Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-11-07

between the entrances there are two
heroic figures, half human, half brute,
taken from some old-time mythology.
Higher up between the Sandow fig
ureS in the cove" which supports the
rotunda male and female, half
length and full length figures, some
human and some Of fauns, flank ovoid
panels. Over each panel is Il head.
and each is inscribed with some name
famous in the history of art. These
in their order, beginning at the south
west corner of the gallery are: An
drra del Sarto, Rembrandt, Michael
Angelo, \. Correggio Murillo, Nelas-
luez, Leonardo la Ninci, Paulo YER
oneSe ana R&r2clle Sanzio.
Upon the eastern wall there are
other beautiful figures near the top,
and below them a round panel for a
painting W lch is tlanked by grace
fuI figures of heroic size At night
the Illumination viii be furnished by
hundreds Of electric light bulbs ar.
ranged around the upper colnice Of
the cove" just under the rotunda.
Some idea Of the amount of inter
ior carving can he gained from the
fact that forty caryerS. two hundred
cutters. one hundred poliShers and
Scycnty-tve helpers were employed in
the house continually for ten months.
The house was begun in the early
part of 1893 and has taken more than
two years and a half to build. 1t has
given employment on an average to
three hundred men since it was be-
gun. In wages alone $500. 600 have
been spent. Counting the cost of ma
teria'S and the cost Of the land, the
house without the furnishings repre-
SCENTS an outlay of $1.5OO.OOO. and
when it is filled with the multitude
OF art tire lsureS the whole will sun
up close to $3,O0O.00o. This may seelu
an eXaggeration, hut whm it is re-
mcmberAd that 4 single gold dinner
service belonging to Mrs William
Astor cost 100000, and a Gobelin
tapestry $4,000, it can be seen that
items Of this kind soon mount into
enormous figures.
Mrs William AStor'S picture gallery
is valued ut 100000. and is probably
worth much more than when it was
formed. If the jewels of the two
ladies were to be inCluied three mil
lions would not cover it all by any
means. -Four millions would be much
nearer the correct sum.
In the south h III Sc" that OF John
Jacob AStor, the upper rooms, the liv-
ing rooms, are smaller than in Mrs.
AStor's house, for the reason that
more people must be accommodate ted.
The library is about the same size as
the elder Mrs. AstCrs, but the situa.
tion of the bedrooms is pleaSanter,
for they are on the corner Of Sixty
fifth street.
First is Mr.. AStor'S bedroom, which
has a small dressing-room off. 1t Is
smaller than Mrs. Astor'S, and shows
that he has given the best Of it to his
wife, for her bedroom occupies the
exact corner of the house, and is one
third larger than his.
Next to Mr.. AStor's bedroom, and
fronting on SlXty-ffth street is one
Of the pretticSt apartments in the
houSc-Mrs. AStOr's private bathroom.
1t is Roman in design. the bath-tub
being made of one solid block of mar
bic and carved out. The bath itself
is almost round. 1t Is intended to be
sat in rather than to lie in.
A little Cupid is carved out of the
same piece of marble at the back. and
he is looking at two dolphinS, out of
cold water.
The cciliag, which is rounded, and
which seems to hang like canopy
over the bath, is of Roman mosaic
and of the most beautiful finish.