Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-02
A $40O,000,OOO PARTY.
vANDeRBlLT'S COMING NORTH CAR
OLlNA HOUSE WARMING.
The $4,000. 900 Mansion Opens New
Years Day-His Enormous Estate
There aud work Done
Or 1t.


Queen Victoria may gather around her TO
celebrate the new year. will be found in
North Carolina. George vanderbilt mas
finished ms su,UvV.Vvv castle ana mas Diu-
den all OF his Kin to the most magnificent
house warming ever celebrated on these
democratic shores.
Lam person invited has accepted, IL is
necuiess 10 say, Tor This young Vanderbilt
is the uauy brother, ana in cvitsequohee Is
very uear 10 ihe Older vi others ana sisters
Aiu ~ Inc nleces ana nephews, VINO are
almost ms own age.
Llrs. " imam ~. Vanderbilt Will matrOn-
lie the soouly company al New ear ain"
ner, ai,O, at Inc same tlme represent Just
about sJU,vUU,UUU 1 he host, George VAN
ueruIit, WlIi SIT opposite TO his mother. ana
his woiuiy estate car be safely put down
ut more than szo,UUv,UUJ. Next has mother,
right oil Guest sonshIp, Will be seated Cor
menus NanuerDiit, one OF the richest men
in the woriu. Tor he is worth al the lowest
rating more IMAM SlvV,vVV,uJO. Mis.Lor-
menus VIII sit at her husbands left, and
next to her Will come Fred vanderbilt and
his charming vile, adding S2o,VVvvvV more
TO the VelItaDle GOLD mine
Mr.. and William ID. Sioane-the latter
was lovely, goiuen-haireo Emily Nanuor-
bilt-will SIT on the lett OF Mrs. William IL.
Naboerpilt.
NH Sloane is as rich as his wife, ap1
their combined wealth Is said TO eH$red
S40,0VO.0VV, Mr.. ana Mrs Ill. Mex. ltOm-
by ana DR.. ana MIS- Seward NebW aud
SiU,UVO,U00 by their gracious presence ana
Willie il. Nanoerbilt represents in ms Jgny
parsonage SSU.UUO, 1000 more. Mrs. EilotNF.
Shepard, tho eldest sister of the host, is IN
Egypt, SO sSU,0OV,0U belonging TO the van
derpilts cannot be counted in
OF the nicCes and nephcwS there are
more than a dozen, each of them with a
good big fortune in his or her own right.
1t will be n remarkable dinner party,
representa-. something like S4oO,Wo,OvO
But the house which Is TO be ofhcialiy
opened is equally remarkable. In the hrst
place, IL is The grandest and costliest coun-
Try home ia this country, and perhaps any
other country. 1t has taken six years TO
build, and as many millions.
The history oil the building OF the place
is unique. 1t is six years since MIR. VAN
dcrbilts agent began buying tract after
tract of wastes ana forests IN this Land
of the Sky" as this region around Ashc-
willie has long been known. Quietly but
quickly this and that farm was bought.
and, before the sellers and the natives
knew the name Of the real purchaser. be-
tween 5000 and 1000 acres had been acquir
ed at reasonable figures.
When Mr.. Vanderbilts name became as
ISOLATED with the purchases, the prices adj
vanced at least 100 per cent. Mountain
land that previously went begging for n
few dollars an acre jumped up to $50, and
some of it could not be bought for $500 an
acre.
The mountain site and thousands Of
acres having been acquired, the most elab-
crate plans and preparations were made
for its transformation of the rough grand
eur and beauty, and for the building of
one of the most splendid and sumptuous
piles OF architecture to be found anywhere
in the United States
The work of improving and identifying
H., 81
most competent and experienced men. The
architect, the landscape gardener and the
forester particularly received free swing"
to carry out their ideas and plans on
larger scale than ever before attempted
in this country.
A HERCULEAN TASK
Some idea of the extent of these opera
tons may be had from the fact that, dur
ing the past three years, 200 men have been
steadily engaged in bringing the grounds
TO the perfection exacted by the landscape
gardener, Frederick Law Olnstead who
laid out most of Central Park and the
the grounds OF the World Fair at Chica-
go, and that from 100 to $50 stonc-cutters,
masons and carpenters have been at work
raising the stately structure according TO
the plans of the architect. the late Richard
NJ. Hunt. Then, there have been the for
cstry operations under the direction of
Clifford Pinchot, the brick and the tile fac
tory and other industries which have
given employment to more than 100 men.
Inc Vanderbilt mansion is about two
miles from the station. The house stands
on mountain peak, which has been cut
down and leveled until It Is not much high
er than the surrounding ground. This
gives park of about 1000 acres in which
a bowling green and tennis courts are the
most conspicuous features The green is
about 1000 feet long and 25O feet wide. 1t
is surrounded by a beautifully carved
balustrade. Every one who visits Bilt-
more is sure TO speak of the tennis court.
1t is said to have cost $780, The greater
part of the expense consisted in building a
huge retaining wall to sustain the court.
This wall is IS feet thick and 40 feet wide.
The house is constructed mainly of In
diana granite, but. OF course immense
quantities of brick are used. and near Bit
more Station brick works wore establish
ell. Ther- was plenty of good red clay at
hand. suitable fol- frst-class brick and tile.
These were used mostly for the surround
ing buildings. stables. etc. Three brick
and tile kilna were erected, each With
capacity Of 50ocJ a day. The brick ma
chimes turned out brick az the rate Of co.
COO day. Besides these. about 1000 or S00o
flower pots were made a day.
To carry the material for the different
buildings railroad from Biltmore Sta
ton to the side of the mansion. distance
q
900. The workmcn went back and forth
every day on tho cars. When the build
ings were completed, the railroad was torn
up, the track and bridges removed, and
the grounds put in proper order.
DEEP FOUNDATIONS.
The foundations of Bltmore We're laid
broad and deep. This was particularly
necessary since the site was q sloping
mountain side. The walls will last as long
as the mountain itself. They are the same
as the tennis wall about Is feet thick and
40 feet high. And how much do you think
the foundation cost? You might guess
three times and then not come within
100000 of the real figure. The contract
price for the foundation was let for $780,
600. No such such sum of money was ever
before expended for the foundation of a
private house.
The principal departments are in the
front, at each end of which rise the tow
ers, five stories high. There are perhaps
200 rooms in the house II you start at one
end of the building and try to reach the
other end you will get lost.
OF the principal rooms the great hail. or
ball room. is one of the finest in the United
States. 1t is GO feet high and so feet in
length. There are three immense open
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