The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-04

leot, IL Iuo DoauGl1ul nOme OF M. a.
Rife. The grounds are terraced, graded
in blue grass which is kept smoothly
mown, and the front yard is filled with
exquisite flowers, consisting of Marechal
Neil, Pearl, Bride and daily roses, rare
geraniums and other flowers too numer-
Gus to mention. In the yard fronting
on Henry street is flower mound that
for taste and beauty is unexcelled by
anything in Roanoke, il not in the State.
1t Is perfect circle whose diameter is
about fifteen feet and the lower and
wider border is of yellow coleus
The second and third inner circles are
also of the same flower, tho first being
red. white and purple, and the second a
dark red. The fourth is of the deepest
green foliage interspersed with brilliant
red flowers the fifth OF some rare orna.
mental plant, whose leaves are a dark
purple and tropical in their luxuriance.
Poma crystals complete the top of the
cone.
The macadam drive that leads I'D from
Henry street is fringed with pear
trees, and above, on the first ter
race, are some beautiful Norway pin es.
All OF the walks leading up to the house
are of natural stone laid in large slabs.
and are hedged with flowers.
The house itself is two-story struc.
ture, with attic and basement of modern
architecture, and is flanked on three
sides by broad galleries which are
fringed with profusion of hanging
baskets containing various varieties of
flowers. The entrance from the gallery
fronting Ninth avenue is into hall
elegantly finished in hard pine and fur
nished IL quartered oak. This hall con-
tains mantel tiled in classic represen-
tations and in the fire place are appar-
emily hickory logs ready to be ignited.
They are of fire clay, through which
rum innumerable tiny gas jets and scat
tered over them are pieces of asbestos.
BY turning on the gas and touching q
match to them the observer is i'm pressed
not only with the genial glow irradia-
ting therefrom but also by the fact that
he is warming himself by hickory fire,
and IL told it were artificial he would
probably point to the burning lichens
ON the logs to prove his theory.
In tho hall is q small flax wheel.
which Mr.. Rife prizes more highly
than any piece Of furniture in his house.
1t was given to him by his mother a
short time before her death and has
been in the family for over hundred
years. Among the pictures is one of
pheasant shooting in England which is
very fine.
Opening from the right of the hall is
the parlor, which is a large apartment
finished in white and gold and furnished
in silk brocatelle, with odd chairs in
gold bronze. The center table is of
massive quartered oak, and the corner
tables are OF brass and onyx
Among the beautiful pictures that
adorn the walls are two of rare excel
lence, being genuine pastel and
framed in white and gold. One OF them
IS river scene in which the water,
assuming all of the hues of the natural
river, seems to glide along a broad
channel fringed with huge naples.
upon which the grain and layers of
bark are plainly discernib}e Across
the stream rise the lofty peaks of
mountains, blue in the gathering
shades of evening, and above hang the
feecg sunset clouds of gold and silver,
and purple and crimson that even the
most prosaic love to behold. The other
is also river scene, but in this picture
an old fence seems 10 stagger down to
the water and occasionally rail is seen
tackled to tree for post. To the
north the stream makes lazy graceful
curve and in the distance an old farm
house with it's orchards and vines ia
discernible.
In the parlor is card case which the
mother of Mr.. Rifles grandmother
brought with her from the West Indies
more than hundred years ago. 1t is of
bark, perfectly flexible, and has en-
broidered upon it flowers in seaweed.
Many souvenirs and foreign coin pieces
of the various European countries which
Mr.. Rife visited while abroad form a
curious, interesting and Instructive col
lection.
Adjoining the parlor and just to the
rear of it is the sitting room. which is
finished similarly to the parlor, fur
nished in red silk plush with EASY chairs
of oak upholstered with leather, hand
some well-flled book cases, an ebony
secretary, present to Mrs. Rife from
her husband, and grand upright piano
are among the furniture of this apart
ment. Or the numerous pictures on the
walls is one called the "Bather's Atten-
dant." which is a magi6cent piece of
art.
The dining-room Is finished in hard
pine, is furnished in oak, contains, china
presses we'll filled with beautiful hand.
painted china, and upon the walls MANY
fine and appropriate pictures. The
bedrooms are arranged with especial
reference to com fort as we'll as elegance
and are furnished throughout hand
somely.
The house contains in all about fifteen
rooms, including the tasty playrooms of
the children, is heated by steam
throughout, has hot and cold water in
every room. and, indeed, is furnished
with every modern convenience. The
view that is obtainable from this resi-
dence is not the least attractive fea-
ture about it. From the rear upstairs
gallery nearly the entire city can be
seen at one sweep of the eye, while
from the front the entire valley and the