Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-18
BRYANS TO HAVE
HOME IN TROPICS
It Is Being Built at Miami, Fla.
Place Is Discovered by
Secretary's Wife.

Surrounded on three sides by q
dense tropical growth and fronting on
beautiful Biscayne bay and the Allan
tic ocean, two miles south Of Miami,
william Jennings Bryan Is building a
winter home. II IL TO be completed BY
July l, says a dispatch 10 the New
York World. and n IS the intention OF
Mr. and Mrs. Bryan 10 return early in
July and superiutend moving into IT,
The site is the crest Of a 2O-fOOt
cliff the only Cliff n many miles along
the shore. The shore line rs about
four rods from the cliff, and along the
shore a substantial sea wall is being
built Of reinforced concrete Between
the cliff and the shore Towering shrlrbs
will be planted
81 take no credit for finding this,
one Of the most beautiful spots I have
ever seen" said AIr Bryan Mrs
Bryan found it. and I am just trying
20 improve IL a little under Mrs BY
ans direction. She is boss here, nor I.
How did she ind this place in the
dense Jungle BY persistent looking
She tramped for miles up and down
the coast. climbing through brambles
and clamberinR over rocks. until she
found this spot and isn't f. a pretty
place."
The greatest variety Of sub-tropical
Terdure 10 found on the Bryan estate,
nature seemingly having made the es-
tate an experimental farm with mos,
everything from the stately "gumbO.
limbo" trees. with trunks that look as
though they had been vanished 70 the
beautiful wistaria growing on the
tract The growth rs 50 dense that il
Is impossible for a man 20 penetrate
the forest without arTuing himself
with an axe and carving his way a.
h goes. and this beautiful growth in
all rs native grandeur is being left Hy
Mr Bryan for nature is the best
landscape gardener. after all is said
and done ne says
Extending from the public road in
the rear ~ the estate 10 the building
site on The brow of the cliff overlook
Ing the bay, q beautiful drive has beer
bewn through the forest. and clear
ing a rod IN width around the house
hidden cutting down any more trees
wishing 10 retsinthe native growth witt
its mixture % more than so diRorcu
kinds Of trees and shrubs Nature hal
been helped out iu few Instances by
the setting Of orange. mangrove guav;
and other trees, the fruit from the will
orange aud similar trees NOT helm.
palatablc
The Bryan home will be stated,
structure CoNCD. built OF roinforce
concrete. succeed white. with a re.
tile roof II will be one story high
with a tower on each corner Tn
draft 81 the plans was made by Mrs
Bryan. who also chose the name 70
the country place. Villa serena. scrcu
being the Spanish for serene. Dow
here we will be serene. free from al
care said Mr. Bryan
INTELLECTUALLY the house is bpin
constructed along Spanish lines. wit
a patio I'm the rear. the house bein
built around this on three sides. Tn
front entrance will be from the oCea
side. a pergola extending the fu
length OF the front elevation Their
VIII also be All entrance from the rea
through the patio, and this entraD c
will probably be the most used. as
will open on the drive The front FL
trance will open into room 81 fee
long and "a feet wide. this room to b
divided into equal thirds by pillars. IN
center section 10 be the receptio
room. that on the right the dinin