Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-03-27
GEORGE VANDERBILT'S SERVICE.
The millionaire Has Taught the Farmers VAL
liable Lessons.

w. +. Curtis writes to the Chicago
Record from Asheville, N. c., as fol-
lows:
The example of George Vanderbl.t's
ginning to be felt throughout all this
part of the state. At first people re-
garded his enormous expenditures and
the magnificent results with curiosr ,
and wonder; further observation sug-
gested that his methods were easy OF
imitation, and thus Mr.. Vanderbilt's
highest ambition is being realized, and
the object lesson he intended to place
before the eyes Of the people Of North
Carolina is being rapidly learned.
To the stranger the most noticeable
changes are in the houses and the
highways. Formerly the inhabitants
of this section came to town over roads
that were hub deep in mud for six
months and beclouded with dust dur
ing the remainder Of the year. Now
within the neighborhood Of Asheville
and running in all directions, are some
Of the best macadamiZed roadwayS In
the country. which are being extended
by the county commissioners as rapid
ly as possible. but altogether too slowly
to satisfy people who have farm pro-
ducts to haul and horses and carriages
for pleasure driving. Before Mr.. Van
derbilt came nobody ever thought OF
building a road: but his example was
almost Immediately initiated. and since
then. I understand. nearly $4,000 has
been expended in public improvements
by the people of this county, which
will soon have one of the best systems
of pavements and highways in the
world.
The architecture Of the town has
been undergoing a rapid evolution. In
building village to accommodate the
employees of his estate, Mr.. Vanderbilt
combined art with utility. and produc-
Ell a group of dwellings,. offices. schools,
churches and blocks for business pur-
poses as Symetrical and artistic as
can be imagined, Richard M. Hunt, the
famous artist and architect, who de-
signed his chateau, being his advisor.
Until that time the people Of this COM
munty made their habtatiOns with
out regard to taste. trying to get rs
large Il house as possible, for the least
money. Some of the architects i'm
ported by Mr.. Vanderbilt have remain
ed here. and their time is fully en-
pl0yed in designing dwellings and 9TH
er structures and in remodeling the old
ones to meet the improved taste Of the
people. The well paved streets of
Asheville are now lined on either side
with cheap but tasteful homes.
Mr.. Vanderbilt sells the produce Of
his farm and garden in the common
market, but the other truck farmers
have been compelled to improve the
quality of their produce in order to
compete with him. His vegetables are
the best that grow. and are raised by
the most improved methods of cultiva-
ton. In order to produce similar re-
ly adopted his methods, and have
learned by experience that the same
money and labor can produce from the
same soil Il superior quality of produce
and Il larger profit if these methods are
property applied. Mr.. Vanderbilt fur
niShrS seeds. slips. cuttings and plants
from his propagation houses To any one
who wants them. He does not give
them away, but charges reasonable
prices. The results are apparent in
the general Improvement of the farm
ing community in this section.
one of the most noticeable changes is
i'm the preparation of the soil. Former
Iy the farmers used Il 'bull tongue"
pillow. which just ScrapeS the surface.
but Mr.. Vanderbilt pl"wS with Il long
blade and four horses. and the farmers
soon noticed that he raised four or I'VE
times as much wheat. corn. potatoes
and other crops To the acre as they.
They discovered that they could do
th. same and the bull tongue" pillow
has been discarded. He has Demon
strated that nutritious grasses and
forage plants not only improve the
beef. but increased the yield of milk
from the cattle. They have learned