The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-06-04
A VISIT TO BlLTMORE.
". /. Masters Writes About Vandcrbilt's IS
Magnificent Mansion.
V. I. Masters, in Baptist Courier.

tanned, being led ou: of themselves,
now by the beauty Of wild rose, now
by landscape, low by yon climbing
arbutus, now by that roadside profu-
sion Of sweet flowers. You could wish
for this part of the drive to continue
long. If you do not become ccstatic
over the things yourself, you cannot
fail to feel pleased at the exclama,
tions of the ladies'. A man who can
be Indifferent in the heart Of Nature
when women begiu to cxclaim and ad-
yDire, is an odd and sour fish.
II you are constituted as I you will
be sorry when you presently draw up
on the driveway before the great
building. For the building is only
stone and art and money, while the
beauty of Nature and The jog Of the
women are not Of art, nor inscnsatc
like stone, nor purchasablc by money:
they are Of God. But there it stands,
a grand old pile, costing know not
what fabulous sums Of money. 1t is
of dark gray stone from Indiana, and
is handsomely put together, but the
whole thing looks rather gloomy and
forbidding, more like barracks than
home. But for the beautifully kept
grounds about, and vcrdant Nature S
spring gown bcdccking the undulating
earth into the dreamy distance, no
body l think would want to 20 to look
at it second time
But for one thing. There is won
derful power in money to fascinate the
eye of man. We people drove to
Biltmore not so much to see some
thing lovely and attractive, as to see
where millionaire had sunk and is
still sinking sums of money which are
beyond the ken of the ordinary man,
man whose place had been adver-
tizcd to us everywhere by newspapers
and people who in turn were attracted
by the money involved Is it not so?
1t is for this same reason that every
body allows the drivers to take his
party mile further to view Mr. Van
derbilts hogs! You must understand
Mr.. Vanderbilt hogs are no ordinary
porkers. Our ladies came near hurt
ing themselves, notwithstanding our
cheerful assistance, in their haste in
getting down from the surry to see
those hogs. Every woman of them
a number Of parties were present-got
out and tramped up and down in their
nice dresses by the pens to see those
hogs! Now, s>me Of Mr.. Vanderbilt's
hogs lie on the ground, and work up
mud, aud get filthy ::ust as hogs ordi-
narily do. But most of them have an
asphalt surface ON which to lie, with
a private bath tub sunk in the asphalt
at one end Of the enclosure, and
private room for each at the other
end. How these thoroughbreds over
como the inbred instinct for roofing
tncse presents 90 not say. But they
could not make any impression in that
asphalt, know.
After the hogs, the dairy; and after
dairy, the poultry yards: we must see
it all. The poultry yards were really
interesting, but l shall undertake no
description Of them.
After the poultry yards we drove
back to the city, and ever through
life we will say we saw Mr.. Geo. Van
derbilt's chateau. We enjoyed the
ride very much indeed. We did not
leave our cards for Mr.. Vanderbilt.
But he will not know, and so cannot
suffer any vain regrets.
Asheyillc. Y. G.. Nav 10