The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-02

5000 The workmen went back and forth
+ every day on the cars. When the build
7 ings are completed. the railroad will be
/ torn up. the track and bridges removed
and the grounds put in proper order
The foundations Of BiltmOre were laid
F broad and deep. This was particularly
necessary, since the site was a sioping
mountain side The walls will last as long
as the mountain itself. They are the same
as the tennis wall. about eighteen feet
thick and forty feet high. And how much
40 you think the foundations cost2 You
might guess three times and then not
come within $4,000 Of the real figures
Inc contract price for the foundation was
let Tor $4,000. No such sum Of money
was ever before expended simply for the
foundation of a private house.
II YOU so down into the cellar YOU will
see now much foundation there is below
The place is a net work Of underground
passage ways. The reason for so many
suoterranean alley ways cannot be stated
because those engaged on the building re-
fuse 10 furnish any Information.
The state apartments are in the prin-
clpal 'front.', al each end of which rise
the towers five stories high. There are
perhaps 20 rooms in the house. If you
start at one end of the building and
try 10 reach the other end YOU will get
lost At any rate that was my expert
ence.
Many Of the smaller rooms in the great
house are practically finished. Thev give
some idea Of the magnificence and lux
ury which the completed house will pres
emit Even without the hangings and fur
nishings the rooms are superb. Think
what they will be when adorned with
beautiful paintings. fine statuary and rare
armOr and bric-a-brac
It is to be regretted that Mr. Wander
bilt has not seen tit TO allow pictures TO
be taken of the mansion Mr.. McNamee
do Of bar la..
taken for the benefit of the owner and for
the eye of the architect and landscape
gardener. From these pictures they can
tell or see what is going on day by day,
week by week without taking the time
and trouble Of visiting the place.
All about the house and in the grounds
there Is ample proof of costly and tasteful
work. The flower gardens are especially
fine. Many of these are sunk below the
general level and when the sun is out
bright and strong, the blaze of color is like
reflections from many-hued mirrors. The
total area covered by the gardens, green
houses and nurseries cannot be far from
seventy-fve acres. They are not at all fin
ished and the owner intends to keep en-
larging them as his collection of plants and
trees and shrubs grows larger and larger.
Already the conservatories are filled with
rare and beautiful plants, including es-
pecially rare roses and orchids.
kinds of trees and shrubs than there are in
the botanical gardens at Kew, near Lon
don. North Carolina is rich in the number
of native trees, and the climate is as well
suited to the growth of large variety of
trees and shrubs as that of any state
in the union.
In order to have fine gardens and
grounds it was necessary to have the
strongest and best soil. Immense Quanti-
ties of rich soil were hrouobt from
valleys and river bottoms miles away.
Carload after carload was dumped on the
ground and made into garden spots. One
man employed on the estate told me that
the amount of dirt brought over the rail-
road would make another mountain.
The stables are now about finished, and
are as fine any in the country. Mr.
Vanderbilt is fond of blooded stock and
no doubt the stalls and barns will delight
the lover of long pedigrees and blue blood
Then, there are the deer park of 5000 acres
and the well stock trout streams. The
forest will afford shelter for game, and
the partridge shooting. now good, will be
better as the years go by.
All the drives about Bitmore Park are
varied and picturesque. The "Arboretum
drive" when completed, will be as fine as
any in Central Park. This road, five miles
in length runs through the most cultiva-
ted and charming portions of the estate
On either side for 100 feet it will be lined
by shrubs and plants.
No account of the Biltmore estate would
be complete without some reference to the
forestry operations. The Biltmore forest
| is the first piece of woodland in the Uni
ted States to be subjected to a scientific
scheme of management. The effect of
this treatment is very marked No one
can travel through the estate without no.
ticing the fine condition of the trees every
where.
In a recent conversation Clifford Pinchot
the consulting forester said: From a
pecuniary point of view, the improve
ments have paid for themselves. The en-
tire expense of clearing, thinning and i'm
proving the Biltnnore forest has been more
than met by the money received from the
sale of the wood for fuel for lumber etc
Many Improvements remain to be carried
out before it is on working basis. These
will take years-not less than ten at the
lowest estimate. Thus, there is now more
than 1900 acres lying waste. This land,
situated mostly on the top of hills. must
be planted with the right kind of trees
and made presentable."
Under Mr.. Pinchot's direction the Bit
more forest has been divided into conn
partments" of about forty-two acres each.
There are ninety-two compartments, and
these are united into blocks" There are
four blocks and each block is treated by
itself, as though it were a separate forest
A little old house that is of almost as
much interest to visitors as the big man
sion itself is 1.-THE house that Vanderbilt
can't buy" Yes; that's a fact Right in
the midst of the $4,000 acre estate is
rude cabin, and nine acres of land. 1t is,
perhaps, less than one mile from the man
sion, and on one of the main roads to the
place.
The owner of this property has obsti-
nately refused to sell to Vanderbilt What
makes the matter worse he is colored
person. l call him Vanderbilts bette noir
1t is said that the old darby has been Of
fered as high as 81, 900 per acre for the nine
acres There is no way of shutting him
in, as he has the right of way over the
road.
On my way back 1 stopped to see this
independent colored man. AS l drew up
to the small white house at the end of
the road and called out, a black woman
appeared in the doorway, while two ac.
tive pickannnies bobbed up from behind. ]
Does Josh Moore live here?" 1 inquired
Yes, sah," she replied, and'in response
4. H.,