San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-09-21
The Vanderbilt Palace, In North
Carolina,

Carolina
Two miles out from Asheville, n, G..
is little station, BiltmoFs. 1t is the
headquarters of a water tank and
the gate of Kenilworth Inn. 1t is
something more. The Salisbury and
Spartan burg divisions of the Western
North Carolina Railroad come to-
gether here, while q little branch
road defects to the right and is lost
among the hills. If you happen to
see one of the little cars on this, road
you will notice the letters &c. w. n.
V. c." on it. Tine Car is loaded with
stone or coal, maybe iron, and You
NAV be sure il Is bound tor Wander
bilt's famous building two miles away
"Riltmore" is called for Vanderbilt
and q resident of the name of Moore,
who has q pretty cottage on the road.
just above the station. 1t is q smooth
com bination and likely to become ia.
nous.
Following the branch road, which
runs up and down hill with equal IA
cility, and winds around the noun
tains, you reach. in the course or half
an hour, the summit Oh the Long Pine.
This Is the busiest spot in North Car
olipa. You pass Vanderbilt's stone
quarry, where much of the material
for rougher work has been secured:
you view his brick yards, where mil
lions of hes are pressing and baking;
you stop at his blacksmith shop.
where the tools are mended and
castings made; you ride near the
shady home which he has purchased
for his engineer, always following up
his rails and telegraph lines, which
, lead to the spot where lies the site of
the house OF Vanderbilt.
Several years ago Vanderbilt wan
dered down to Buncom be County, N.
c., and was attracted by the beauty
of the place. He rode over the noun
tains, and while at the summit of
Long Pine, two miles from Asheville,
concluded he would buy tract, and
put up shooting lodge. This led to
the purchase of large lot of land up
and down the mountain and along
the French Broad, with the idea of
controlIing everything in sight and
preventing settlers from obstructing
the view or coming too close. Visions
of deer park, quail covers, sheep
farms, and other schemes enlarged
his demesne until his acres began to
be numbere by thousands. White
and black settlers surrendered their
lodgings at good prices, and now
there are only two or three black set
tiers within the Vanderbilt limits,
who have refused to sell out, and
hold their places at $1,000 per acre.
Vanderbilt may buy them out or he
may freeze them out.
When Vanderbilt had finished his
purchase of 5000 acres his ideas
Droadened. Instead of shooting
lodge he decided to put up a resi-
dence, and such q residence as would
make Chauncey Depew's eyes glis ten
at Peekskill. So he set about him aud
leveled Off the cone of the mountain
thirty feet. Some time over a year
ago he began to lay his foundations,
and his stone masonry now begins to
rise sheer over the side Of the noun
tain, like walled precipice. This is
just what Vanderbilt wanted, for he
determined that his castle would
have the view and command the
heights unobstructed. He concluded
10 spend from his income about ST.
600, 900 year for ten years. and he is
pretty well assured at the end of that
time, of having the finest private res
idence in America, possibly in the
world. The architects ale very clever,
but will not show the designs of the
house. Perhaps they tear somebody
will duplicate them before the dwell
ling is completed. 1t has q tennis
court in the left which is q marvel of
masonry and filling, and which alone
cost $4,000. The banquet hall of the
mansion is to be 20 feet long, and
will have Q pitch of 80 feet Under the
main entrance of the hall will be q
swimming pool, while fine gymna-
SUM, wine cellar, and art gallery are
to he connected with the establish
ment.
Three miles back of the dwelling Is
cold spring on the top of Busby
Mountain. He has purchased this
spring and carries the water in six
iron pipes all the way to the Long
Pine. This will give him volume and
pressure enough for every part of his
premises. and enable him to throw q
stream 100 feet high from any point
on his place. 1t will insure b dozen
or more fountains in his parks and
drives; 500 hands are at work on the
grounds and buildings. superb car
riage ways are graded and macada-
mixed up the mountain, commanding
an approach to the house, and these
will be con tinued beyond the resi-
dence and down the valley to the
French Broad, where Vanderbilt will
throw an iron bridge over this pict-
uresque stream.
Mr.. Vanderbilt is thirty-eight and
unmarried. He has selected rare