The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1894-08-17
a WEALTHY CRANK.
History Of a House That Has Cost
a Million.
A Finn Avenue Mansion THAT Has Had =
Trying Experience and Is stin I'M
occupied = Its Owner Seeks
Soiace In Travel.

Solnce In Travel.
Up on Fifth avenue, facing Cen
trail park, In one of the most desir-
able residence regions of the city,
stands a very large and elegant
house which for FIVE years has been
Of no earthly use to any living being
except the tax gatherer and the sol
itary Waterman to whomit furnishes
employment. 1t is an architectural.
failure on magnificent scale. On
whom the responsibility for the fail
ure lies is a mooted question. The
owner of the house blames the archi-
tects for it, while the architects
would probably blame the owner
we're they in position to express an
opinion.
AS a matter Of fact, the house is
failure simply because it doesn't suit
the ideas Of the man who spent near
ly million dollars on it. From the
outside it looks like house that
would meet the requirements Of the
most exacting, 1t is a four-story
brown stone building, with a 'front.'
age of fifty-two feet on Fifth avenue,
and a side extent of one hundred
and fifty feet on Seventy-fourth
street, on the southeast corner of
which it stands. The stone of the
house is oil cut cross-grain, instead
of straight, as brown stone is usual
ly cut, and will not split nor crum-
Bile.
Inside, the house is completed, ex-
cept the frescoing. Baths and clos
cts are all complete, sideboards are
built in, the canvas for mural deco
rations stands in rolls on the floor,
all the fine work in panelling, stair
cases and mosaic floors is there, and
all that is required to make the
house perfectly habitable is the fur
nishing. There is a cellar and q
subcellar, fitted out in the most APP
proved way, and even an artesian
well, to furnish power for an organ,
for which a niche has been built.
The organ, the biggest and finest
chamber organ ever made in this
country, Is in . storage warehouse,
where II has been for years. Ali
this elegance belongs to Wilhelm
Pickhardt, a wealthy dealer in dyes
at SO Liberty street, who for the
past five years, that is, since the
building of his house, has lived
abroad, travelling about Europe
from capital to capital.
Mr.. Pickhardt bought the land on
which his house stands about twelve
years ago; and in 1888 he had plans
submitted to him for the building of
house. When the house was well
advanced, the owner went to the
architect one day aud said to him:
"There are some things about the
arrangement OF the house that /
don't like" at the same time men
tioning some Of them. II want
them changed.
But, Mr. Pickhardt," remon-
strated the architect, aghast, those
changes can't be made without
building the house over again. 1
have followed your instructions
clearly"
"Ifthe changes can't be make with
out rebuilding, then I'll pull down the
house aud have it built over" re-
turned the owner. Tin going to
have this done as l want 1T II 1t
takes every cent I've got"
The result OF the matter was that
the architect withdrew, and Mr..
Pickhardt replaced him with Ger
man named Knaut, whom he brought
over from Germany for the work.
Knautdrew up elaborate plans, undid
much of the work that his predecessor
had done, returned to Germany for
vacation and died.
TT looks as though fate were
against that house." said its owner.
"But won't give up now. I'll try
1t again"
Two years had already been con-
sumed, and third went by before
an architect was found to suit Mr..
Pickhardt. Then the building re-
sumed, but it proceeded slowly be-
cause of the frequent and important
alterations insisted on by the owner.
"The house isn't as I want it, at
ALL" he declared. ut isn't what 1
intended it should be, and I'll never
live in it, never! I've. thrown away
81 600, 900 on it.
He went abroad and has spent the
major part of his time since then in
Europe. The house has never been
occupied, for the owner will not rent
it, and the price demanded for it is
so high that it has found no pur-
chaser. Large taxes are paid on it,
and Waterman is hired to guard it.
1t seems likely that it will remain as
1t is until the owners death.-N.
Sun.
Queer Way of Counting.
The Indians of Guiana have a GU.
rious system Of enumeration. They
count by the hand and its four