St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-10-15
RECEPTION TENDERED VISITING
EPISCOPALIANS BY MIR.
AND MRS. HILL.
THEIR HOME THROWN OPEN
IN HONOR OF RT, REV, BISHOP
WHIPPLE AND BISHOP
GILBERT.
TT WAS A CHARMING AFFAIR
In One of the Finest Mansions
on the American COnti-
nent.

The reception rendered the bishops
ference by Mr.. and Mrs. James J.
Hill at their palatial home on Sum-
NIT avenue last night exceeded in
magnificence any social function ten
dered the convention since it's meet
ing. Their luxurious residence was
thrown into one vast reception room,
seemingly, and while the attendance
of guests was very large, yet the
amplitude Of the Hill mansion give
so much room that the idea of a
crowd was entirely absent. When
the guests had laid off their wraps
and descended to the main floor,
they were met by the ushers, who
were Messrs. w. N. Armstrong, T.
L.. Schurmeier, w. H. Lightner, A.
Dalgren, Lurdley Shepherd, Charles
Otis, M. J. Boyle, Ed Halbert, H. P.
Bend, w. c.. Harrington, Dan Hand
and E. w. Durant Jr., who presented
them to the hosts and hostesses of
the evening. These were Rt. Rev.
Bishop Whipple, Mrs. DR.. John
Wright, Rt. Rev. Bishop Gilbert
and Mrs. Gilbert, and Mr. and Mrs.
James J. Hill, who were stationed
in a group in the reception room.
Over 1900 invitations had been sent
out, and fully 1000 persons accepted
them.
The reception being much in the nat
ure of semi-public event, furnishes
the justification for a more general
knowledge of the magnificent interior
of the railroad magnate's palatial
home. Brilliantly Illuminated, and with
its splendid proportions clearly brought
out against the black sky, this dini-
fled structure stood forth last night
with every appearance of q baronial
castle on the summit of
SOME HISTORIC MOUNTAIN.
The spacious grounds about it with
winding drives and stately porte CO..
chere only served to heighten the re-
seblance, but it was not until the guests
were ushered into the immense hall
that they could but family appreciate
the beauty and grandeur of the place.
Facing the entrance proper a great
broad staircase broke the distance be-
tween the main floor and a generous
landing, which in turn bore off two sep
arate passages to the second floor.
The spaces on either side of the stair
case were literally banked with palms
and other exotics which furnished an
appropriate foreground for the brill
liant stained glass effects which backed
the landing and which were brought
into prominence by the subdued effect
of the electric light. Practically the en-
tire house was thrown open to the Wis
itors, who found much to please their
lasts and edify their senses.
With the large number of guests the
offices Of the ushers were by no means
simple, but by a simple plan the pleas
ure of those who were being enter,
tanned was admirably insured. After
paying their respects to those receiv-
ing with the host and hostess, the vis>
itors naturally found their way out of
the reception room into the music
room.
The reception room, which is situated
Just to the left of the main hall as
you enter, is finished in dark wood
with a remarkably cheerful fireplace,
and the big cut glass disk suspended
from the ceiling SoftenS the innumer-
able lights which cast q warm glow
upon the tapestry and fittings which
are in the best taste.
Opening off the reception room is the
music room, which is exquisitely fin
ished in white and gold, and in the
corners of which are found two grand
pianos. The walls are relieved by rare
paintings, while in several inches are
bits of statuary, the whole making a
thoroughly comfortable, home-llke
conservatory. Here, too, were placed
about in artistic confusion palms and
potted plants. Thence across the great
hall the regal drawing room, which
last evening was honored by the pres
ence of so many distinguished people,
furnished the subject for unlimited ad-
miration. Equipped with an immense
open fireplace, the wall decorations
blended so perfectly, the room was
perhaps never before seen to better
advantage, the bright colors of the
womeL's gowns setting off by the
sombre cloth of the members of the
clergy.
Off the drawing room is a, tiled piaz-
"a, which was housed in for the re-
ception, and to which some of the
more daring of guests found their way
and chatted in spite of the chill night
air. The view of the lighted city many
hundr ed feet below was a novel one
to many of those present, and it only
required, small stretch of ina gina
ton 10 feel oneself in the stronghold
of some ancient feudal castle
TREASURES IN ART.
The art gallery, which for the char
acter and value of it's pictures, is re-
puted to contain one of, the greatest
private collections of paintings in the
country, furnished a genuine treat for
the guests of Mr.. and Mrs. Hill. Side
by side were hung the characteristic
wood scene of Rosseau, the pastoral
work of Dupre, representations of an
cient warfare by DelacroiX, while
tucked away among such celebrated
masters as Millet, Carrot, Daubigny
and Troyon were several little mill
tary bits by De Taille
The gallery is beautifully furnished
the. space being relieved by two or
three pieces of heroic bronze statu-
ary. At one end is set in a pipe or
gan, upon which several numbers were
given through the evening, and which
added in no small measure to the
felicity of the occasion.
During the evening the guests spent
much time in looking over the art gal
lery and in listening to a fine musical
programme presented by I. Warren
Andrews, assisted by Miss Stella Girls
void and Mr.. Fritz Schlachter. of
Minneapolis. The programme was as
follows: -.
Or ~ crSar-
Procession March. V. Flagler
Melody in F. F.................,.;.R .Rubinstein