The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-11-01
Auaerso,1 gntslligeutsr,
Yanderbilps Mountain Home.


George W. Vanderbilt, one of The
younger members of that famous fam
lily, has developed an untamed North
Carolina forest into beautiful home.
he is not yet 80 years of age, but to
Judge from the description Of the
transformation he has effected in the
North Carolina mountains, he seems
to be spending his money with an in
telligence somewhat rare among men
who have SO much to spend, and his
enterprise is suggestive Of the period,
which in view Of the rapid increase
the population of the country, cannot
be very far distant, when land in the
United States must be very much
more valuable than it is to-day. Mr.,
Vanderbilt's tastes are said to run in
the direction Of arts and letters.
His North Carolina enterprise indi-
Gates that he represents development
in his family beyond the money &c.
acquiring stage. His first step was to
purchase, besides several mountains.
l8, 600 acres of land along the French
Broad and the Swananoa rivers. The
next step in which he exhibited UT
usual intelligence is in enjoying his
opportunities was to restrain the nat.
ural temptation to carry out plans Of
his own and to employ the services Of
the greatest landscape artist in the
country, Frederick Law Olmstead
who had so much to do with laying out
the Worlds Fair grounds. So fal
sixty-fve miles Of macadam road
have been constructed on Mr.. Wander
bilt's North Carolina estate. Seven
hundred men are employed, theil
wages running from 81 per day to the
salary Of $12, 900 paid to the overseer,
Three years ago the work of trans
forming old fields, pastures and wood
lands into harmonious landscape be.
gan, and. Prof. Harbeson, who has
passed many days in studying the de-
;velopment of the place, is enthusiasts
tic eyer the progress made. He says
that Druid Hill Park, Baltimore
Fairmount Park, at Philadelphia !; the
Boston Garden, and the Central Park
Of New York, contain nothing that il
comparable with several miles of the
approach on the Vanderbilt estate
which is art of the highest kind, s
combination of nature and the work o1
man SO happily joined that the eye
cannot tell where the one ends and the
other begiA:.. Boulders have been sci
in place, rhodedendrous transplanted
and the whole.is declared to be poem
in plants, trees and flowers, the long
est poem ever made, and one of the
greatest. A trained forester is set
ting out large plantations of forest
trees.
The aboretum is declared to surpasi
the famous Arnold aboretum at Cam
bridge, and when completed will con.
tain every tree, shrub, and woody
plant found in the world which j.
hardy to the climate. Ten miles o.
RAILROADS have been constructed K
transport materials about the. estate
Vast extents Of land, which q year o.
so ago were entirely unproductive
have been 80 changed by ploughing
heavy manuring and green soiling that
to-day Prof Harbeson says they art
growing assGne crops as can be growr
in the most fertile valleys Of the
Northern States. Lately Mr.. Van
derbilt has added twenty Thousand
acres for hunting park. There vii
be deer parks and lakes, and tht
house, which will cost $5,000,000, il
is said, will be the largest dwelling
house in the world, and one of tht
worlds most famous structuers. AL
ready by the introduction Of MOSES
and yines at the bridges portions o!
the place have taken on the appear
ance Of age and the appearance O
newness has been overcome. .-Le,ois
bnrg GHronfc1s.