The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-28
BHIM0RL ROUSE OPENED
Family Party It George ". Van
dsrbiifs Family Mansion.
ESTATE COST HIM MILLIONS
One of the Grand est Residences to he
Found Any where In the wOrld-The
Scene Now Of u Reunion of the VAN
drrbiIt Fnnfily.-Extent of the Pre-
serve-A Hinge Pleasure Ground.

George w. Vanderbilt formally opened
his country home, near Asbeville, N. c.,
on Christmas Day All the immediate
/ members of the " anderbilt family now i'll
this country are guests at .Biltmore House"
| Among them are Mrs. William IL. Wander
! bit, mother OF the owner OF Bihnore; Mrs
Bromley, his aunt; Mrs. Nissan, Miss
| Kissam, Mr.. and Mrs. +. w. Vanderbilt,
Mr.. and Mrs w. Seward Webb, daughter
and son; Cornelius Vanderbilt and family;
W. X. Vanderbilt, w. ID. Sloane and fam
| ily, and others. All came here in private
cars. and brought with them an army Of
servants. ..--.- .-4
For two weeks George W. Vanderbilt per-
soualiy directed corps of carvers, joiners,
decorators and florists in giving the fin
ishing touches to the great mansion, and
il doubtless stands today, with its SUR
rounding park and outl wing hunting and fish
ing preserves, the most valuable, as wellas
the most extensive, private property in
America - The house tract contains 5000
acres, upon which sevcnty-sive miles OF
drivcwa Us have. already been laid out. The
hunting preserves embrace 81 600 acres,
in which is included cunt Pisgah, said To
he the highest peak. east OF the Rocky
Mountains.
Bitinorc House stands upon a terrace
overlooking the French Broad and Swan
annoa WI cys, and from It's turrets are to
bc seen not less than rirty mountain peaks
with an altitude OF 5000 feet Every con-
ceivabie modern adornment and IOnven-
fence are found within its walls.
OVER RUSTIC BRIDGES.
Driyeways have been constructed at an
enormous expense, and wind over rustic
bridges, besides artificial lakes and natural
v.,ta I'm oil ham m nj
sides, attractive In their native ruggedness,
have been ided By the art OF The landscape
artists and enriched in foliage from the
arDorctutn until they give many beautiful
surprises.
For two weeks provisions OF all kinds
have been arriving III car loads. CONNECTIONS
in hInurcdpounu packa ges, glfnc, flsh.
fowls of all kinds, frozen meats In car
loads. On Christmas day at IL oc:Ock
a Christmas tree was given 10 all the
employees on the estate, numbering be-
tween 500 and COO. Barrels OF mist.etoe
and wagon loads OF holly and cart loads
of packages Were used. After the Christ
mas tree dinner was spread.
Although the company now at Biltmore Is
made up exclusively OF members OF the
Vanderbilt family, festivities will broaden
toward the close OF the week, when "A large
company of Mr.. Nanderbilts New York
friends will be his guests for perhaps ten
days. The time will be sent n COUGHING
parties, hunting, fox chasing, quail shoot |
ing and fishing.
There was something more than Christ |
mas celebration in the festivities at Bilt- |
more. 1t was the iirst real reunion or the |
Vanderbilt family since the dea TIL or VIII |
lam II. Vanderbilt, and in even that respect |
II was not a complete success, for absence |
in Europe prevented the attendance OF Mrs. |
Elliott F. Shepard and her children, aud |
the serious illness OF n daughter or II. |
Mex. Twombiy caused the absence of that !
branch Of the family. The reunion was, |
however, more complete than il could have ,
been made on any former occasion, for |
there has been no time when so fnany OF
the family could bc gathered al one place
sirr,c the father of the present vandcrbilts
died.
ONLY RELATIVES INVITED.
None but members OF the family were in
yit.d. These included Mrs William II. Van
derbilt Mrs. Yandcrbilt's brother, Samuel
Kissam, and FANNY, and her sister, Mrs.
Bromley, Cornelius Vanderbilt and family
William X Vanderbilt, Frederick W. Van
dcrbiit and wife, William ID. Sloane and
family, Or. W. Seward Webb and family,
H. Nick. Twombiy and family, Mrs. Elliott
F. Shepard and family, Clarence Barker
and Waiter Rathban Bacon and wife.
Mrs. William III. Vanderbilt and Mr.. and
Mrs. Fred Vanderbilt left for Biltuore On
last Saturday. Cornelius and his family and
william X. went on Monday. Others Of the
invited guests left OH sunday and Monday.
Mrs. Shepard and her children are in Egypt.
The Twombieys and the Bacons We're de-
tanned in the city because OF illness. Ill the
others named represent.
George Vanderbilt has been unspar ring in
his expenditure of money to push his NOUN
tam palace to completion, so that he might |
have a Christmas celebration and a family
mi. far hD hon tgntx -lr rim
the magnificent home of this millionaire
bachelor is practically completed and fur |
nislicd. and his guests may not see that there
Is anything else to he done, many months |
must he spent by an army or artisa MS before
the decorative features planned by the |
owner will be completed.
He has still employed l 90 wood carversin |
a factory on his estate, who are engaged on |
decorative work for the mansion. Brick |
and tile-inakers are still busy for the same |
purpose, and the private railway from Bilt- |
more, three miles away, Is still operated to |
convey the freight-building material and |
rurnishings-wh this student, art-loving. |
millionaire demands before his chosen home
viii meet every requirement of his fancy.
This private railroad might have been !
pressed into service to convey his Christmas |
guests to his door, but it was never intended |
for passenger service and the guests pre- |
ferred the delightful drive of three miles
over the perfect TelforG- Nacadaln roads, |
which Mr.. Vanderbilt has caused to be con-
structed to his palace.
There are thirty miles Of these perfect !
roads running through his estates of 5000
acres. and part of the pleasure of the day
for the New York visitors consisted of drives
over them, through the beautiful grounds
laid out by Frederick Law Oimsted, and
among the trees, Shrubs and plants from |
almost every quarter of the globe, which |