The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-17

LuXurys last word Is spoken now
adays largely by help of brick and
stone, marble. carved wood, cunning
work in gold and silver and copper
and iron, in miracles of the dyer's art
and the weaver's skill; somewhat also
by help of sunljt airy spaces, for I'M
hindered sunshine within city gates is
golden in more sense than one. Where
every extra foot of site-space stands
for many good hard dollars. even null
ti-milIionaires may we'll think twice
over the securing of elbow room, let
alone ample prospects.
Notwithstanding a good few of
them secure such prospects. In proof
one has bat TO walk leisurely through
the ultra fashionable precincts of New
York. Even the crush and severe
lines of Fifth avenue, especially in it's
upper reaches, are now and then
broken by wholesome fripperies of
green open spaces, jealousy walled
and sparipgly planted. But ii is on
Riverside Drive and it's scattered cor
relatives that one sees them at their
highest, as one sees also at the highest
the reward and usufruct of diligence
combined with pure luck.
Fancy a house standing upon
boldly swelling corner where a cross
way makes into the drive proper. 1t
is tall, it is wide, it is big everywhere,
but so fine in line and proportion ii
takes study to realize the mass of it.
Strong but light and beautiful
wrought iron grill work guards the
open space round about, where the
turf is truly velvet in spite of cover
ing a ramp sharp enough to provoke
drought.
Rooms Fit for King.
Broad, easy marble steps go up the
ramp, leading to a pillard entrance.
Behind the pillars one catches the
cleaning of bronze doors cunningly
wrought. They open upon great
hall, fioored with the costliest mosaic
and set round about with genuine
antique columns. The big fireplace
has a mantle also antique, plundered
from a ruined palace across the sea.
The great stairway came from another
palace, but somehow the architect has
managed it so the two shall not
mournfully war with each other. Per-
haps they dare not quarrel in presence
of the rugs which lie between. Some
of the rugs are three hundred years
old and simply priceless-Eastern fab
the world. They set the pace in fur
nishing-all else is in keeping.
Each of the five occupants of the
house has a separate special suite
bath, bedchamber. sitting-room. dress
ing-room and snuggery, for playing at
work, or working at special play.
Some of the baths have tubs with
silver-gilt fittings; others have marble
pools big enough to swim in, with
rshI0 6iWanG rnnninU round
edges of the room. There social bath
ers can lie at ease, smoking, gossiping
drinking black coffee, after they have
done with the plunge and the needle
spray and the skilled kneading of the
masseur. The dressing rooms are all
in silver, silver-gilt and rare odorous
woods, each so treated as to bring
out every detail of it's natural beauty.
Cedar, camphor. sandal-each and all
are preservative. The clothes-presses
have drawers of camphor wood, and
the closets are supplied with electric
lights automatically turned on by the
opening Of door.
Cooking Vessels of silver and Brass.
There is also, of course a library, a
dining-room, breakfast-room, a
drawing -room, and cosy parlor. but
no ballroom, for the master of all
this Is evangelically austere. Still.
austerity does not forbid a billiard
room, nor a MUSHROOM, richly har-
monious, whose frescoed ceiling alone
represents a tidy fortune. Every man
ner of musical instrument sanctioned
by classic lasts harbors there. along
with the objects of art, pistures.
bronZes, engraved gems and antique
gold plate, whose cost would en-
dow hospital. There is a small con-
servatory whose flowers appear shame
faced. as though they felt themselves
somewhat put out of court by the
bronze and jewel-glass enclosing them.
The building is about an open court,
glass-roofed in winter. 1t has. be-
sides the great state stairway, back
stairs and two electric elevators-one
for the master. one for the servants.
In the basement there is a complete
electric plant for lighting. laundry
work. some special cooking, and the
recharging of automobile batteries
There is also an automobile room. big
enough to hold a dozen machines. IL
is below street level, and the gay
colored monsters ride uD and down
upon special lift all their own.
The big kitchen, which matches and
balances, in a way, the electric plant
has i cold-storage chamber attached
and is fioored with tile, walled with
vitrified brick and furnished through
out in black real English oak. All
the cooking vessels are of brass. cop
per. silver or vitrified china. To make