Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-09-13
WALNUT TREES MAY
PROVE GOLD MINE
j. II. Liebhart May Yet Garner For
tune From IOwa's Fertile Soil.
WOOD TAKES
METALS PLACE
Beautiful Lily Farm Near Denver il
Creation of McGregOr
Man.

Ten thousand lilies are now in
bloom at Rose Acre, the magnificent
estate near Denver. Several years
ago 10000 black walnuts were plant
ed on the hills of Yellow river near
! McGregor and the young walnut
trees are now greening the slopes.
The same family owns the lily garden
and the walnut forest and divides its
allegiance between the early home
associations of its present home at
/ Denver.
Many years ago j. F. Liebhart was
| in business in McGregor and acquir-
ed possession of large tract of land
on the banks of Yellow river. 1t was
! his belief that yellow river had been
we'll named and that in the rock
lodges of the hills large deposits of
the precious yellow metal were hid
den.
Long he dreamed his golden dream
and diligently he hunted for the
treasure but in vain. Forty years ago
he moved his family to Denver and
there in the fruit commission bust
Louis, found the million which the
Iowa hills had refused to yield them
The two daughters, Laura and Min
| ME, one a doctor and the other law
yer, attained prominence in profess
sional circles in Denver.
The Yellow river land has never
been sold and now, planted to black
walnut trees as it is, may in years to
come turn into a gold mine after
ALL 1t is said that it has been later
dream of the Liebhart family to some
day build a beautiful summer home
on the summit of one of McGregor's
hills.
The elder son, with the same love
for nature which his father exhibit
ed in the garden and vineyard he had
in early years in McGregor, has
created an estate near Denver that
has become one of the show spots
lof Colorado. The Denver Post OF
July 80 in full page of picture and
text devoted to it says in part
Imagine field a-bloom with TO-
600 lilies. Many prominent persons
lenjoyed this glorious sight during
the past week when Rose Acre. the
magnificent summer place of the
lLiebharts, was the center OF attrac-
ton. Rose Acre now boasts Of TO-
900 Easter lilies and lilies OF every
known variety, including a wonder
Iful assortment Of pond lilies in pink,
rcd, white, yellow and blue; the tri-
lie tiger lily, the Arutum or golden
handed lily of Japan, the Egyptian
lotus magnificent foliage, rare
trees, fourteen thousand rose bushes
that in a fortnight or more will be in
bloom, and Japanese garden that Is
one of the largest and handsomest
in the country. 1t is 700 feet long
has seven lakes stocked with thou.
sands of gold fish. Winding paths
lead from one lake TO another while
artistic bridges and ripping brooks
in whose clear waters oriental face;
carved in stone peer up at one and
weird japanese faces shoot out
gprays of water; japanese lanterns
also carved out of stone and arrang-
ed at intervals throughout the gar
den, bamboo tete-a-tete seats and
artistic tea houses of bamboo lend
touches of the orient to the scene.
lone Of the most attractive fea'
lures is 200 bird houses of various
shapes erected on bamboo poles ano
thousands OF birds Of every variett
take their morning dip in the lakes
and pools Of the garden"