if it is only a
house set in an ideal landscape
Buffalo Commercial.