Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-31


on the Rhine. and on another hill a little
to the lett is another big stone residence
which Is being built by Mr.. Richard c..
kerens. the millionaire Of ST. Louis. who
has been connected with Senator -Elkins
for Years and who has some interest In
this West Virginia property. The two cas-
ties are the homes of Senator Elkins and
his father-in-law, ex-senator H. G. Davis,
who served in the Senate for twelve years
from West Virginia as a democrat. The
more than sixty acres, and they are as
well kept as an old English park. You
ride by them for a full quarter of a mile
before you come to the entrance, which Is
mile distant from the house.
It's Wonderful Interior.
The house is an immense structure Of
three stories. Its big rooms are so furnished
that there is nothing barn-like about them.
and the house is more like a comfortable
homo than a millionaire's palace. And
still, It's size Is enormous. The stone porch
which runs about its two sides is $50 feet
long, and so wide that you could run a
freight car around 1t and not touch the
edge of the walls. The main feature of the
ground floor Is the hall which runs through
the center, and into which the parlorS, the
library and the Ching room open. This
hall Is so big that you could drive a wagon
load Of hay in through the front doors and
drive out again without grazing the wood
3
sofas form a part of its furniture, and 1t
has a fireplace at one side which eats up
wood by the cord, and in which the logs
are put without splitting or saving. At
beyond this the Senator's library. This
library has the biggest fireplace in the
United States, and the room Is, venture,
larger than any committee room in the
Capitol. 1t is walled with books, and the
pictures Of the great Americans Of the
time, who are close friends Of Senator Ell
kins, look down from Its walls. Opposite
the parlor is the dining room, which Is, I
Judge, big as the dining room Of the
White House, and at the tables of which
from thirty to forty often sit down to din
ner. Senator Elkins keeps open house, and
his friendships are so many that he has
plenty of guests. Not long ago he had a
large number of friends stopping with him,
when a crowd of sixteen more appeared
without notice. Mrs. Elkins took care Of
them all, and nearly every guest had his
own sleeping room. The bed rooms are ar
ranged in suites, each of which has an ele-
CANT bath room, with a porcelain tub, and
some of the guest rooms are enormous.
The furniture. however, makes them look
smaller, and 1T gives you some Idea OF the
size Of the house when I say that 1t took
many car loads Of furniture to fit out the
rooms. The house is heated by steam, and 1t
has all modern conveniences. 1t has its own
gas plant, but 1t will soon be supplied with
electricity, and the steam will come from
the railroad company's works in the town.
The ice house connected with it now con-
tains 200 tons of ice, and the Senator has
all the luxurles of the city here on the top
of the Allegheny mountains He entertains
like prince, and his home life is delight
full.
This mountain estate is named after his
wife 1t is called "Halliehurst." The word
hurst means wood, and Mrs Elkins was,
you know, Miss Halle Davis, the daughter
of Senator Henry G. Davis, when the Sena-
tor married her, now twenty years ago.
ha
the eldest Of whom is ninteen, and
one girl, Miss Catherine, who at nine
Is the baby of the family, and who
is host in herself. In addition to these,
Senator Elkins married daughter, Mrs.
Bruner and her husband are now with
him, and his father, who at eighty-six is
one Of the brightest old young men OF the
country, Is an important part of the es-
adjustment.
MementCes of Great Men.
During my stay at his house I felt
very close to Grant and Blaine. His
library is filled with relics and mementoes
of them, and Mr.. Elkins knew them SO
we'll that talking with him about them
seems almost like chatting with the men
themselves. One morning, I remember, I
asked him to explain to me the meaning
of a frame filled with closely written man.
uscript, containing many erasures and cor
rections, which hung on one of the walls
Of his library. That" said he, sis the
first draft of Blaine's estimate of Grant,
which he published in his book. This
manuscript had something to do in bring
ing Grant and Blaine together, and to
make them friends again. They were great
men, and 1t seemed a pity to me that they
should not be friends. l knew them both
very well. While they were not on good
terms / was living near Gen. Grant. on
5Sth street, In New York, and during mis-
latter days I visited him very frequently.
l often had Blaine visiting ME, and l
would excuse myself and say 1 wanted to
go over and see Grant for an hour. Grant
would ask me about Blaine, and Blaine
never had 4 bad word to say against Grant
The two men were too great to stoop to lit
tie things. At this time l had summer
house at Deer Park, and Grant came up and
spent a week or SO with me. l got to know
him better at that time. He looked upon
me as kind of boy, and was rs much
at ease with him as with you. One day 1
got letter from Blaine, in which he spoke
very kindly of Grant, and I then asked
Grant why he and Blaine could not be
on better terms. Said II
"'You are both great men. and it seems
to me as great Americans you ought not
to go on through the world closing your
careers without being closer to one anoth-
er, Here is what Blaine has written me