The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-04-16

tern North Carolina and the Work
He is Doing for Science and Human
Progress.
I Hon. j. Sterling Morton in Manufactu-
rers' Record.
l hasten to acknowledge your re-
quest that l should furnish you a de-
scrip,ion of the Vanderbilt improve
ments at Biltmore, near Ashevlle, in
the county of Buncombe and State of
North Carolina.
1t would be OF great value to the
country if all the home builders of
the North, South, East and West
could make pilgrimage to Biltmore
and traverse its many avenues of beauty,
bordered as they are with the best type
of aboriculture and Horticulture.
To give good mental image of this
great lesson which Mr.. Vanderbilt's
energy, good taste and we'll directed
expenditures have written upon the
hillsides and valleys of his vast estate,
is beyond my power as word artist.
The grounds, consisting of $4,000
acres, were laid out by Frederick Law
Olmstead, and the architecture was de-
signed by Hunt, two surprising mas
tiers in their respective vocations, who
as yet have no superiors either in the
United States or elsewhere. The for
estry is managed by DR.. Schenk, an
educated German forester, and yet in
the employ of the German empire. His
work has been carried out with great
precision and<emarkable success. The
trees are all planted under his immedi-
ate direction and supervision. The de-
cidious trees as we'll as the conifera
are all thriving vigorously.
The roads (and there are 100 miles
of macadam driveways on the estate)
are in charge of Mr.. Gall, Scotch
expert in road building and manage
ment.
The dairy and cereal crops are under
the management of Mr.. Weston, who
is fine chemist and graduate of an
agricultural college and practical far
mer of some IL or IA years experience.
The dairy herd of Jerseys are very prom
ising indeed. Each animal is num-
| bered and tested as to mix, cream anG
butter capabilities day after day by the
best and most improved appliances for
such tests.
The propagating houses and truck
| gardens are all in charge of Mr.. Bea-
die: who graduated from Cornell Uni
versity in the class of 1890. His in
telligent management of the great in
terests entrusted to him is visible in
the plant life and the vegetable gar
dens
But, as said in the beginning, it is
not possible to describe SO as to con-
vey correct image the vast object les
sons in forestry, horticulture, road
building, gardens, dairying and general
farming which Mr.. Vanderbilt is in
calculating amidst the mountains OF
North Carolina.
The time is not distant when every
intelligent person who desires to found
a new or embellish an old estate will
be deslrous of making pilgrimage to
this Mecca of intensive agriculture and
refined taste. The Chateau at Bilt-
more is in the French Gothic style OF
architecture. 1t has cost a great many
hundreds of thousands of dollars, and
upon the grounds and buildings to-
gether rumor declares something more
than S3,ooo,ooo have been expended.
The economic lesson of the Biltmore
estate is also practical and benefcent
study. 1t represents result of the self
denial. industry and frugality of the
grandfather of its owner. 1t teaches
that every human home, in fact, every
structure in modern civilization, rep
resents some economy and selfdenial
on the part of members of the human
family. In barbaric state there was
no individual self denial, no permanent
home, no planting of trees, no cultiva
ton of flowers, no effort for the acquisi.
ton of the beautiful. The fact thai
Bltmore has in its construction and in
the laying out and establishment O
its grounds employed thousands O
men at remunerative prices, illustrate:
the absolute necessity OF the accumu
lation of capital in order that wages
fund may be created with which to
pay laborers. 1t further shows tha
the law of wages is go 'erned by the
law Of supply and demand, because i,
has put up, by the demand which il
has made, the price OF efficient, desra
Bile, day labor at Biltmore.
Under the direction Of Mr.. Chas
: McNamee, the general manager o.
, the estate, system of genuine civi
service has been inaugurated. The bet
ter workmen are promoted and thei
pay advanced as they develop persist
ent industry and fidelity to duties
The indolent, the Incorporate, III,
quarrelsome and inefficient are de
noted and sometimes discharged.
No man has expended SO vast ;
sum of money upon any one estate il
the American republic, and no ma,
has done more than Mr.. George W
Vanderbilt to awaken the public mind
in any one Commonwealth to the utilit,
and beauty of forestry in general
The homes in and about Ashevile are
ASA rule, being improved by furthe
, adornment of structures and tasteful
, establishment of grounds. The entir
country adjacent to Biltmore (whicl
,, is only miles from Asheville) seem
; permeated with the patriotic purpos
of making permanent, substantial ant
attractive homes As love of hom
Lo