The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-05-15
ACROESUS' CHATEAU
Vanderbilt's Palace in tho North
Carolina Mountains,
A Lordly Domain Amid Wildly
Picturesque Scenery.

George vanderbilt's country resi-
dence is within n few miles of Ash
vile, N. c., spur of the Blue Noun
tains. His new home, which has been
building for four years or more, is
now practically completed. The house
is an imposing gothic structure of In
diana sandstone. 1t is the most inn
pressive and commanding of the many
residences belonging to the Wander
bilts.
The mansion is not long and low
and rambling rs most Southern dwell
ings are. Instead, it 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 it is broad and long and impress
sive. Mr.. Vanderbilt was largely his
own architect, end the result would
indicate that he is not bad one. He
has been courageous enough to bor-
row literally from others, but ma inly
from Switzerland, for the house rs
seen from distance resembles an AL
pine chateau. The massive mountains
near by add to this impression. The
halls in it are as wide and lofty rs
those in the old houses in England,
There are no small rooms. The din
ing halls are immense. There are no
less than fifty guest-chambers, an in
dication that Mr.. Vanderbilt does not
intend to be n hermit in his mountain
home. There are several large rooms,
evidently intended to be reception
room, and there is a huge ballroom
looking out upon the mountains, show
ing most romantic scene by light.
The baths are of marble, mined from
the mountains near by, and the whole
interior is rich in appearance and ar
rangement. The stables at distance
alone are finer than many modern
houses, and the kennels-for there Is
yet game in the mountains-are on
plane with the other buildings.
Withal there is nothing glaring or
garish about all this. Many modern
house 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 home appear a
natural part of the scene presented.
No one but Mr.. Vanderbilt himself
knows what this has cost him. The
amount is small compared with what
it would have been had the estate been
in the North. Land in western North
Carolina when Vanderbilt purchased
was ridiculously low SO were all
sorts of ordinary labor, for skilled
labor had to come from the North at
Northern rates of wages. But the
] building material was right at hand to
be cut or mined, and nature herself
had been the surveyor and landscape
gardener as well.
From his library window Mr.. Van
+ derbilt can see the Blue Ridge, the
Alleghanies and their tributary noun
tain ranges rising and stretching away
in the distance. He can see Mount
Pisgah raising its pine-clad head more
than 5000 feet above the plateau.
Black Dome, Clingman's Dome,
Mitchell's Peak, and score or more
OF giants are near by. Betwesn these,
like silver threads, run the French
Broad, the Hiawassee and near half a
dozen other rivers. He may see if he
wishes the spots over in the Tennessee
mountains that have been made in a
way famous by the charming stories
of Charles Egbert Craddock. And
here and there he may see the cabins
OF the mountaineers.
Mr.. Vanderbilts place contains
Iabout 90, 900 acres in the immediate
{grounds or park. Several miles be-
yond he owns ON Mt Pisgah and in
its neighborhood about 100, 900 acres
more, intended for use as hunting
and shooting preserve.
George Vanderbilt is thu student of
the family. He is an ardent lover of
books and nature, is unmarried, Is 38
years old, and is worth $1,000, 900 for
Bach year of his life. Chicago Times.
Herald