The herald., 1895-02-24

dainty belongings than would seem pos
Sible to those OF us who have not $780,,
900 year to spend upon our our home
making and housekeeping. The curtains,
draperies and furniture for their recep-
ton rooms, parlors and boudoirs cost
very fair sized fortune, and tobacco smoke
! is. not considered by those in authority
conducive to the improvement of such
airy, fairy fabrics. So the smoking
room has become as necessary part OF
every millioaire's home as is the dining
room.
The mistress of the house chooses a
room, generally smaller than the other
apartments, convenient to dining room
and ball room, fits it up in the cosest
fashion imaginable, provides all kinds of
smoking supplies, and then woe betide
her unhappy lord and master if he and
| his friends do not take themselves to this
room when they wish to enjoy smoke.
Elbridge Z. Gerry has the finest smok-
ing room in the world in his new place on
| upper Fifth avenue, and what is dearer to
every devote of the Princess Nicotine, he
gives his guests the perfection of cigars to
smoke, and there is practically no limit
to to the supply. He calls them the squad
ron Cruise, and they are made just to
his liking and come each wrapped sepa-
rately in tinfoil. AS he takes the whole
output of a Cuba plantation, these cigars
cost him only 40 cents apiece.
But the room his friends smoke them in
is dream. The walls are covered with
velvet OF a soft gray color, and the freize
is rich with silver and gray mingled IN
conventional design. The Iioor is OF hard
wood, beautifully polished and overlaid
with Oriental rugs, almost works of art in
their beauty OF coloring and design The
lounges and easy chairs are covered with
gray velours, and the portiers and curtains
are of the same soft color richly wrought
in crimson and silver. Substantial robes
of polished mahogany hold the curiously
wrought mahogany cigar boxes with
their closely arrayed devices for providing
Just the requisite amount OF moisture for
the slender dark room beauties. Curious
old fashioned silver trays are used tor
the ash receivers, and there are electrical
appliances in every paper which do away
with the ned for matches.
But the glory of this beautiful room is
the fire and the fireplace. The mantel is
colonial in fashion, and is made of eX-
quisitely carved mahogany; over it is
an oval shaped mirror, which reflects
the curious shaped pipes and tobacco jars
laced along the broad shelf. The plate
glass cabinets on either side OF this man
tie are filed with pipes which would de-
light any smokers heart
Meerschaums, shining and dark French
brar, almost silver inclosed; comfortable
fat china pipes, and pipes of every de
sign The old fashioned fender and
irons are OF polished steel, which almost
looks like silver when they catch the
| CLEAN of the heavy oak logs, glowing and
Cracking, and falling at last into bed of
! fiery Goals. Soft subdued electric lights
! furnish the room with just the half light
which goes best with the glowing fire
place, a good story and fine cigar.
Cornelius Vanderbilt did not change his
! smoking room when he added on and
almost rebuilt his beautiful home. There
! was no need, for no improvement could
i be suggested for that unique and mag
nticent room. 1t has two entrances, one
i from the dining room, which makes it
| an easy matter to serve the after-dinner
! coffee and enjoy the after-dnner cigars at
! the same time, and the second entrance
| from the new grand ballroom. The walls
| and ceilings are of metal and it is i'm
! possible to describe the wonderful irrides-
( cent effect of the mingled copper and
| FURNISHED steel.
The tone of the room is Russian, and
| the draperies for the windows, portieres
and couches are of silk and WOOL beaut-
| fully wrought in red and blue i'll the well
known Russian cross stitch. There are
| pipes, tobacco jars and every article
| known to modern smokers, all brought
| from Russia, and collected and arranged
bv Mr.. Vanderbilt himself. In one cor
| ner of this quaint room is a samovar, and
| the host himself frequently makes the
| coffee and tea. which he serves in ex
qlisite cups OF ola blue, dark red, green
or yellow porcelain, set in tilagree saucers
| of gold, and having beautiful gold spoons,
enameled in colors to match the cup.
There is no open fireplace, but q cur
ious stove OF metal and blue porcelain