Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-10-16

OF a new residence which would
be a suitable setting for MS ever-
growing, SOS, 900 art collection.
One Of the newshawks dubbed the
proposed edifice 1.-THE House M0n-
lana Copper Built" and what q
house IL wasl Clark was Copper
King" and he intended 70 have q
palace and descriptions Of the house
! he erected read like something out
Of the Arabian nights. "Und0mbs-
edly," said a New York editor,
"this is the most magnificent pKi-
vate residence in the world, rival
ing the dwellings Of princess
Clark. a product Of Dunbar township,
Fayette county, Penn, born in the year
1889, had started his career as a Mis-
souri, school teacher. The year 1858 saw
him heading west toward the quartz
mines of Central City, Colo. There he
worked as a mine laborer and there
he heard the tale of the newly dis
covered colorado at Bannack, Ida. To
Idaho he went, arriving at Bannack
with a capital Of five dollars. In quick
succession he became merchant, bank
er, and copper magnate. His holdings
in fabulous Butte hill paid him mil
lions and the 1905 found him one
of the worlds seven richest men and
ready to spend seven million dollars
to build a house. Not that he really
needed a new house, for he already
owned several homes in various parts
of the country, including fine resi-
dence in Butte.
Clark didn't want a new house so
much as q place to live as he wanted
it as a treasure house for his art col
lection. His fortune was made and the
erstwhile miner had gone in for col
lecting with vengeance. Up and down
Europe he went, scattering millions
right and left to purchase the finest
works of art available. Unfortunately,
Clark's taste for art was not all 1t
might have been and he sometimes
paid huge sums for pictures or statues
which were declared by experts to be
so much trash. When he died he left
his collection to the Metropolitan Mu-
scum of Art, with the stipulation that
the institution must take the collection
intact. This the museum authorities
refused to do, for among Clark'S fine
things were many others which were
bad art and which they did not feel
worthy Of being hung in SO great and
famed a museum as the Metropolitan. I
the collection went to an
other museum.
Clark's Weakness
In his later years, w. A. Clark seems /
to have had a weakness for things inn
ported. He imported his furniture, his
and his wines and so 1t was
quite natural when he went about
the biggest and finest house
in New York City he should import
an architect to draw the plans. From
France he brought one NJ. Delglance
to head a staff of American designers.
In due time the Frenchman and his
associates turned in the design for a
142-room residence which cost seven
million dollars to build. For the site
Of his building activity he chose an
expensive plot of ground at the corner
Of Fifth avenue and 77th street.
Clark, the one-time miner. had
chosen a sWanky neighborhood in which
10 live, for Fifth avenue of that day
was the stronghold of American hia6 Z
Vanderbilts lived up the
street and down the street lived the
AstOrs.
With the same thoroughness with
which he had gone about becoming
1 multi-million Clark now went
about the business Of building. To be
sure that his house would be built Of
only the finest materials, he purchased
he factories where the materials were
20 be manufactured. He purchased a
bronze factory and a huge granite
quarry at North Jay, vt. Other plants
fought by Clark included a stone fin
shing mill at Bangor, Me-, marble I
factory at RaVenSWood, L. l., and dec
,rative plaster and woodworking lac
,ories at the same place. Hundreds
# workmen were employed and artisans
rom five European nations were
brought over to put the finishing
ouches on the house. A gray granite
palace, with towers and gargoyles ana
fright copper roofs, took shape at 962
fifth avenue.
When the new house was complete,
Senator Clark gave huge party. Hum
lreds of engraved invitations were sent
nut to all the best people in New York,
,ut all the best people did not come,
or there were many in high society
Who always Spurned the advances OF
he aspiring senator and to whom he
vas always just an "upstart" from the
Those who did attend Senator Clark's
were treated to first
Jew of such magnificence and splen-
Tor as has never been surpassed in [
within the hand-wrought iron gates /
ound themselves in an entrance hall
rom which q marble grand staircase
Nth q gold railing led to the second
loor. The walls were hung with almost
ricelesS Titians, RembrandtS, Gains /
'oroughs and the works Of countless
Their great artists. Some of the ceilings
lad been taken from ancient French
hateaux to be placed in this palace
( the copper king. There were several
1ng halls Of mirrors and behind the
mirrors were concealed hydrants, hose
nd other fire fighting equipment. !
'hese mirrors later led to the found
~ of a legend to the effect that the
lark house had secret chambers which
rere reached by pulling out the mir
s125,OOO Organ
Many of the doors Of the house had
)cks which had been taken from Span
IN castles of the fifteenth century and
rom monasterieS and churches Of
taly came other decorations. There I
Tas a morning room which was blaze !
( gold, for its walls were entirely {
overed with gold leaf. The main ban
uet hall on the second floor had q .
cling of carved oak, all Of which had :
ONE from one twelye-h hundred year !
Id oak tree which had been cut in :
famous Sherwood forest. I
)uring the banquet an organist played J
n a $i25, 900 organ. There was q !
small" breakfast room IS by $50 feet y
4 size, and adorned by 200 hand !
arved walnut panels. A music room I
Tas finished in satinwood, bronze and I
liver. Other rooms were finished in