The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-11
FINEST PRIJITE RLSIDENCH,
a Dream of Landscape Gardening AN
Avenue with All Trees of the World.

Dream of Landscape GardeninG-An
Avenue with All Trees of The World.
Since the visit of President Mckinley
and the newspaper men TO Biltmore,
there has been renewed interest in Nj
Vanderbilts garden of Eden. 1t is SAID
that Bntmore house is the finest private
residence in the world. George W. Van
derbnt has lavishcd his wealth on tins
place and its adjacent park. The park
is more than twice the size of Atlanta
containing about 1900 acres. and tine
hunting preserve. reaching To Mount
Pisgah. contains rs. 900 acres, or l9J square
miles.
The park is all that landscape garden
ors can make 1.-THE site is ideal, rolling
and broken, and made picturesque 10y
the French Broad river Twelve miles
of nacadamized roads wind about among
the rarcst flowers and shrubs of the
world The mountain laurel grows 49,
side the rhOdOdendrOn. and the honey
suckle lnterlocks its Foliage with rdrer
vines along the borders. Miles of spruce
and balsam are mingled with other shrubs
and il is impossible TO distinguish be-
tween the indigenous and the exotic No
one can tell where nature leaves of
variety of flowers and shrubs seem 10
have sprung from the soil without care.
The drainage is perfect and the cXhil-
arating air is laden with the perfume OF
flowers. lnterminglcd i'm ndcscribaDie
bouquet.
Bntmore house rests on an emnence
q. 500 feet above sea level overlooking mcst
of the park. with "a view of half a huns
drcd mountain peaks that rise 10 "a height
of 40O0 10 GOO. feet. 1t Is "a granite
chateau. with an csplanade and ramp IN
front The mansion has its great hall,
tapestry room. banquet hall. dining room.
billiard rooms swimming pool and baths.
and library that fills two stories of
the west wing The library ovcrloo.5
"a bowling green and tennis court. The
park has it's golf links and its fish pre-
serves q herd of 400 Jerseys. dairy
farm. stock farm. consQvatorics ana
nurseries The nurseries provide the
shrubs and trees for the park. and Inc
gentleman in charge who is graduate
of Harvard college. has at his disposal
costly botanical library. The farms
and gardens. Conservatives and diaries.
are conducted ON the most approved Sci
cntinc plan. and the horses are cared Tor
by the best of trainers and grooms.
The employees of the estate about
Goo i'm number are the most contentcd
of people They are well paved and not
overworkod. For their benefit All Soul s.
church was built Mr. Vanderbilt pre-
scented il TO the parish and rays the
preacher. the oreanist. the chorister. ano
"a choir of 50 people. Nevertheless. coli
lections are taken every sunday. and
when ne Is there Mr.. Vanderbilt ofiiciatcs
as vestrvman and hands round the
plate The offerings are an devoted 10
charity.
'Arboretum Road now being construct
ed and planted will be- lined with trees.
including every known species chat Will
grow i'm this climate. Ii viii take years
20 complete 1hc work. but when done il
will be q beautiful object lesson. The
forestry of the hunting preserve Will set
"A pattern for this kind Of work i'm Amer
lea The preserve has bears. deer. pleas
ants. and other game Of the region. and
is being stocked with other birds and
animals.
Mr. Vanderbilt chose this site as one
Of the most beautiful in the world. The
picturesque beauty of the mountain re-
gion Is made delightful by the peculiar
stimulating quality of the atmosphere.
It's drynoss and bracing GOODNESS make
II tonic equal TO champagne. The trip
through the land of the sky" from
Salisbury 10 Asheville. ana down tse
French BROAD and Holston rivers 10
East Tennessee by the Southern Ran
way is an exhilarating experience. Climb
ing up Round Knob. the track winds
about the mountain Il times. and the
train climbs ] sOO feet i'm y miles. At the
summit is a tunnel Emerging from this
the train whirls into fun view Of Royal
Gorge. a grand avenue among the noun
tains. As far as the eye can reach. noun
tains rise to the right and left, with
broken valleys between This region Is
easily reached from any part of the
South by the Southern Railway.
Now for the first time since the dis
coverv Of the "land OF the sky" there
is "A car service with closely connecting
schedules between Asheville and all points
reached through Atanta.-Atianta Jour
nal,