Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-06-17
BEAUTIFUL ENGLISH HOMES
NH. Q. II. sILLIMAS DESCRIBES SEW
ERAL ENGLISH MANSIONS.
Great Wealth Expended In Conn
plotting These Palaces = High
Prices for Grnss Lands-IIomr
of Sir Isaac Holdcn.

June 4, lhofs--Ecltof 6dAttet+ hSNA
readers have become very familiar
with the excellent series of letters by
Walter weilman % published in the
Sunday Gazette on the present social
and Industrial condition Of England,
and It has been suggested to me that
an article ON English home life would
be of interest. The ordinary tourist
travels over England and Scotland
with very much the same incentive
that our people went to see the Worlds
Fair at Chicago-to get the greatest
amount OF sightseeing in the shortest
possible time. London with all IT'S
historical associations is done inside
OF week. Westminster Abbey
houses OF parliament, British museum,
Tower of London, Art galleries, under
ground railways, London brige, Geo
logical gardens, Crystal palace, Madam
Tusard's wax works, Albert memorial
Kew gardens, the parks, theaters, etc,
are visited In rotation. The tourist
then usually takes in n few of the
cathedral towners and PUSHES on to
the land of Sir Walter Scott and Bob
bic Burns. OF course, Edinburgh and
the circular trip Of the Scotch lakes,
Abbottsford and Melrose abbey are es-
sentinl to round off any well organ
lied trip.
But how few have the opportunity
Of locking into an ideal English home
and enjoying It's whule-souled hospi-
tally? Although on strictly business
trip. IL was my good fortune while
visiting my wife's relatives in York
shire TO see much OF English home life,
so quiet, peaceful and altogether
charming to the American visitor. AS
specific examples are of the greatest
interest l do not think | shall be over
stepping the bounds OF propriety in
giving a brief description OF some of
the homes at which | was entertained,
especially of those belonging to men
more or less In public life and there
fore often referred to In the local
prints
Oaltworth house, the country seat Of
Sir Isaac Holden, Bart, is located In
the picturesque hills three miles west
of Keishley. The house is plain
rectangular stone structure with ample
rooms, the most conspicuous of which
is very large library The house is
built with special reference to perfect
ventilation, which Ia accomplished by
system of air passages connected
with ventilatlng chimney or tower
about ten feet square, The atmos-
phere OF this room by this system can
be entirely changed every three min
utes. one day several gentlemen We're
smoking in the library and the change
OF air was 80 rapid and complete that
any one coming In would not notice the
presence of tobacco smoke unless their
attention was called TO 1t. The library
and rear hallway open out into a great
amphitheater about 6Ox100 feet and 40
feet high, called the winter garden.
This Is filed with the choice plants and
flowers OF all zones and is in perpetual
bloom. AT the further end Is an arti-
fetal rookery with winding passages.
and a genuine waterfall Is feet high.
fringed with ferns and ornamental
plants. Adjoining on the left Is a
spacious billiard hall and Turkish
baths. with all modern appliances, and
In the rear are thirty-fve hot houses,
I'm which are grown grapes. peaches,
strawberries, melons, etc, furnishing
the table with an abundance OF fruit
| the year round, besides the various
| plants, shrubs and flowers used in
Identifying the grounds. A beautiful
park Of more than 100 acres has been
| planted with evergreen trees, through
which are miles OF shady, graveled
| walks. with now and then little lake
or reservoir with comfortable rustic
seats inviting the visitor to rest.
with his characteristic generosity, Sir
Isaac throws the park open to the
| public, and on Saturdays and holidays
| thousands come from miles around to
| avail themselves Of the beauties and
| refreshing ntmospheres Of Oakworth.
| Now that you have had n peep into his
| home life, / am sure a few facts about
| his early history would be interest
| ing Sir Isaac was born In Scotland
| cighty-seven years ago, OF poor but
| Industrious and frugal parentage. He
! served MS an apprentice and got much
| Of his education by candle-light after
| the days work was done. Finally he
| became a teacher of chemistry in the
school he had attended, and in the
! course OF his instruction Ia his pupils
ON the uses OF sulphur and phosphor-
| Gus. he hit upon the common luclfer
match. OF which he Is the inventor He
| did not think his discovery worth pat
| ontlug however, and the world became
the beneficiary Of his Invention. which
might have turned him millions had
| he properly guarded It, He then be-
| came interested In the wool comhing
| industry, and In conjunction with 9TH
! ers Invented the wool comblng ma
chimes which made his fortune. Up
10 that time all wool had to be combed
by hand, which was quite as difficult
| ana expensive a process as picking
the lint from cotton seed before the
invention Of the gin. Each combing
| machine does the work OF about fifty
hands, so that the new machines Yield
| ed an Immense revenue to the owners
| until the patents expired. Sir Isaac
| has been one OF the prominent figures
| In the imperial parliament of Great
| Britain. OF which he has been mem
| her for many years, He Is a man of
| very simple habits. and makes two
meals a day almost entirely from fruit.
| Every morning when at home he walks
| through his parks and over the moors
beyond, and In London he takes sim
ilar amount OF exercise. He expects
TO live 20 be over 100 years OF age and
| the visitor who tries to keep up with
| him In his daily exercise is fully con
| WINGED that he ought TO live greater
/ length OF time than he has mapped
| out for himself after observing his elias
tlcitv OF step, huoyancy OF spirit and
| powers OF endurance. His title. which
| was conferred for distinguished public
| service, desconis 10 his oldest son, who
Is also member OF parliament,
Malsis Hail. the residence OF James
l.und, ESQ. about six miles north 81
| kelghley, II another delightful homo
| II Is situated In the midst OF n beau
| tlful park and combines all the re-
quisltes Of an elegant home, with the
advantaEes OF q high grade stock farm.
The house contains probably the finest
collection OF oil paintings In Yorkshire
| The largest and most expensive Of
| these ia called AN Egyptian Mar
rlagc Feast" by Edwin Long. az
course, ! did not venture to ask tho
| owner the cost OF this collection hut
| WINS Informed h,t vary uno1 ,,,tt