The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-24
GEORGE VANDERBlLT'S ESTATE.
BiItmore is a Magnificent Object lesson II
Art and Agriculture.

- " SOSSSii w
Art and Agriculture.
All the world has heard about the
splendid estate OF George Vanderbilt
at Asheville, N. c., aud most of us
have supposed that Biltmure was
Morton, Sectretary Of the Agricultural
Department., has been spending q
week seeing what Mr.. Vanderbilt has
to show and on his return to Washing
Ton on Saturday he told his colleagues
at the cabinet meeting that there is
nothing in the world, owned by sover-
eign or subject, that will compare
with Biltmore, either as q residence or
as IN object lesson in the agricultural
arts
1T is a grand idea," said Mr.. Nor
ton, THAT young Mr.. Vanderbilt Is
trying to carry out. 1t is unique, and
could undertake it. Few kings have
either funds or the good of their PEG.
Pile at heart sufficient to conceive and
carry out what Mr.. Vanderbilt has
successfully demonstrated. / do not
know how much money he has spent
there, nor how much more he intends
to invest, bat it Is one of the grandest
undertakings hat individual enter
prise ever attempted, and I understand
that 1T Is the owner intention to leave
it as q legacy to the public when he
can no longer enjoy it himself.
There are 95, 900 acres in the es-
to be undor scientific cultivation, en-
bracing every branch Of the vegetable
kingdom. Combined with it he has
the most perfect system OF roadways |
have ever seem, and you can drive 100
miles over macadamized pavement
without going off his estate. AS an
exhibition of landscape. gardening 1t is
without an equal. Frederick Law
Oolnsted has charge of that branch of
the work, and the late Richard M
Hunt was the architect of all the
buildings, which for their several uses,
surpass any that exist on earth.
a equal Mr.. Vanderbilt's for ele-
gance. comfort and convenience, and
he is gathering there a collection of
works Of art that would make it ia
nous IL 1t had no other attraction.
His stables, his barns, his dairies, his
propagating houses, his memories, and
other features of his establishment are
all on the same grand scale. He has
undertaken to furnish the highest
possible example of the science OF food
culture in every one of its branches.
L hlS Sttlpipytu lit DcSJ lit III ne can
find to take charge Of his experiments,
and pays them salaries that are com
merSurate with their services. There
are Germans and Frencbmen and
Italians and Eaglishmen, as we'll as
Americans, employed. The foreigners
are usually men Of high professional
repntations, who are attached to uni
vcr-ilies in the old world, and spend
their vacations, three, four or six
months, on Mr.. Vanderbiit's estate
locking after thor respective depart
m3nts. While the work has not yet
been carried far enough to show the
results, the possibilities of usefulness
offered by Mr.. Vanderbilt's enterprise
are unlimited.
II consider his work there just as
impor tant to the agricultural interests
of this country as the Department of
Agriculture at Washington. He en-
ploys men than | have under nv
charge, and | think he is spending
more money every year than Congress
appropriates for this department.
although | do not know his figures.
He has nearly 1000 on his payroll,
and We have about 100. His men are
promoted for efficiency, according to
the most practical eivil-service rules.
If q man who is employed at d dollar a
NoJ W cIcfot II oiio"o UlldU uc -
capable OF something better, his work
and his wages are both advanced, and
the same rule applies to everybody on
the estate. II there we're nothing else
to be accomplished, Mr.. Vanderbilt Is,
at least, building up al educational
institution that will furnish scientific
farmers and teachers for tho instruc-
tion of the rest of mankind, and feel
like thanking old Commodore Wander
bilt for having given us n grandson
WHO has the brains and the hennvolence
to devOte his wealth to afford the pub
lie such valuable object lessons in art.
architecture, agriculture. forestry,
v~iticuiture, dairying, rOad making
add other useful sciences.
The people down Their, talk about
the enormous amount Of none that
Mr.. Vanderbilt is investing to crafty
his taste and pride, to pr)vide luxuries
for his appetite, and magnificent dis
plays TO fiatter his vanity, but the
poor creatures do not co %nprehepd the
first letter in the alphabet OF his ambi-
ton. Their vision Is not broad enough,
their intelligence Is not sufficient to
grasp a single fragment of the idea he
10 developing, and while they imagine
that H. is all due to selishness, he 10 a
great bencfactor working for them.
TAX about the land being worn out
down there in North Carolina. It's
the people. The land is all right, If
brains and energy were applied to It's