The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-11-02

Of political sight so often, only to come
to the surface again, that his re-
appearance as an aggressive leader OF
his party at the present time is merely
u repetition of his previous career. No
man in politics has shown more skill
and determination in the game than
has the New York Senator And it is
thoroughly characteristic of the man
10 take up the leadership Of his party
at its darkest hour. and to run the
chances of defeat that are involved in
the contest this fall.
But it is not as a politician that I
wish to speak of Senator Hill. His
personality is unique, and his home
bfe worthy of attention. He now pos
sesses one of the handSomeSt resi-
dences that are to be found in the
vicinity of this city, to which he re-
hres whenever the cares of public life
and of his profession Will allow. 1t is
said by his friends that he bought the
house under the belief that his poll
deal career was about ended as the
nrmnation of his term as Governor
drew near in 1891, intending to de-
vote himself to the practice of law in
this city, where he has had an office
for some years.
The beauty of the site of Mr.. Hills
house was detected by the late Joseph
X Emmett, the actor, in one of his
rowing tours, and despite the high
Drice asked for the land by the Van
Rensselaers, who owned it. he bought
fourteen acres of it and built himself
4 house. The Van Rensselaers had
constructed boulevard for mile
along the ridge, beginning with the
northernmost street of the city of Al
bany and ending at the gates of the
Rural cemetery, where President Ar
fnur is buried, and it was facing this
6ne thoroughfare that Fritz Emmett
placed his house. Needless to say that
The dwelling being the creation of one
OF the most erratic actors that ever
lived. no architect would have the
eourage TO name its style. 1t was a
house within house, or perhaps one
would say it mingled together several
houses, for Fritz" Emmett built and
rebuilt his dwelling four times. Never
fhe-ess, no person looking at the house
could truthfully declare it was not a
picturesque, artistic and homelike look
ing dwelling. If one looked upon the
grounds also, which had been laid out
by William s. Egerton, one of A-bany'S 5
leading landscape engineers. one had
to acknowledge that they had n stately
appearance. Mr.. Emmet had in front
Of his house little lake fed by a
brook which ran through a ravne
upon the north side. Upon the lake
was gOndola, imported from Venice
by ',Fritz" regardless of expense.
Then there was lodge at the en-
trance of the grounds, stately wind
mil at the right of the house, and
back of the house stood a fine barn,
resembling the house in architecture
After Emmet died the place was put
on the market at low figure by his
widow. Hill really got it for one
third of its fair cost and for about
one-slxth of what Emmet spent upon
II. The house has been reconstructed
after plans drawn by Architect Isaac
e. Perry, the Capitol Commissioner.
Ii is now in every respect n model
home. The dwelling stands upon an
eminence on the boulevard. facing the
shoroughfaro, but some 800 feet to the
westward of ii. a carriage road enters
the grounds from the boulevard at the
southern end of the pot. BY this en-
trance is neat lodge, in which lives
Mr.. Hills coachman and the latter $
family. A fine macadamZed road
leads from the boulevard up to the