The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-28
CELESTIAL SCENERY.
WALTER wELLMAN GOES TO PAR
ADlSE VIA PULLMAN CAR.
aIo Visits Bill Nyo md George Vanderbilt
at Ashcviiie-The Millionaire's NTagnifi-
cent Mansion-No Dude Is Young VAN
icrbiit-A Glorious Indian Summer.
Especial Correspondcnce.l

Sfcrbilt-A Glorious Indian Summer.
Especial Correspondence
AsHEvILLE, N. c., Oct. = Until to-
day did not know that one could go to
paradise via Pullman car. But hero
am in country which the celestial land
:scape artists might we'll initiate, even if
they don't.
1t is Indian summer here in the noun
tains Of western North Carolina. The
nights are so cool that one wears an
.overcoat ont OF sJors. and within draws
nigh the big fireplace in which the
logs are cracking right mer:ily. ~
days are deliciously warm, hay, lan-
guild, yet not wearisome. Around TIE
mountain tops is thin bank OF blue
smoke. The air seems to be all ozone
and the sunshine all nectar. and yo"
can't drink in enough of either.
1t is a time and a place III which TO
loaf and invite ones soul. You forget
the cares of life, its habits and its weak
nesses-all save the habit of eating. In
Ashevillc your appetite-gross, material
and ravenous-will remind you that
though this is paradise it is only para
disc of the earth earthly.
Bill Nye, who waS>once tenderfoot
out in Wyoming, has been i'll the effetc
east long enough to have his eyeteeth
cut and to know u good thing when he
sees it, and Bill Nye lives i'll Asheville,
where he is the towns most dis
'tinguished citizen. To look at him in
dis pictures one would think he could
live without eating, but he doesn't, and
he says that while Asheville is para
disc for the poetic man, and the man
who loves to get near the great heart of
nature, and the lazy man who wants
lots of sunshine and lots to do-with
.colored servitors to do it ALT is also IA
paradise for II man with an appreciative
and Industrious stomach. Bill Nye has
all of these qualifications for residence
i'll paradise ard so he has chosen Ashc-
vile for his home.
MI Nye lives like n prince in Ashe-
vile, us he can well afford to do upon an
income of $4,000 year, the said in
como being the funniest thing there is
to Nye-in Bill Nyes humor. He has
fine house on the mountain side, beauti-
full grounds, q splendid carriage and
pair, and so many colored servants that
he doesn't have to pull his own boots
off. Mr.. Nye is the most popular citi-
zen of Asheville. When times are duh
III the fashionable hotels the community
clubs together. gets up banquet TO
Nye, and, after filling his capacious skin
with the good things for which this
mountain region is famous, sit and
listen to one of Mr.. Nyes speeches.
Lucky Nye! To be feted in paradise
and to have the floor as long as he wants
it is felicity indeed
There is another distinguished citizen
Of the United States who believes this is
paradise. That is Mr.. George Wander
bilt. Perhaps you have read or heard
something of the home Mr.. Vanderbilt
is building for himself here. 1t is not
exactly a summer cottage, nor yet q
winter lodge. When it is finished and
Mr.. Vanderbilt has company, there will
be no need Of any one sleeping on til,
floor or going out to the barn to bunk.
Mr.. Vanderbilt has more money thar,
Mr.. Nye, and therefore he is building :;
larger house than that occupied By tho
great humorist Just how large the
Vanderbilt house is to be I don't know
but got lost in the cellar of it today
and probably should have been there
yet if that gallant fellow, Colonel Nc
kissick, hadn't rescued me-
The Vanderbilt house is as yet all Gel
lar and foundations, and these have cost
the snug sum of $450,000. How much
will.the house have cost when finished:
The architects estimates are about 81 :
100000, but I'll wager something that
the total runs to $j,000,000.
George Wand erbilt is millionaire
after my own heart. l have definitely
determined not to be millionaire, bit
IT anything could tempt me to change
my mind it would be chance to emf
late young Vanderbilt's example. This
fortunate young man came to Asheville
few years ago hunting and fishing.
He fell in love with the country, as
every one does. Then he looked around.
thought some deep thoughts and said
TO one of his friends:
81 have an idea. The greatest trouble
with my life is that have no aim, no
purpose, nothing on which to concun-
trate my energies. In the safety deposit
v@~.its III New York i have millions :. I
dollars i'll bonds and securities. When
look at them they disgust Inc. They
seem so useless, so unproductive, moth
ing but white and green paper. l cart
play with them, work with them, nor
do anything with them. They simply
worry me, without giving me any pleas
ure i'll return. Now am going to make
those pieces of paper serve me some use
full purpose"
What are you going to do?'
II am going to create right here in
Asheville the finest gentleman's seat in
the world. 1t will take me ten years
and / don't know how many million dol