The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-19
Correspondence of The Harala.l

Correspondence of The HeraldJ
Copyright, 1895, by S. s. Mcclure
Limited)
Asheville, n. C. May r.
High up among the pine and oak-claC
mountain ranges of the Blue Ridge il
western North Carolina is the Creates
country seat in all America 1t is named
"Biltmore," and the vast domain of $4,000
acres comprises the "Biltmore estate
The owner of this immense estate is
George w. Vanderbilt, who has made the
place his pride, his hobby and his ambi-
/ Iion.
/ 1t is four or five years since Mr.. Van
/ derbilt's agent began buying tract after
/ tract of wastes and forests in this Land
! OF the Sky as the region around Ashe-
vile has long been known. Quietly but
! quickly this and that farm was bought
ana, before the sellers and the natives
knew the name OF the real purchaser, be-
tween 5000 and 1900 acres had been ac-
/ CURED at reasonable figures. When Mr..
Nanderbilts name became associated
with the purchases the prices advanced
at least 100 per cent Mountain land that
previously went begging for few dollars
an acre jumped up to $50, and some OF it
could not be bought for $500 an acre.
improvements as Vast as the Estate.
The mountain site and thousands of
acres having been acquired, the most
elaborate plans and preparations were
transformation TOuSn
ana ragged hills INTO a scene of great
grandeur and beauty, and for the build
ing OF one of the most splendid and Sump-
tuous piles of architecture to be found
anywhere in the United States. The work
OF improving and identifying the estate
was put into the hands of the most COM
petent and experienced men. The archi
tect, the landscape gardener, and the for
roster were particularly given free
swing to carry out their ideas and plans
on a larger scale than ever before at
tempted in this country.
Some idea of the extent of these opera
tons may be had from the fact that, dur
ing the past three yea0 200 men have
been steadily engaged in bringing the
grounds to the perfection eXacted by the
landscape gardener, Frederick Law Ohm
stead, who laid out the most of Central
Park and the grounds OF the Worlds Fair
al Chicago, and that from 100 to $50 stone
cutters masons and carpenters have been
at work raising the stately structure ac-
cording to the plans of the architect,
Richard M. Hunt. Then, there have been
the forestry operations under the direc-
tons of Clifford Pinchhot, the brick and
tile factory, and other industries, which
have given employment to more than 100
men.
Already Cost $4,OOO,OOO.
It is easy to see how expenditures
have run into the millions. No accurate
figures can be obtained, but it is estimat-
ed that Biltmore estate has already cost
its owner 81, 000, 600. 1t will take, perhaps.
81 C00,000 more to carry out the plans OF
the landscape gard as,-r, of the architect,
and of the owner. AS near as can be cal
culated the work at Biltmore has been
going on about four years at a cost of
at least $1,000 per day, or at the rate of
$4,000 year, not counting the fifty-two
Sundays.
The imposing mansion is rapidly ap-
preaching completion, although it will not
be ready for occupancy before next year.
I was told. though. that Mr.. Vanderbilt
expected to spend the next Christmas
holidays here. A score of carverS and
stcnecutterS are still at work on the out
side of the building, while the cabinet
tifying the rooms inside. But with the
house finished there will still remain
much to do to render the place finished
and complete.
The Place Guarded from the Public.
To visit Biltmore estate and inspect the
residence it is necessary to procure a per-
nit. You will find the place guarded on
every side. You can't escape the watch
dogs of the estate.
Let me see your pass" is the E<ual
Strict orders have been given not to al
low any one to take pictures. If you have
anything that looks like a camera you
are stopped and the question asked,
What have you got there?' This ex-
plains why so few pictures of Biltmore
have been seen.
'Mr. Vanderbilt said Mr.. McNanee
to me, docs not want Biltmore to go be-
fore the world in an unfinished state.
When it is complete, pictures will be pre-
scented for the public eye"
Through the courtesy OF Mr.. McNamee,
we were provided with more than the
usual facilities. We are almost indebted
to Mr. McNamee for pointing out those
places of interest in the estate which we
had Travelled many miles to see. The
printed and written permit read as fol-
lows:
Pass Mr.. Vance
And party over the Approach Road to
90 nd
Via. Glen Shiloh River a - Service Roads,
(Signed) CHARLES M'NAAEE.
Biltmore, March u, 1895.
Nor GOOD ON SUNDAY.
Across the face was written in red ink
the word special"
The Vanderbilt mansion is about two
miles from the station. Our visit to the
estate was just after a. heavy rainfall, |
and the red clay roads elsewhere were |
in a frightful condition. But the roads |
on the estate We're as smooth and hard |
as the drives in Central Park
The site of the house was once noun
tain peak, but it was cut down and grad |
in the neighborhood. The view from this |
elevated plateau is a grand one The |
house is 80 feet long and 1872 feet deep, T
and covers two acres. Connected by the |
rnain structure are long walled courts and !
the Stables.
The Mountainside Palace.
Tue house stands, as we have said, on a |
mountain peak, which has been cut down |
and leVeled until it is not much higher |
than the surrounding ground. This gives |
L park of about LOCO acres, in which a |
bowling green and tennis court are the
most conspicuous features. The green is
about 1000 feet long and $50 feet wide. 1t 7
S surrounded by beautifully carved
Everyone who visits Biltmore is sure to
speak OF the tennis cHrt. l suppose it is
he finest in the world. 1t is said to have
cost $4,000 The greater part of the ex-
)ense consisted in building huge retain
ng wall to sustain the court. This wall |
S eighteen feet thick and forty feet high
The house is constructed mainly of In
llama granite, but of course immense
quantities of brick were used, and near
station brick works were estab-
ished. There was plenty of good red clay
1t hand, suitable for first-class brick and
lie. These will be used mostly for the
buildings, stables, etc. Three
,rick and tile hilns We're erected, each
With capacity of $1,000 day The brick
machines turned out Bricks at the rate CT
0,000 day. Besides these about 1900 or
goo flower pots were made a day AS the
he surplus was sold to outside parties
When the writer visited the place, the
works. were running on half time and
ew men were employed.
A Special Railroad to the Place.
To carry the material for the different
a railroad from Biltmore sta
ion to the site of the mansion, distance
t three miles, was built This cost about
50,0o0. The workmen went back and forth
lgs are completed, the railroad will be
orn up, the track and bridges removed
nd the grounds put in proper order
The foundations of Biltmore were laid