The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-07-10
A New England Farm.

DR.. William Seward Webb, the New
York railway magnate, has farm at
Shelburne, VT, which is undoubtcd-
ly one of the most magnificent in
America.
The farm is peninsula of 1000
acres, extending into Lake Champlain,
with seven miles of coast line. DR..
Webb has spent over $1,000 900 in
improving his property, and it is now
model estate. He pulled down barns
to build larger ones, removed farm
houses, lcvcled orchards and groves to
plant new ones, tore up old roads to
give place to fine highways, and in
Short. he did everything that could
make the place more picturesque
and valuable. His residence is in
in the colonial style. 1t contains 100
rooms, all elegantly furnished, the
halls and stairway in oak, drawing
room in white and gold, and each suite
different in finish and furnishings:
There is a reservoir on the farm filled
from the lake and seven miles ofoiron
pipe supply every square inch OF the
ground.
The greenhouse cost $4,000. 1t
contains ornamental alamandas from
India, palms from India and Brazil,
and FIVE specimens Of ericas, kentias
and latanias. Great space is given to
gardenias, carnations, violets and
roses. In connection with the green
house is large grapery. From 20,-
900 to $4,000 native and foreign trees
and trees and shrubs have been plant
ed each year since 1887, including
white and Colorado spruces, ten diff
ferent varieties Of pines, naples, elms,
birches and oaks. There are also Or
chards of plums, pears and apples.
A ceder cover has been grown for
the English pheasants imported in
1891, which have multiplied rapidly
enough to afford good shooting. North
Carolina quail and all varieties Of do
mestic fowls abound. The doctor
originally imported small flock Of
Southdowns, which have increased to
nearly 200. The dairy, costing $85,-
600, is supplied by sevcnty.fve fine
COWS of various breeds. The barns
are built of stone and wood. One
farm contains the Office in which is
transacted the business of the farm.
1t is connected by telephone with all
parts of the estate. Then there are
repair and blacksmith shops and a
grain elevator run by steam. The ca
pacity of the hay loft is 1000 tons,
and of the straw loft 1 900 tons. There
is also complete fire department. In
the Offices there bookkeepers who re-
cord every fact of interest and meteo-
rological reports are taken three times
day. There are 200 employees all the
year round and their annual pay roll
is $4,000. In the summer extra
hands are employed.
DR.. Webb's stables contain 400 hor-
ses, hackneys, thoroughbreds, stand
ards, French coachers and ponies.
His best horses are housed in breed
ing barn of stone and wood 410x1O7
feet. It is the height of four-story
building, and is the largest barn IN
the world, having an exercising ring
in the middle 375 feet long and eigh-
ty.fve feet wide. The interior is il
Illuminated by electric lights.
In the harbor during the summer
may be seen the doctors fine steam
yacht, besides smaller craft Of every
description. Altogether, it is a
princely estate, well calculated to as
tonish those who are under the i'm
preston that Vermont is a State Of
small and sterile farms. But does the
owner make profit out of his farm
ing Z? On this point nothing has ap-
peared in print. Perhaps the farm is
run at dead loss simply to crafty a
rich mans fancy.-Atzanta Constitu-
J,o,,