The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1895-06-07
GEORGE vANpeRnlLr's HOME


Carolina Mountains.
George vandcrbilts favoritc coun-
try residence Is within few miles OF
Asheville. n. c.. on spur OF the Bluo
Mountains Ills new home. which hao
been building for four years or more
Is now practically completed. inc
house is an imposing Gothic structure
OF Indiana sandstone. II ~ the most
impressive aud commanding OF the
many residences belonging to the van
dcrbilts.
The mansion is not long and low
and rambling IA most southern dwell
lingg are. Instead. II rises to the height
OF four stories. not counting the lower
floor where domestic work Is done, or
the story next TO the roof. But II Us
broad and long and Impressive. MT
Vanderbilt was largely his own archi-
toct. and the result would Indicate that
he Is not a bad one lie has been cour-
ageous enough TO borrow literally from
others, but mainly from Switzerland
for the house as seen from n distance
resembles an Alpine chateau The
massive mountains near by add TO this
impression. The halls In II are as wide
and lofty as those In the old houses In
| England. There are no small rooms.
The dining halls are Immense. There
are no less than nfty guest chambers
an indication that Mir Vanderbilt does
not intend 10 be- hermit IN his noun
/ tain home. There are several large
rooms evidently intended to be rocep-
tlon-rooms. and there " n huge ball
room looking out upon the mountains,
/ showing a most romantic scene by
| light. The baths are OF marble, mined
/ from tho mountains near by, and the
/ whole interior Is rich In appearance
and arrangement The stables ut dis
lance alone are finer than many mod
ern houses. and the kennels-for there
II yet game In these mountains-arc
on plane with the other buildings.
Withal there is nothing glnrlng or
| gariah about all this. Many modern
houses would look ridiculous In the
midst OF the wild mountain scenery
| but Mr.. Vanderbilt has been fortunate
] enough TO bring about harmony and To
make his splendid homo appear n nat
urnl part Of the scene presented.
No one but Mr.. Vanderbilt himself
knows what all this has cost him. The
amount is small compared with what
II would have been had the estate been
In the north. Land In western North
Carolina when Vanderbilt purchased
was rldiculously low. so were all sortr
OF ordinary labor, for skilled labor had
TO come from the north at northern
rates Of wages but the building ma
torlal was right at hand to be cut OF
mined. and nature herself had been the
surveyor and landscape gardener az
well.
From his library window Mr.. Van
derbilt can see the Blue Ridge, the
Alleghanios and their tributary noun
tain ranges rising and stretching away
In the distance. He can see Mount Pts
gnh raising It's plne-clad head NOR,
than 5000 feet above the plateau
Black Dome. Clingman's Dome, Mitch
ellis Peak. and score or more Of
giants are near by. Between these
like silver threads. run the Frenci
Broad, the Hiawaasce and near half {
dozen other rivers. lie may see II h.
wishes the spots over In the Tennessee,
mountains that have been made In {
way famous by the charming storlo'
Of Charles Egbort Craddock. And her,
and there he may zee the cabins Of IN,
moonshiners. who think straight ant
shoot the same way. and are In no man
ner TO be regarded as being like The
Georgia cracker or the poor white o.
the lowlands.
Mr.. Vanderbilts place contains abou
10000 acres In It's immediate grounds
or park Several miles beyond he own
on Mount Plsgah and In It's nolghbor
hood about 100000 acres more. intended
for use as hunting and shooting pre-
serve.
George Vanderbilt Is the student o.
the family. lie h an ardent lover O
books and nature. Ii unmarried, In 81
years old, and is worth 81. 900 900 foi
euch year OF his life.