The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
CECIL RHoDEs's HOUSE BURNED.
Groote Schuur with It's Contents and tho
Z~,mbabye Collection Destroyed.

Atnonpyc SOliccttOn Doatroyed.
Groote Schuur. Cecil Rhodes's house at Rom
debosch. near Cape Town. was burned down
with its contents on the morning of Dec. Is.
The house was known to nearly every visitor
of any consequence to Cane Town. as Mr..
Rhodes IA lavish in his hospitality. A person
who had been Mr.. Rhodes's guest sends the
following description of tho place to the Lon
don Daily Telegraph:
when Mr.. Rhodes purchased the.prope1ty
at Rondebosch some years ago, he not only re-
stored to the building its old Dutch charac-
Of 'Groote Schuur' lthe Great Barn.
His next step was To restore the OLD
placed: the Dutch gables to the exterior
without modifying, or interfering with the
original, design. The '%stoop.' OF veranda, in
separable from African houses, so pleasantly
cool in the burning summer days, was re-
tanned. Next Mr.. Rhodes set about 10 re
model the interior. still following the old Dutch
models. as far as was consistent with the re-
quircments OF modern comfort. The work was
entrusted almost exclusively TO Colonial ar
tisans, a ld especially to those who were famil-
lar with the interior OF the old Dutch houses.
mons IN OF C ,he E GoiGnB t vilIa s'V! < costly %ay 90 sim rmife.
lty reigned throughout, and the rooms, were
al panelled in teak; Having restored the
himself to furnish it. He had agents securing
tile colony and Natal and the Orange Free
price, the finest old Dutch furniture that
lurked IN farms and honestcads. Chairs and
| ClOCkb ana pDOhils ana blut DDaTub,
were secured from every quarter. till there
was nothing, English IN it except the billiard
table; The Blue Books and the magniilcent
who visit him.. Even The adornnents on ths
walls reminded one more of Holland than OF
Rhodes was very proud. and which it is TO be
nopcd were rescued, were South African. There
were altered flags telling OF many a hard
all sorts. but chief among all were the relics
OF Rnodesia.- They ranged from barbarlc pos
| RR9linna or 10hHnRnlA to tie artistic Dr01nG-
tions OF the old race, FhGnnician, or whatever
It was. that he'd tapped The gold veins In MHta-
beleland and Mashona.and.
There was the model Of the monument which
Mr.. Rhodes designed erecting in honor Of the
his royal y seal @iiiAE and old bowls that Belonged to
magnificent savagcs who had sweot the ancient
rai 90 before them. Mr.. Rhodes informed me
that he WIS the owner, somewher away In
temple in existence, WHICH he destined for the
mausoleurl of men who had died in the service
SELF was an ideal home for tho Mai OF Africa
as Mr.. Rhodes has boon called, Its surroundings
property when AIR. Rhodes bought il, but he
has gradually extended 1t right, up to Table
c M1uhf Tann " inIo M, h,w sen s ,1I n II c SpTG. 10 Up GTasdd
OF a thousand acres, Here Mr.. thodeS set up
his, menagerie. TO whlah he wis always adding
and here he nearly met his death from q buck,
last year. Tho house was approached by a
mogniticent avenue. and nearly every kind Of
in Mr.. Rhodes's grounds. Groote Schuur was
essentially a bachelor establishment on A mag.
nifcent scale. Maid servants there NAV have
been. for all J. know, but during the pleasant
hours | spent in Mr.. RhOdes's house / never
caught sight OF q pctticoat. Cape boys. ready,
def, and willing, were always on tho alert 10
wait and serve. have said that the house and
It's furnishings and It's decorations were all
Dutch, but the hospitality OF It's owner In
duced his guests 20 forget that hey were in a
dutch house. In a suburh OF Cape Town. and
tempted them to imagine they were paying q
visit TO nm old-fashtOncd English country gem
tleman. N an ld-fashioAed English house"