Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-13

.LUXURY'S LAST WORD
Three Million Dollar Private
Residences.
: a.
OLD WORLD TREASURES
Ifcz
FLOORS OF MOsAIcs AND DOORS
OF BRONZE.
A Royal Atmosphere and Disregard for
Cost Everywhere
Displayed.

Copyright, 1902, by Martha McCulloch wnliams)
Written for The Evening Star by Martha Nc
Culloch Williams
Luxury's last word Is spoken nowadays
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 wearer's skill: some
what also by help of sunlit airy spaces, for
unhindered 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 multi-million-
aires may well think twice over the secur-
ing of elbow room. let alone ample pros
poets.
Notwithstanding, a good few of them Sc
cure such prospects. In proof one has but
to walk leisurely through the ultra-fash-
ionable 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
sparingly planted. But it is on Riverside
drive and it's scattered correlatives that
one sees them in their highest, as one sees
also at the highest the reward and usufruct
of diligence combined with pure luck.
Fancy a house standing upon a boldly
swelling corner where a crossway makes
into the drive proper. 1t is tall, it is wide,
it is big everywhere. but SO fine in line and
proportion it takes study to realize the mass
of it. Strong but light and beautifully
wrought-iron grill work guards the open
space round about, where the turf is truly
velvet in spite of covering a ramp sharp
enough to provoke drought
Rooms Fit for a King.
Broad, easy marble steps go up the ramp,
leading to pillared entrance. Behind the
pillars one catches the cleaning of bronze
doors cunningly wrought. They open upon
a great hall, foored 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 1t so
the two shall not mournFully war with each
other. Perhaps they care not quarrel in
presence of the rugs which lie between.
Some of the rugs are 30t years old and SIM
ply priceless-easternf fabrics without du-
plicate anywhere in the world. They set
the pace in furnishing-Eall else Is in keep
ing.
Each of the five occupants Of the house
has separate special Suite-bath, bed
chamber, sitting room, dressing room and
snuggery, for playing at work, or work
ing at special play. Some of the baths
have tubs with silver gilt fittings; others
have marble pools big Enough to swim in,
with marble divans running round the
edges Of the room There social bathers
can lie at ease, smoking; gossiping, drink
ing 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'fn silver, silver gilt
and rare oderotIs WOODS, each so treated
as to bring out every detail of its 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
mt at l}V turned by the opening OF
a door,
Cooking Vessels of Silver and Brass.
There is also, of course, library, din
ing room a breakfast room, drawing
room and a cozy parlor, but no ball room,
for the master of all this is evangelically
austere Still, austerity does not forbid
billiard room nor a music room, richly har-
montous, whose frescoed ceiling alone rep
resents a tidy fortune. Every manner of
musical instrument sanctioned by classic
taste harbors there. along with the apJects
OF art pictures. bronZes, engraved gems
and antique gold plate, whose cost would
endow a hospitcl There is small con-
servatory whose flowers appear shame-
faced, as though they felt themselves some
what put out of court by the bronze ana
Jewel glass enclosing them.
The building Is about an open court,
glass rooted in winter It has, besides
the great state stairway. back stairs ana
one for the servants. In the basement
there Is complete electric plant for light
ing, laundry work, some special cooking
and the recharging of automobile batteries
There Is also an automobile room, big
enough to hold a dozen machines. 1t Is
below street level. and the gay-colored
monsters ride up and down upon special
lift all their own.
The big kitchen, which matches and bal
ances in way the electric plant, has
cold-storage chamber attached, and is
fioored with tile. walled with vitrihed brick
and furnished throughout In black real
English oak. All the cooking vessels are
of brass. copper. silver or vitrified china.
To make use of them there are chef
(whose salary approaches that of a dlplo-
mat, two masculine under-cookS-one eS-
pecially for bread and pastry-a woman
vegetable cook. kitchen housekeeper and
a brace of scullery maids Altogether the
number of servants is between thirty and
forty. without counting the companion,
two private secretaries and the almoner,
who dispenses charity and investigates
such appeals for aid are not upon the
surface fraudulent. The electric engineer
lives outside, although his helper Is reckon
ed among the household staff.
And the Cost is SO, OOO,O 900.
This Is the merest outline of a few salient
points. The house, with its furnishings,
represents an investment little beyond
s., 600. COO That Is far less wonderful than
that 1t Is hardly exceptional. 1t Is merely
a conspicuous type among the palaces built
for the modern captains OF industry. There
are finer ones, and, very much costl1er,
where the owners are connoisseurs, with
weakness for collecting art objects Of fabu-
lous cost. These gentlemen collectors often
store within a single room art riches sur
passing kings ransom :
Possibly the owner of millions prefers to
display them mainly in great country es-
tate. Then for his scant city sojourns he
wants only what the French happily call
foot of earth, place where he can rest
and poise himself between flights 1t must
be luxurious, of course; even In camps and
lodges, so called, there is a palatable trail
of gold dust over everything. He has choice
between several excellent things, all war
ranted costly enough, yet not entailing too
great burdens. He may establish himself
at one of the great obstetrics, built, says an
irreverent wit. Ito provide excfuss, eress
for the Masses" Or he may set up his foot
of earth in an apartment hotel; or, il he is
willing to go to the level of mere million
aires. he may live under his own vine and
fig tree, in a cozy apartment, renting for
anything between s. 900 and $4,000
Roman Luxuries of the Big Hotel.
1t Is the big hotel which most often
catches the cream of the gilded cream. Life
goes trippingly there, with holiday aspect.