The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-10-08

to buy land in North Carolina, n eat 3
ten years ago, it was generally sup
posed that he intended to create will
derness in which to breed game. An
enormous tract would, it was said, be
sequestered from all productiveness,
and the demand for agricultural labor
in the western part of the State would
be permanently diminished, greatly to
the public loss.
This report gave rise to great deal
of newspaper comment. Even in
England the creation of large covers
bes ins to be looked upon with stern
disfavor, and so luxurious a waste OF
natural advantages is absolutely at
odds with the spirit of our own de-
veloped civilization. Mr.. Wander
bilt let people talk and went IN work
ing at his plans, which we're not at all
what people thought them to be. His
work is not yet done, and has indeed
SO broad a scope that it will hardly be
completed during his lifetime, but
enough has been accomplished to make
it quite evident that he is not laying
waste smiling country in order to
make himself hunting forest, but
that on the contrary he is engaged in
work of the most public spirited
character.
His experimental school of forestry
is in itself priceless gift to the Amer
ican people. When Secretary Morton,
of the Bureau of Agriculture, went to
see what Mr.. Vanderbilt was doing
not long ago, he reported upon his re-
turn to Washington that the expert
ments in the rotation Of crops, in the
artificial enrichment of the soil, in the
perfecting of dairy processes, and in
both conservative and reparative forest
ry, which are now being conducted by
the staff of specialists maintained by
Mr.. Vanderbilt, are even fuller and
more elaborate than those which are
being carried on by the United States
Government.
Biltmore House represents more
hours of mechanics labor than any
other private residence in the United
States, and with its appur,enance
structures, stables, farm and dairy
buildings,s barns, cottages, embank
ments and bridges, it has been SO vast
an undertaking that its isolated posi-
ton and its owners somewhat per
verse shyness have not altogether ex-
cluded the public gaze. The views
herewith presented, which are the first
photograph reproductions published,
show how nobly Richard M. Hunt,
who planned the buildings, and Fred
erick Law Olmstead, who had charge
of the landscape gardening, acquitted
themselves of their task.
The estates extend to the banks OF
both the French Broad and the Swan
nanoa rivers, and touch the Western
Carolina Railroad at point about
two miles from the little mountain
city of Ashevile. Most of the land
had been sold to negroes after the war,
in lots, many of which were only two
or three acres in extent, and few of
which exceeded twenty or twenty five.
The agents engaged in the task Of Sc
curing the territory had to deal with
not less than a thousand individual
owners, and the story Of the acqus-
ton would form an encyclopedia OF
information regarding the habits and
characteristics the small farmers of
the country.
The increase IN real es,aie values
was, of course, very sudden, and IN
some instance, prices demanded were
SO eXOrbitant that the land owner S
ideal, ga round stretch in a ring
fence" cannot be altogether realized
for many years to come. One little
five acre tract, belonging to colored
farmer named Collins, stands only
half mile from Bl,more House, its
broken sheds and carelessly titled soil
contrasting strangely with the practi-
cal shapeliness of the fl ,urish ng do
main about IT, The millionaire seems,
however, to bear no illwlll to this
stubborn neighbor, for Collins earns
his livelihood by driving passenger
wagon and is allowed free access to
the roadways Of the beautiful park
which he SO persisten,ly refuses tC
round out by the sale Of his own little
property.
! 1t is believed the estates comprise
more than 1oo,ooo acres in all, and
they include all sorts of land, extend
ing from the plains near the rivers ou
from the foothills to where one ridge
of mountains and overtops another
The making of the roads throughou
this expanse Of country will alon'
serve to keep two or three hundred
men busy for great many years t
come, as they are all being as carefull
perfected as the avenues Of Centra
, Park.
The road along the the bank Of tn
Swannanoa River is already completes
and about three quarters of mil
from the great entrance gate this drlv
? divides into wha: are called respecl
lively the "Approach Road and III
X "Service Road" The "Arboretur
Road" which is now being rapidl
completed, is twelve miles long an
the "Ferry Road, "the ''Shiloah Road
e and the "Sheep Farm Road" a
being pushed as rapidly as possible.