The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-25
HOME FOR A PRINCE
Luxurious Private Apartments in
Vanderbilt's New Palace.
Smoking Room that Is Dream, with a
Gymnasium, Billiard Room and
Residence Office to Match.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
AS you walk along Fifty-eighth street
past the Plaza Hotel, you will notice
large square bay window looking toward
the park upon the western corner of the
new Vanderbilt house. You may look twice
at the window, for it is connected with the
finest smoking room In this country, prob
ably in the world.
When Mr.. Vanderbilt built his house he
said: 81 want one room perfectly fitted up
for myself and my men friends after din
ner." And in this room he has all that
man could desire.
The roof of the smoking room-for that
is the most important part of it-rises to
q dome more than thirty feet high. And
In the middle, fifteen feet above the floor,
hangs a great Moorish lamp. The lamp is
cunningly fitted with glass so that the col
ors of red, yellow, blue and brown are
thrown down upon the polished floor. But
at the same time there is a clear light
quite unusual for any but this improved
Moorish lamp.
The smoking room is thirty-five feet
square. and the bay window, with it's al
cove, adds twenty feet more. There are
couches on each side of the bay window,
and these are fitted with green velvet cush-
lounging chairs OF the same material.
The floor in this room is tiled and is
saved from GOODNESS by the rugs that are
scattered about, and by the big fireplace,
for cheer, and yet add nothing uncomtort-
able to the temperature Of the room If the
prseaution Were taken to open the great
Moorish windows at the top or the dome.
LUXURIOUS FITTINGS.
On the right side of the bay window of
ha
window. there are two large doors which
lead into the ballroom, and not far from
the first Of these doors is the musle alcoye
of the ballroom. so that Mr.. Vanderbilt
may, If so please him, rscline in the bay
window OF his smoking room aid be with
in ten feet of the music of the ballroom.
These doors are closed most OF the time,
ami are of heavy carved oak. The design
of the wall is continued in their pattern.
is an immense affair and leads into the
state dining room. or the dining room
which will be used for family dinners, and
not the bijou breakfast ROOM where other
meals VIII be taken: The bitou breakfast
room is the Fifty-seventh-atreet side,
and is just beyond Mr.. Vanderbllts private
Office which is at the left of The front
door on the Fifty-seventh-street side.
The private office is done In walnut and
the letter ''V'' is cunningly wrought; and
this letter appears in the carvings above
dse Te m HpG9
the fireplace, which is in this room, rs in
all the other rooms. The upholstery is all
in dark green velvet and silk, as this is
Mr.. Vanderbrt's favorite color always, and
appears in all the rooms fitted specially for
him.
Outside the door of the private office is a
little elevator which lands the passengers
in the great hall above. In the private Of
flee there her is efPapn ces ang Te
connecting with Wall street and with all
places necessary for the transaction OF
oWner rS Is too III or too Idle to 20 e out
typewriting machine and its snug desk,
finished in walnut, are part of the Office
rotary Is seated to take down the daily
correspondence, which is never light.
THE BIJOU GYMNASIUM.
Going back to the rear of the house on
Fffty-eighth street. or, more properly
speaking, to the front Of the house. as the
porte cochere Is on that side, there Is q
| very pretty arrangement connecting the
| smoking room with snug gymnasium
| A private staircase runs up from the
| further side of the smoking room, and this
| leads into the best fitted out gymnasium
| in America for one mans private use
| There is a weighing machine to test one s
| after-dinner weight, and there are all kinds
| Of lifting machines and interesting things
| for exercise.
| OI THIS room Is a DllllarQ room, ana this
IL, or course, perfect In equipment, and
there Is also bowling alley where guests
may have bowling tournaments, SO per
feet and so large is it. The suite-smoking
| room down stairs, and gymnasium, bowling
alley and billiard room upstairs-make a
| cream of perfection seldom realized by man
| here on earth.
Across the big hall upstairs. and only a
step from all this comfort, is the art gal
iery, the fame of which has reached to all
| vanderbilt loves to stroll with his guests
or or al alone. many time, times day, never firing
OF It's wonders: The art gallery faces Cen
trail Park, and has very fine light from
| above.
| Further to the front of the house comes
| parlor, bedroom and bath. Here there is
TOO, little gymnasium, for rich men rarely
walk, and so they. find that they must TAX,
compulsory exercise to keep in appetite
| This gymnasium is small, and is of tn,
Standardization club kind, and is an adjunc
| dream in white marble and Turkish rugs.
The bedroom devoted TO the master of the
| Eouss Is furnished in dark green, and tn
mantel shelf is upheld by two large figure:
| that bear 1t aloft upon their shoulders, anC
5se 6e coat of in tn
| seen over the fireplace
The curtains OF the four poster bed ar
of green silk, very dark and very heavy
and the divans are of dsrk-greer velvet
the windows of the Rarlor extend aroun'
|
| the grand library, and the closely-curtaine,
| rooms which you may notice on the Fifth
| avenue side of the second floor belong to TIL
| bedroom and bath room. None of tn
| rooms of the suite are dark
! Such are the eight or nine rooms conse
Grated to the use of the master of the mos
| gorgeous house in New York And ii /
| safe TO affirm that never, if years had beel
| given TO their selection, could they hav
| been more comfortable or more complete
| The smoking room, after the Alhambra Il
| Spain, the renaissance office, the moderl
| gymnasium and the French private suit
| combine to a wonderful extent all that
| pleasant to a mans home tastes 1t is Ger
| tain that no other millionaire has so man
| inducements for staying at home, and equal
| ly true that none other can entertain hi
| friends so sumptuously, even if he were t
| do no more than permit them TO waude
| through the rooms of the mart of the cpIa,,