The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-03-05
G0ULDs GOLDEN STAIRS.

GOULDS GOLDEN STAIRS.
Gold las been used in house deco
ration, but here is something which,
in splendor, exceeds anything ever
seen in an American house, gold
plated railing. The railing of the
spiral stairway and the balcony in
George j. Gould's new house at
Lakewood will be plated with the
most precious of all metals, says
the New York Herald. Much has
been written about the splendors Of
this palace which the young million
alre is building down there among
the pines. The foremost architects
and artists have contributed to it,
but this etair rail and balcony will
surpass anything Of the kind ever
attempted in this country. There
are legends of palaces where the soft
light was reflected from lamps of
solid gold and shades of alabaster.
This dwelling down at Lakewood
will equal in splendor the palaces
described by the romancers who
wrote the Arabian Nights" Alad-
din might have pictured such q
hallway as that which forms the
entrance of the house at Lakewood.
No slave of the lamp could have
called into being so splendid an
apartment as the hallway of this
modern palace.
There are many beautiful stair
rails of wrought and polished iron
in the houses of New York million
aires. Some of the rails have gold
plated ornaments. The stair rail in
the Gould house will surpass all
these, for it is gold-plated from the
first step of the stairs to the last
wreath of the balcony front. In de-
sign the staircase itself is model
of graceful architecture. There may
be seen in some of the old New York
houses stairs which are similar to 1t.
1t used to be said that stair build
ing was a lost art. The stairway IN
Mr.. Gould's house is constant
REPUTATION of this theory. The race
of stair builders has certainly not
become extinct if there are men
who can still design and build such
marvels of art. Even if the rail of
this stairway were not gold-plated
the light and airy structure which
leads to the second floor of the
house at Lakewood would attract
the eye of the artist.
Workmen have been busy upon
the stair rail for several months,
and it will be month longer before
the rail will be ready for the plating
process. In design this remarkable
ornament of the millionaire's hall
way closely follows the style OF
Louis XIV. Bruce Price, the arch
itect, has not followed the style
slavishly. There are some varia-
tons which may be noticed by the
close student of architecture.
Both the rail of the stairs and
the balcony along the second floor
are the same in design. The bal
cony itself rests upon four classic
pillars; and the space between these
supports is filled with the graceful
railing. There are four sections in
the balcony, all of the same design
The panels curve gracefully out
ward, and they look not unlike the
fronts of opera boxes, except that
the curve is not so marked. Gar
lands and torches are the principal
ornaments used.
There is no newell post at the
bottom of the stairs. The railing
ends in a rams horn, after TIT
manner of the ratings of the Louis
XIV. period. The general desigr
is wonderfully chaste and simple
The gold plating will enhance it'
classic beauty. Several skilled ar
tisans are now deyoting their time
to fashlonlng the patterns IRON
block tin. The railing will be cas-
and plated at the foundry of th'
John Williams Company, on Yves
Twenty-seventh street. The various
parts of the design have been mad
of block tin. The soft metal i
placed upon a wooden form ant
bent to the required curve. Afte
this model is completed mold viii
be made from it and the railing
cast in brass. Then there will b.
the tedious process of cleaning ant
preparing the brass for plating
This splendid ornament will cos
thousands of dollars. A Queer
Anne cottage of many rooms coult
be built for the price of it. Whel
it is placed in position the hallwa.
of the house at Lakewood will re
mind one of the descriptions of tn
splendors of ancient palaces.