The Washington herald., 1909-03-14
LONDON TREASURE HOUSES.
Great Mansions Which Endured for
Centuries of Great Intere..

Great Mansions Which Endured 70,
Centuries OF Great Interest.
Fron Town and Country
The men who built the great mansions
of London which endure 20 this 6av n-s-
pared them for the reception ves- sf,e-
year of the most beautiful objects so
tnat noT hardly anything remains 10 add
TO them There are 100 great houses in
London OF which the least frnpo-.a--
could be taken to any other town and
proclaimed as a wonderful museum
dorchester house. the present home ~
tne American Ambassador: Bridraws..-
mousse Chesterfield house. built bv re
great author OF polite letter writing. Ars-
ley house. the home OF the Dr,lxe - W
hngton; Devonshire house. C>-os,-s-,-
house, the custodian of vss- rress,,-. =
pictures. manuscripts. and souln-,,-s
i-AhSaoVne house. with its great gallery
OF busts and statues. Stafford borSs
whose great staircase alone Is Uo-r, .
kings ransom; Wimborae bo,se--hsxs
are only few OF the number There -
many other houses OF minor inporta7,.
which would be starred IN the frs In
II they were anywhere else
There for instance. In ArII7g-o, ,+-ss-
a small. narrow thoroughfare cIosa -
hind the Ritz Hotel vvba-A vS-,--L.--.
mouse casts its great shadow. are a dozen
mansions which contain treasures almost
beyond BELIEF The Marquis OF Salisburv
ives there IN a magnificent nalsra-7,.s--
nihcent as 10 interior, insignificant s~ =
exterior. -
Sir Alexander Henderson. = great All
way magnate. hides the nobility OF his
possessions behind a modest street front
ase- A. u, a house built $50 years aso b-
Lord Carteret and now owned bv T.o-5
4aroorough. lives H Gordon Selfridrs
iate OF chicago Il IS a simple-iooking
London residence. but TIE vast fofsrto-
Spreading out as you progress, Is = per-
Ieot storehouSe OF beautiful objects ~
antiquity
Here are the most wonderful Van
Dycks. Greuzes. Rembrandts. Reynoldses
Lelys, and GainsoorouEhs. gallery after
gallery, room after room fIIed vgsb
them; books OF great rarity. bindings
that would make the curators OF NOS.
museums giddy with delight and fu-nf-
ture that one only finds USUALLY St,--
rounded by chains 10 keep OF the curious
public, and this is only one OF the doze,s
upon dozens OF OLD London houses
As a matter Of fact. this does not ap-
ply 70 London alone All over the com
try. north. east. west and south. there
are streTn country houses dating hack
20 other centuries where great treasures
are stored and jealously guarded. There
Is no other country IN the world which
contains so many.
The French caateaUx suffered too much
during the troublesome times Of the revo-
luton. They we're burned and sacked
and hacked about. and their treasures
scattered 10 the four winds
Germany never had many. The Italian
works OF art were kept mostly IN cities
ike Venice. Florence. Verona. and Genoa
and IN its numerous mOnasteries Rut
in England. where the country houses
have hardly been disturbed since the
time % Cromwell. the work OF collecting
has gone on unmOlested generation after
generation There are SIN many undis-
covered finds scattered about here and
there IN sni1e OF the cry that nothing
more IS 70 be purchased