The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-16

on the most elaborate and magnificent
scale. The cost OF Biltmore House
! and grounds immediately surround
ing 10 said to be to date SO, 600, 600
There has been an expenditure OF an
additional $4,000, 600 in purchasing tn,
timber lands, building houses ant
roads, stocking the game preserves
etc. Several more millions will bt
, spent later on.
On the several thousand acces o.
cleared land on the estate scientific
farming Is carried on to perfection
The crops are very beautiful. The
} finest corn, w''eat, barley, clover, hay
potatoes, etc., are grown. AT the
North Carolina state fair at Raleigh
last fell very fine exhibit was maue
from the Biltmore estate, and many
blue ribbons captured. [ do not sup
pose that Mr.. Vanderbilt cares to make
anything out of his investments here
but nevertheless, there are several
sources OF income.
The pride OF the estate is the Bit.
more dairy. There are over one
hundred head OF the finest jersey COWS
Milk Is sold in Asheville at 25 cents
per gallon, or at I cents per quart in
sealed bottles" The milk is "steri.
lized and "pasteurized" and prepared
scientifically and medically in other
ways. Cream is sold at 81 per gallon
and butter at 35 cents per pound
Much OF the latter is shipped to New
York. The vegetables grown on the
estate also find good market in Ashe.
Vile and elsewhere.
The Biitmore Lumber Company is
the name under which Mr.. Vanderbilt
conducts large sawmill business.
lhe sawmill has capacity of 25, 900 to
10000 feet per day. The cut is mostly
of nard wood and the lumber is shipped
| north.
The expenditure of the So, 600, ,OOe
already put out and the entire manage
ment and direction of the b ltmOre
estate devolves upon MIR. Charles
McNamee, an able New York attorney.
He first came 10 Asheville for Mr..
George w. Vanderbilt on May /, 1883.
Ihe following year he buiit house on
one OF the hills within the Vanderbilt
park and has since resided here. His
hrst work was the purchasing of 10O,-
600 acres of land. 1t was bought in
small tracts mostly. Titles had to be
examined and deeds drawn and re-
corded on each tract. Diplomacy had
TO be used to get the land desired and
not to pay exorbitant prices. MIR. Nc
Nance has shown remarkable business
and executive ability aside from his
astuteness as an attorney. A railroad
about four miles in length was built
| from Biltmore station on the Southern
railroad to the site for the palace.
| Ih1s was necessary for the hauling Of
| stone and other material used In the
construction. Hundreds of contracts
had to be let. About SIX hundred
hands were employed daily for several
years at work on the house, in the
park, at the brick aud terra Gotta
yards and kilns, at the sawmill and on
the agricultural lands. Mr.. McNamee
systematized everything. Depart
ments were organized, such as horti-
culture, forestry, agriculture, Aori-
culture. etc, aud chiefs appointed
over each. The manager can sit ia
his handsome Office Building in the
village of Biltmore and receive reports
as to the smallest detail in each depart
ment from it's head mali. Everything
| goes on as smooth as clockwork.
Mr.. McNamee was born at Irvingtou-
| on.the- Hudson. After an elaborate
! college course he graduated from the
Columbia college law school in 1877.
While In college he enjoyed instruc.
tion under Professor Theo. w. Dwight,
| who is acknowledged one of the
greatest expounders of the law of this
age. In New York city he was q mem
ber of the law firm of Davies, Work,
| McNamee & Hilton. They had an ex.
tenslve practice and some very cele-
brated cases. Many of their cases
went before the United States supreme
court. When in the latter part of the
| sos Mr.. George w. Vanderbilt decided
to build his place In the Land OF the
Sky" he wisely selected Mr.. McNamee
to take charge Of the reat work.
That he made no mistake has been
amply proven.
Through the benefcence of Mr..
George Vanderbilt handsome Episco-
pal church has been erected in the
7iliage of Biltmore. From the strik-
Ing and peculiar architecture no one
would ever imagine that it has seat
ing capacity of 220 The queer ap-
pearapce OF the structure is caused
from the lantern" or roof tower,
which is sixty feet high. The general
style of the architecture is early
Gothic. No churches like it have
ever been constructed in the Southern
States, though they are very common
| In the mountain districts of England,
where they are built of stone and are
much more massive than this church.
The materials used in the construc-
tion are pressed brick and rough cast
with clay single roof. The tower Is
situated over the crossing OF the nave
and chancel. On the interior the roof
| Is open timbered. The finish is OF oak
The oaken ceiling Of the navo and
| Sh"uoSi hdS ueoply InOlueu rlOS.
| The pews, choir stalls and altar are
OF carved oak. The floor is OF oak
wood block and laid herring bone pat
| torn.
The electrical fixtures, which are Of
brass, are unusually magnificent
There are five electroliers, which will
illuminate the auditorium brilliantly
The windows are of cathedral glass.
| The work on the church began
| October l, 1895, and was completed
during the past summer. The church
was designed by the late Richard M.
Hunt, OF New York, who also planned
the magnificent chateau of Mr.. Van
derbilt, and was constructed under
the supervision of Architect R. S.
smith. the resident architect of the
Biltmore estate. In general terms it
may be stated that All Souls church
is a miniature cathedral.
| One OF the most attractive features
OF Asheville is Its sixteen beautiful
drives In as many different directions
1t is claimed that the city has annually
$4,000 visitors. The livery stables
are numerous, we'll equipped and do o
brushing business. The negro drivers
of these vehicles, as might be expect
ed, have many marvellous stories to
tell the sightseers. One of these con-
Germs Charley Collins, negro, who