The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-28
of tho ground is high and slightly, COM
ilanding view for thirty or forty miles


in all directions. From the olninence Oh
which tho Vanderbilt palace is being
erected ono may see mountain peaks in
four states-North Carolina, South Car
olina, Georgia and Tennessee.
Vanderbilt set about creating the
finest estate i'll tho world in systematic
manner. He employed architects, gar
| deners, engineers, landscape artists and
an army of workmen. His payroll
alone is $4,000 u week. About once in
six months his hired men, thinking of
their employers twenty million fortune
so on strike for higher wages. His man
agcr cables for instructions. and the
reply always is, Give them what they
ask" So, you see, Vanderbilt is gcncr-
Gus as well rs ambitious, as a young
man who has almost million dollars
for every year of his earthly existence
can afford to lie.
Hundreds OF acres arc set out to young
tees. In this climate I'LL sorts OF trees
and shrubs, excepting the very tropical,
will grow, and Vanderbilt intends add
ing to the beauty of the natural forests
all varities the world can afford. The
greenhouses are to be rs large rs some
of the Worlds fair buildings at Chicago.
A herd of eighty fine Jerseys, already on
the place, will increase to several hum
tlreGs before their owner is ready to come
here to live.
From the town to the palace site one
of the finest macadamized roads in the
world, two miles long and embellishcd
throughout with shrubs, vines and
flower plots, has been constructed
For the transportation of building ma
terial a railroad of the same length was
built, locomotives being used for all but
! the stecpest inclines, where cables are
employed Vanderbilt's private brick
yard gives employment to 100 men.
Tie browning feature of the whole
work is to be the palace. A palace in
deed! 1t is a maxim that the house
which looks large in its foundations is
large sure enough. The foundations of
this house appear to me to be as large us
those of the foundations of the Capitol
at Washington. Evidence of the princely
manner i'll which young Vanderbilt does
things is found in an enormous masonry
work at one end OF the foundations of
the palace. Massive walls thirty feet
high, looking for all the world like some
ancient castle, inclosc n section of the
hill about 325 feet long and $50 feet
wide. These were originally intended
for the foundations of the house. but
| Mr.. Vanderbilt didn't like this part of
| the plan and decided upon new house.
| And what will he do with the Enclosure
thus made at an expense of probably
| 100000? 1t is to be his tennis court!
The foundations of tho house, even
more massive than tho walls inclosing
the tennis court, are about 400 feet by
200 i'll extent. Above the foundations
are to rise four great stories. From the
character of the foundations one may
imagine the bewildering beauty of the
superstructure. 1t is to be q stone
palace Of 100 rooms. Mr.. Vanderbilt
planned it for ninety-nine rooms, but
the architect has taken the liberty of
adding another. The banquet hall, the
ballroom, the library, are to be baronial.
Vanderbilt travels in Europe, picks up
new ideas and comes back here and
spends millions upon them. One of his
notions is all arcade or gallery running
about 500 feet from the house to an as
Economical observatory, and down q
marble cascade from observatory hill is
to run stream Of mountain water.
The stables are to cost half million
and horses are to come from Russia
Arabia, France, England and Kentucky
Deer and elk arc to roam in the estate
and all sorts of game are to be preserved
in the forest, where foxes already
abound.
When Vanderbilt gets through with
this work he will have something OF
which America may we'll be proud. He
is one of the most rational millionaires ]
know of. The only mistake he has made
is in failing to marry, but he is young
yet. A student he is; u solid young man
who loves his own society and that of
books. He comes here and camps out
by himself in the wondrous Gland of the
sky in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny
range, hunts and fishes. No dude is
| young Vanderbilt, for ho was seen bath
ing i'll the Swannanoa one morning when
there was white frost upon the ground.
There is no fear of his money giving
out i'll the prosecution of this great en-
enterprise. AS yet no is spending only
his income upon it. Some of the more
sordid members of the family say young
George is fool to spend his money in
this way, but his mother, / learn on
good authority, came down here, saw
what he was doing, basked in the sun
shine of the mountains, and said:
George, if your money isn't enough to
finish thia, call on me. You may have
my fortune if necessary"
do not think young Vanderbilt is Il
fool. He is building wiser than he
knows When look ahead fifty or
hundred years. to time when the Van
dcrbilt family has run to seed, and see
| this luarin Ia lncn aud thia M tnhlosc o.