The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-06-17
Thursday, June II, 1920.
Millionaire's Dream SmaShes.

built by the late George W. Wander
bi1t in connection with his magnlfl-
cent country estate near AsneVllle'
has been sold to the Southern rail-
vav and two individual purchasers.
So crumble the dreams OF men, says
the Kansas City Star.
How vast a scheme Vanderbilt con-
ceived for developing his North Caro-
lima estate, no one will ever. know.
From 1892 until his death in 1914 ne
made it his life's work to block TO-
gather 10000 acres of mountain
land. grub out the forests, plant
trees, pipe water, build roads and
level off mountain peak for his pa
1atial home, Biltmore house. The
nroiect cost him more than SlO,OO0,-
900.
Two years after his death his wild
ov transferred to the government 5O,-
900 acres of the estate for national
forest reserve. Now the model town
of Biltmore is sold and the million
aires plan of rural empire begins to
disintegrate. Did Vanderbilt dream a
fools paradise on those North Caro-
lima hills? He is dead; the dream IS
dust and ashes.
On rainy day thirty years ago.
Vanderbilt's private car was on SIDE
track at Asheville waiting to take the
young millionaire back to New York.
After short stay he had become dis
gusted with the wet weather, the sky
line, the hotel, with everything. he
was to leave on the morrow. During
the night the skies cleared and the
next morning young Vanderbilt, rls-
ing early, watched North Carolina
sunrise.
Standing on the piazza of the Bat
terry Park hotel he looked away to the
north and saw the peak of the Roam
mountain in Tennessee; 6O miles
away. Southwark was the grim out
line of Caesars Head, a mountain IN
South Carolina, so miles away. 10
the southwest, dim in that blue haze
which gives to this mountain range
it's name, was the Georgia line, 80
miles away. To the east, standing
bare and bleak, and rejecting the
suns rays from it's snow crowned
summit was Mount Mitchell, the
highest peak east of the Rocky noun
tains.
Remodeled Mountain.
George Vanderbilt looked again and
watched the sun come up over the
peaks of the Blue Ridge mountains
until it seemed to set the whole dome
of the sky on fire, coloring every
cloud to a bright copper hue and kind
ling the heavens with long shafts of
golden light. His bewildered eyes took
in this brilliant scene, and when ne
had had his fill of it, he Cancelled the
order for his private car and began to
look around for a homesite.
He came first upon the estate of a
wealthy southerner and offered to buy
it. The southerner refused all offers.
Then Vanderbilt searched the coun-
tryside until he found the site he
wanted and began to negotiate for
the land. Some he got for SIS an acre;
other tracts cost him much more, for,
when it was learned that Vanderbilt
was buying, prices went sky high.
In the center of his holdings was
high mountain. The peak of this
early pile was not intended to hold
the kind of building George wanted,
so he set about correcting the error OF
nature. He sliced off the top and
added the earth and rock Of the re-
moved portion to that which was left,
making a broad plateau. On this pla-
teau he built Biltmore house.
And what ''house" it was! To say
that it cost more than 100000 and
contained go rooms gives only a
sketchy outline of it. 1t was-and is
the finest country mansion in all
America, a paradise in the noun
tains, "Chateau of the Skylarks. ="
1t stands upon an esplanade 700x300
feet, bound by retaining walls of ma
sonry and crowned by coping of
finely dressed stone. The outside
walls of the palace are 375x192 feet.
In architecture it suggests some of
the famous chateaux of the Loire; yet
it is no slavish copy. 1t has an in
dividuality, a personality all its own.
It is considered by many to be the
crowning work of Richard NJ. Hunt,
one of Americas foremost architects.
Under Plate Glass.
Entorinp tho main floor from the