The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-18
GEORGE vANDERBILT's ESTATE.
A Magnificent Object LessonIn Agricul-
ture and Art-secretary Morton Says
With 1T.

There is Nothing in the world to Compare
With 1T.
All the world has heard about the
splendid estate Of George Vanderbilt at
Asneville, N. G., and most Of us have
supposed that Biltmore was simply rich
mans fad. Not So Secretary Of Agri-
culture Morton has been gpending..a week
seeing what Mr.. Vanderbilt has to show
and on his return to Washington on Sat
urday he told his colleagues at the cabi-
net meeting that there is nothing in the
world, owned by sovereign OF subject,
| that will compare with Biltmore, either
as residence or as an object lesson in
the agricultural arts.
ut Is q grand idea," said Mr.. Morton,
that young Mr.. Vanderbilt is trying to
carry out. 1t is unique, and none but a
man of his enormous wealth could under
take it. Few kings have either funds
or the good Of their people at heart suffi-
oIent to conceive and carry out what Mr..
Vanderbilt has successfully demonstrated
90 not know how much money he has
spent there, nor how much more he in
tends.to invest, but it is one of the grand
est Undertakings that individual enter
prise ever attempted, and understand
tnat IL IS the owners intention to leave
1t as legacy to the public when he can
no longer enjoy it himself.
There are 80, 600 acres in the estate,
and every inch of it may be said to be
under scientific cultivation, embracing
every branch OF the vegetable kingdom.
Combined with it he has the most per-
I6Gf GyGt6m nj hou
seen, and you can drive 100 miles over
macadamized pavement without going
OF hlS3 estate. AS an exhibition OF land
scape gardening 1t Is without an equal.
Frederick Law Olmsted has had 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, surpasa any that exist on the earth.
There are no palaces in Europe that can
equal Mr.. Vanderbilt's for elegance,
comfort and convenience, and he is gath
ering there collection of works Of art
that would make it famous if it had no
other attraction. His stables his barns,
his diaries. his pIopagating houses, his
memories, and other features of his es-
tablishment 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. He has employed the best
men he can find to take charge Of his ex-
periments, and pays them salaries that
are commensurate with their services.
There are Germans and Frenchmen and
Italians and Englishmen, as we'll as
Americans, employed. The foreigners are
usually men OF high professional reputa-
tiOnS, who are attached to universities in
the old world, and spend their vacations,
three, four or six months, on Mr.. Van
derbilt's estate looking after their re-
spective departments While the work
has not yet been carried far enough to
show the results, the possibilities Of use
fulness offered by Mr.. Vanderbilt's enter
prise are unlimited.
81 consider his work there just as i'm
portant to the agricultural interests of
this country as the department of agri-
culture at Washington. He employs more
men than I have under my 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 OH his pay
roll, and VS. have about 700. His men
are promoted for efficiency &C cording to
the most practical civil service rules. II
a man who is employed ~ a dollar day
to shovel dirt shows that he is capable Of
something better, his work and his wages
are both advanced, and the same rule
applies to everybody on the estate. If
there were nothing else to be accom-
plisbed, Mr.. Vanderbilt is, at least
building up an educational institution
that will furnish scientific farmers and
teachers for the instruction of the rest
of mankind, and feel like thanking old
Commodore Vanderbilt for having given
us a grandson who has the brains and
the benevolence TO devote his wealth to
afford the public such valuable object
lessons in art, architecture, agriculture,
forestry. viticulture. dairying, road MAX
ing and other useful sciences.
"The people down there talk about the
enormous amount Of money that Mr..
Vanderbilt is investing to crafty his
taste and pride, to provide Injuries for
his appetite. and magnificent displays to
fiatter his vanity, but the poor creatures
do not comprehend the first letter in tho
alphabet of his ambition. Their vision
is not broad enough, their intelligence
Is not sufficient to grasp single frag-
ment of the idea he is developing, and
while they imagine that it lie all due to
selfshness, he is a great benefaotor work
ing for them. They talk 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 ap-
piled TO it's cultivation.'
To CJTRE corn vNONE nav