The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-01

THAN columns. extending in height to two
stories, surmounted by an entablature
and an attic story. the recess forming a
dark background against which the Cor
inthian columns are beautifully shown
The great Verandas, which nearly sur
round the house, and the beautiful ter
races, viii recall the old Italian villas and
gardens The entrance hall is undoubted-
~ the chef r'Oeuvre of the whole house
This hall and the stairway hall are of
Italian marble, and hung with rare gobe-
lin and Italian tapestries Beautiful stair
cases, with easy landings, rise to the sec
Ond floor. As you go up you notice little
recesses, in which are panels made of ex-
qulsltely carved doors, which look as II
they We're brought from an Egyptian tenn
pie. The balusters on the stairWayS were
brought from France.
All the principal rooms of the house
which are on the first floor. are so ar
ranged that they can be opened into one
mammoth room, which can be utilized
for any purpose. The living and recep-
ton rooms are on the southwest side
of the great hail. The latter room is
both elegant and handsome. Il is finished
In Spanish cedar, and the walls are
beautifully trescoed with Italian leather
The great fireplace and mantelpiece were
imported from an Italian chateau. Col
den wall coverings and silken tapestries
OF the same hue make a rich frame in
the salon for the beautiful bric-a-brac
which Mrs. Sheppard collected while i'm
Venice and the Holy Land In the salon
there is a mantelpiece over two hundred
The drawing rooms and the parIors are
very me. one Is i'm white and gold. Che
other in blue and gold. one of the white
marble mantelpieces and fiTeplaces ia
one of the parlOrs took the first prize
at the Paris fair. The parlors are on
the western side of the house. and from
t9e windows there is beautiful view
Of the Hudson.
Another feature of the house is the
tapestry hall. Here are hung silken ana
velvet tapestries from all parts of the
world. The library is also ON the first
floor. To is finished I'm red mahogany and
git, with green velvet hangings Many
rare pieces Of bric-a-brac and statuary
losether with the vast collection of rare
books add attractions to this retreat.
The Oriental room is hung with Oriental
tapestries, and contains many rare Curl
osites of the old world. mostly collected
by Mrs. Sheppard herself The walls are
DECORATED with magnificent paintings.
The reception rooms are finished in
blue and gold. There is an open fire
place, surmounted by an ornamental
mantelpiece ana frieze which took Italian
skilled sculptors years to complete. Near
this room are the breakfast room and
the great dining hall, finished in white
and gold, with great fireplaces which
were also imported from Italy. The
Kitchens and pantries are enameled and
hoored with mosaic.
Mrs. Shepard's apartments are on the
second floor, as well as all the other sleep
ing. apartments. Her rooms are models
Of beauty The pale tints of the canoes
which adorn the ceilings are in sharp
contrast to the beautiful colors of the silk
embrodieries, which cover, like tapestries.
nearly half of the room. Mrs. Shepard's
bed, in the words of a woman who has
been through the house and seen It, is
like a velvet house so beautiful is the
great canopy which completely covers it,
The dressing room, which opens directly
from the sleeping boudoir, is lined with
huge mirrors. which are hung as doors
to the closets. Opposite the dressing
room is an eXquisitely appointed bath
room done in cameo tinted onyx and white
tile. All the sleeping rooms on the sec
ond floor are tinted with different coors
In one room. that OF Miss Edith the
ceilings represent the heavens, with
white clouds intermingling.
On the third floor the guests chambers
are situated. These are finished in white
and gold, with private dressing rooms
and baths Here also is situated fhe
billiard room, with woodwork of a dark
rich color: the floor and the ceiling are
or mosaic The mansion is lighted by
electricity, there being 1.27O lights i'm the
house. The total cost of the house and
laying out Of the garden is said to have
been S2O00,000.