HARRIMAN NOW OCCUPIES
HIS $2,000,000 HOME
Magnificent Country Place Which the Railway Magnate
Has Constructed Near Arden, N. Y., Includes an En
tire Mountain with Incline Railroad Palatial Mansion
on Summit of Tower Hill Is Surrounded by Lovely
Gardens and Has Every Luxury.
New York. Edward H. Harrimnn,
just returned from a seemingly fruit
less search for health In Europe, now
occupies his new country house on
Tower hill, near Arden, N. Y. The
mansion, completed only a few tlnys
heforo the railroad magnato'n arrival,
Ib one of tho finest In America, nnd
cost considerably more than $100,000,
and tho owner has spent nearly $2,
000,000 on the magnWcont estate.
Hut Mr. Ilnrrlinna Is a sick uiitn.
nnd whether ho will ovor be nblo to
fully enjoy tho delights of the earthly
paradise ho lias created, only Ume and
possibly his physicians can tell.
When orw leave- the city of New
burg, en routo to the little settlement
which is now known as Arden, a most
beautiful country is tit hand. A now
road built by the stato stretchos tho
entire distance, most of tho tlmo fol
lowing a pretty brook, which skirts
tho base of the sovcral mountain
ranges and when near Arden forms
what tho country folk call tho llama
po river, but which is nothing more
than a creek.
Center of Beautiful Section.
Tho roadway leads through tho val
ley, with mountains on cither side;
for a distance tho silvery Hudson can
bo traced and then, as tho road wi
dens around tho inland hills, tho ver
dant meadows and tho mountains)
change the view and lend another
touch of beauty to tho scene.
There is, perhaps, no prettier sec
tion of America than that which lies
in tho ltnmapo valley nnd around It.
Mr, Harriman certainly demonstrated
hiB taste for nature's handiwork when
ho selected this Bite for a homo In
summer. .
Sir. Harriman selected Tower hill,
'one of tho highest mountains In the
Ramapo range, for tho site of his
home. In doing so ho fulfilled a life
long desire to possess a spot rich In
scenic beauty, high up, away from ma
laria, and whero tho air is always llko
that of a perfect Juno morning. Then,
too, lie wanted to be socluded, away
from all cares, whero curious ones
would bo shut out and whore ho could
roam nbout unmolested. Tower hill
seemed just tho spot, and-when his
mind was onco settled upon it ho was
not long in making tho purchase.
Estate Includes Whole Mountain.
There was not a house within thrco
or four miles of tho summit of tho
mountain, and to prevent tho spring
ing up or any undesirablo residences
Mr. Harriman bought tho mountain
and all tho land within a radius of
three or four miles.
To reach tho summit of tho' moun
tain was tho first problem, and when
somo of tho best engineers In this
country went over tho ground thoy
were not long In coming- to tho con
clusion that an Incllno railroad was
the only means of safo travel up and
Edward H. Harrlman's
down. Within n short time Charles
p. Ford, one of the most capable and
experienced constructionists In tho
state, was engaged by Mr. Harriman
as general superintendent, and to him
is duo tho exquisite home'groundB nnd
site Tho Incllno railroad is most
comploto nnd has all kinds of safety
devices. It Is n pretty trip up through
tho trees, and ono forgets that ho is
travollng up 1,500 feet at an elevation
of almost 70 per cent. An nutomobllo
with henvy cushions and fitted to run
on theso tracks makes tho trip from
tho railroad station nt tho foot of tho
mountnln up tho incllno and directly
into tho house.
Every arrangement thnt will insure
comfort, convenience, lack of commo
tion or excitement about tho summit
of the mountain has been Installed.
For lustunco, a track leads from the
incline railroad directly Into tho houso
Into what Is known as tho servlco
court. Tho tracks enter a tunnel about
200 foot from tho houso and run un
der the front torrnce so that tho cars
cannot be seen from tho lawns, ter
races or gardens.
I All American In Design.
The houso Is a throe-story nnd base
ment building, constructed of a sort of
granite with Indiana limestone trim
mings, nnd Is purely American In de
sign. Tho original of It is seen in tho
old stono houses built years ago,
Thero arc 72 rooms connected with
MO II
i-siriwrf-!ni-f ni i r.'.wv . m i m i win . i ma ihll h i i
electric bolls, while about 25 rooms
aro not connected, thase being rooms
and apartments of the servants.
The house Is built around a central
court, each of tho four sides forming
u wing. On tho Ilrst floor there Rre
four entrances, tho main entrance be
ing from tho front terrace, which
leads from a long winding walk down
Into the woods. This entrance lends
into a reception hall which runs from
the central court through to the op
ponlte side of the building, and off, tho
reception hall Is the large reception
parlor.
Tho drawing room, or living prtrlor,
is GO feet square. The floor Is of sol
id oak and so closely nro the Joints
made that tho lloor looks like one
huge wooden surfaoo. Tho side walls
aro of paneled cherry. The celling Is
of plaster parts composition with plain
fern decoration. The molding in this
room is heavy and behind it nro se
creted tho electric lights. The din
ing halL nun-ants' dining room, hitch
en and refrigerators are also on this
lloor.
Organs In Entrance Hall.
In tho entrance hall a large organ,
run by olectrlclty, is erected In a loft,
while directly across tho hall Is an
echo organ. This organ will furnish
tho music during tho dining hours.
Elovntor3 nt two points In tho build
ing carry the members of tho fnmlly
or guests up and down, while a third
elevator- Is for tho use of servants
only. On tho Bccond lloor aro tho
apartments of Mrs. Harriman. Mrs.
Harrlman's sulto consists of three
rooms, a largo reception parlor, sleep
ing chnmbcr and a bath. Mrs. Harri
man has tho most desirablo location
In tho building. Her rooms look out
on the southwest corner of tho
grounds, ovor an expanso of beautiful
gardens, grnnlto stairways, cozy scats
and pagodns.
Mr. Harrlmnn's apartinonts on tho
samo floor consist of four rooms, his
library and prlvato room, his sleeping
room, reception room and tyith.
The reception rooms nro about 50
feet square, havo oak floors and pan
eled sldo walls of white. Tho sldo
wnlls 'in all tho living nnd reception
rooms aro of whlto, tho woodwork
having been rubbed down to a satin
finish, so that "with tho application of
tho enamel they havo a surface as
smooth us tho top of a piano. Tho
sntln, soft, dull finish Is used Instead
of the glossy ilnlsh. Tho sleeping
rooms through tho building, that Is,
tho rooms used by tho family or
guests, havo solid oak floors, and pan
oled side walls of cherry.
Each of tho children hus a suite of
three rooms, and ench membor of the
family has several suites for guests.
These rooms nro palatial In every
way. Solid brass beds predominate
though In somo of tho apartments are
ajw&.TEZ: ir
Palatial Country House.
solid mahogany suites.
Furnished In Finest Style.
Tho furnishings of all tho rooms nro
of tho finest. Heavy silk draperies
and rich old lace curtains ndorn tho
windows and doors, whllo Turkish
rugs nnd mats decornto the floors.
Green In the decorations of tho rooms
predomluatos, though thoro Is an oc
casional touch of red nnd brown.
On tho third floor are somo of tho
men servants' rooms, and in tho bnso-
ment also apartniontB luivo been set
nsldo for the malo help. Tho women
servantH occupy quarters In ono wing
of tho second floor, whero nlso aro tho
housekeeper's apnrtments. Evory scrv
ant has a prlvato room. Thero nro
soparato wash bowls In tho bath
rooms and each servant Is allotted
ono, with porsonnl towels, combs,
brushes, etc.
Just ott the kitchen, on the Ilrst
lloor, tiro tho servants' dining rooms,
nnd llko the kitchen nro complotoly
white tllo. Tho servants uso a tun-
nol which runs through tho basomeut
of tho whole Iiouro, and none of them
comes In contact with the family; A
servant might work in tho Harrlmnn
houso for a Hfotlmo and yet never soo
a membor of tho fnmlly.
In tho basement nro tho healing up
paratus, several largo bollors furnish
ing hot wnter boat, tho rofrlgorntor
plant, electric switchboard and other
mechanical aiipurtennncca, Tho ve-
frigerator plant makes tne lco used
In the house.
Tho lawns and terrncos cover acres
of ground nnd nro doslgned after soma
of tho plocos nt Monte Carlo. In front
of the house Is tho central garden.
This is an expanse of lawns, with
granite walks crossing nt even nnglos
and lending to tho house. Tho hardy
shrubbery Is artistically arranged nnd
presents a suitable nppronch to the
mansion.
The central court, around which Iho
houso is built, Is an elnboruto pleco
of tho gardener's art. . Tho central
figure Is a large mnrblo ifudo statue,
which was made by an Italian sculp
tor, lis cost Is ostlmated at $15,000.
From the uprnlsedliand water sprays,
casting a dew ovet the Rhrubbory nnd
lawns.
Swimming Pool In Gardens.
In the rear of th mansion aro the
Venetian gardens. The high walls are
of marble nnd the' pool Is built of mar
ble, bottom and sides. While this was
first planned for a lagoon, a chango In
the plnus made It n swimming pool
PflgodnH form a boundary to theso
Venetian grounds, nnd climbing vinos
almost hldo one from vlow .In thorn.
At the other sldo of theso gardens are
Venetian Gardens
Italian and Grecian gardens, with their
wldo expanses of velvet-like lawns
and terraces. Looking out on theso
grounds is a large room in tho corner
of one wing of the building, on the
first floor, which Is so arranged that
tho largo windows swing apart and
form a broad veranda In summer,
while In winter thoy aro closed and
with a grato lire burning within will
bo used ns a living room.
On tho roof of tho building Is a
tower, from which point a most beau
tiful view ot the country surrounding
for nillcs Is afforded. An elevator runs
from tho tower to tbo ground floor.
A beautiful design In Indiana lime-
THE FREIGHT CAR SURPLUS
It Should Not Be Taken as an
dence of Business De
pression. Evl-
Whllo a large surplus of Idle freight
ears Is popularly believed to mean a
continuing depression In freight move
ment, the result of business Inactiv
ity, It Is not only desirablo but vitally
necessary that railroads have on hand
at all times a sufficient number of
Idle freight cars to handlo traflle effi
ciently on occasions of pressure or
emergency, says tho Wall Street Sum
mary. While It 13 undeniably true
that the exceedingly nctlve nnd pros
perous period of 1900-7 witnessed a
great frolghl-car famine and a result
ing congestion of freight of nil kinds,
In nearly every stato In the union, It
docs not follow logically that any ac
tivity In buslueBS less than that of
tho period aforementioned Is n sign
of continuing depression. When tho
car shortngo of 190G was at Its height
and was accepted generally as an un
failing Indication ot business prosper
Ity, as a matter of fact existing trnf
lie cond lions at that tlmo wero n
source of great loss to mnny In widely
scattered districts. Shippers could
not obtain freight cars, communities
could not obtain coal for tho Borne
reason and wore compolled to dostroy
building nnd other proporty to supply
combustible materinl; agriculturists
could not move tholr grain or fruit,
nnd the consequonco of this wns loss
all at omul. During this period enra
not In service were nctunlly tied
up in railroad freight yards owing to
a congestion arising from Insufficient
motive power, becuuso tho railroads
wore not prepared to cope with the
tremendous traflle offored thorn and
had not anticipated It.
What n boon n surplus In cars and
motive power would havo been at that
tlmo! To that end wo now nppeai to
bo working, as car efficiency Btntls
ties prove. Car operation has con
tinually improved and about one-fifth
moro work is now obtained from
every freight car In service.
Henco the number of Idle freight
cars at presont should not be taken
as an Infalllblo reflox of tho state of
business in general, becauso condi
tions In freight moving nro different
from what they wero a your or oven
two years ago. Wo can move moro
freight a greater distance and nro
moving it to-day than ovor heforo;
and wo havo n uurplus of cars on hand
stone Is tho decoration which torms
an arch over tho principal entranco to
tho building. Out of tho face of this
srotit block is cut n beautiful design
of the chase. In tho middle Is tho
largo head of n deer, five feot across,
with n bold Bhowlng of antlers, tho
top extending beyond tho confines ot
tho general design. Donenth is a gamo
bag Inclosed In netting and bosido it
a bow. On either sldo of tho bend
crouch two life-sized figures of hounds.
At each end of tho design Is n horn
of plenty with a display of fruits, and
In tho background aro n wreath ot
leaves, a quiver, nrrowB, a hunter's
bom, spears, a gun and a hunter's
knife. The piece cost Mr. narrimnn
$12,000.
Water Is Drought from Lake.
The wator for Iho mansion comes
from Cranberry lake, which Is n part
of tho Harriman ostnto nnd only nn
eighth of n mllo trom tbo residence. It
Is brought In lO-lnch Dlpos, nnd ns the
lako Is hlnhcr than tho houso tho
gravity system of pressure Is em
ployed. Although tho house Is fireproof, hoso
connections havo been Installed on
every lloor and in all tho corridors
and nooks, and tho water for this
purpose Is bvought from another small
and Swimming Pool.
lake a qunrtor of a mile from tho
house. In case of flro, pumps In tho
hasoment aro at onco sot In motion,
allowing a heavy pressure. An elec
tric lighting plant on tho other sldo
of tho mountain furnishes tho lights
for tho building.
Next spring a library will be added
to tho building, and this will occupy
an entire wing. Hero will bo rend
ing rooms, billiard rooms, bowling al
loys nnd other nmuBomonts. This
wing will cost, It is estlninted, $75,000
more.
Another feature yet to bo added Is
a wireless telegraph station on tho
top of the mountain.
for nny emergency that may arlso
without encountering tho oxponse,
embarrassment, delay and Incon
lenco ot congested freight yards. In
deed a surplus of freight cars Ib a
blessing In dlsgulso both to tho rail
roads and the shippers, for tho lat
ter aro served quickly only when the
railroads havo a surplus of cars Idle
nnd rondy for servlco. Unless wo de
sire unothor period of freight conges
tion, wo should welcome tidings of
car buildings operations, so that we
may bo assured of a reserve freight-
car surplus.
AUSTRIA'S WAR ON SNAKES
New Additions to the Empire Is Badly
Overrun with Rep
tiles. Austria's now territory Is undesir
ably rich In Hiiakcs, mostly of tho
poisonous vnrlettcs, and tho govern
ment Is taking vigorous measures to
extermlnnto them.
In the ton years from 18Ut) to 1905
the avorago yearly death roll from
snake bites In Ilosnla and Herzegovina
was 13 persons, nnd 1,338 head of cat
tle, horses and domestic unlmals, He-
sides this, hundreds of persons wero
bitten by snakes, but recovered.
Since 1900 tho provincial authorities
havo given money premiums for tho
killing of snakes. In that year 30,050
dead snnkes wero brought In, of which
Zo.i.ih wero poisonous. Noxt year,
when the ofllchiP reward system bo-
came moro goncrnly known, theso fig
ures Increased enormously, no fewer
than 280,718 snakes boing killed, In
cluding 271,085 poisonous.
Last yenr's figures wero very nearly
the suinc, nnd It will bo somo years
before tho work of extermination, can
be anything llko completed. Hut at tho
same time tho number of porsons re
ported bitten by poisonous snnkoa
seems to bo steadily decreasing 200
In 1907 nnd 1 10 Inst year.
Tho Cruel Blackmailer.
"Hlnekmnll," said II. K. Adulr, tho
western detective, "Is carried on as a
business by more people In Budapest
than in all tho other cities of tho
world put togothor."
Mr. Adair smiled.
"Only last week,'' he snid, "a Hilda
pest confrere wrote me about a black.
mall case whet- a man lived sumptu
ously for many years on tho acciden
tally acquired knowledge that a Buda
pest lady hnl a woodeu leg."
i 1 1
i I
-I., r
WHITE AZALEAS
BY HELEN ELLSWORTH WRIGHT
(Copyright, by J.
I tell you, stranger, it's no uso. I
couldn't part with that clay-hlll up
yonder, not if your wifo has look a
dozen notions to It, nnd you was to
pny mo $10,000 an acre. Why, man, I
don't want your money. I'm 4G years
old this fall, l'vo got enough to last,
nnd thcro nn't a chick nor n child to
leavo It to, and that hill well, it's no
uso, Hint's nil.
Tho placo ain't good for raisin'
much, Just pines nnd berry brambles
and them thcro whlto nznlles, but
when It comes my turn to dlo I wnnt
'cm to leave mo thcro. Soo that placo
whero tho trees grow thick an' It's
dark an' cool an' still? That's Itl
That's whero I'm goln' to He.
Your wife, Bho fancied that? To-
cullar, ain't It? Women folks likes
light most always, light nnd sunny
parts, though onco I knowed a girl
but that was 20 years ago.
Buy halt my hill, you say? No, sir-
roe, you can't havo half an Inch I I
tell you, onco for nil, you enn't buy
half nu Inch!
Mcbby you city folks can't under
stand, but I'll toll you vhnt, thcro's
things up hero Unit money couldn t
touch, nnd that thcro spot Is ono ot
'cm. Confound It, man, 1 11 tell you
why!
You sec, 'twas moro than twenty
years ago that I como hero to sco a
friend o' mine, named Ephralm Jones,
You know Eph. Jonos? Well, that's
odd, ain't It? Ho an' I was chums
This place wns mighty I'-cly then.
Thoso cabins thero wns full of folks,
an men was takln rortunos out o
quartz most every dny.
Tho schoolhouso stood up yonder
near my hill, an' tho teacher's unmo
"Why, Man, for God's Bake, What's
Gone Wrong"
well, that don't mntter anyhow. 1
couldn't say what she was llko; I
couldn't tell a blind man what n lily
was! Your cities never grow that
kind, no more than they do sugar
pines or rhododendron flowers.
Well, we wore friends. Wo used
to go for whlto aznlles, she nu' I, up
on my hill when school was through.
It wasn't my hill then, not till long
after, when she'd gono awny, and yet
wo called It "ours."
Wo used to sit there whore tho
trees grow thick an' plnn out what
tho years would bring. We'd sit thcro
till the shadows came nn' shut tho
world away, nn' then woro glad, for
all tho night nu' nil tho stars seemed
mndo for Just us two! Tho wood-owls
nested In thoHo trees, nn' when I'd
say 1 loved somo ono, thoy'd always
nsk mo: "Who?"
And so tho Bummer slipped along
nn tlmo como for mo to go. I wns
to fix a llttlo home, nn' when next tho
whlto nzallcs bloomed to go back
again for her.
Well, first she wroto niu regular
every week, nud then her letters got
to soundln queer, llko ono who laughB
an' wants to cry. nif then well, then
thoy Btopped. Thoso wero busy times
with us, but I wroto by every stngo.
Ono evenln 'twns along In May,
an' I wan potterln' round nt dusk
adoln' up tho chores I snw n man
come down tho trail. Tho man was
Ephralm Jones. Ho nover snld a
word Junt reached out an' took my
hand, an' wrung It hard, en' kind o'
choked. Hy nnd by ho Bald:
"Look here, old man, It takes an
awful blast, you know, to shatter out
that hard gray rock so you can got tho
gold. Well, tho good Lord blasts us
hard sometimes perhaps to find our
gold."
Then ho told mo how hor fnthor'd
got In flout, nn' gono away, an' loft
her mother sick an them two llttlo
sisters on her hnnds, with nothing but
tho money from her school; how sho
hnd tried to keep It from inn nil thoso
weeks, and then a men hnd come, a
judge, from heaven knows where, an'
oiu enougn to
Say, Htranger, bo this sun too hot?
You look so kind o' faint an' fuddled
out. Perhaps you'd rather havo mo
stop my yarn? Go on? Woll, thero
ain't much moro to toll.
'ino judge, no como a-courtln' hor,
hut sho said nlwnys, "No." Ho told
hor how ho'd tako 'em all, nn' mnko
hor mother well, an' send tho girls
awny to school, an' do n heap o'
things.
Then winter como, an' tlioy hadn't
I
1). Llpplncott Co.)
oven wood, nor clothes, nor things to
cat. Tho mother, blamed her somo
an' cried; tho llttlo girls both teased
an' coaxed, an' tho udgo como evory
day. And bo the winter turned to
early spring, but things weren't better
much.
Ono ovonln' Ephralm como across
our hill nn found her up there, whero
tho trees crow thick. Tho leaves wero
comln' on tho whlto nzallo plants, an'
hor hands woro full of llttlo tender
shoots.
"Go, tnko him those,' sho said, "nnd
sny when thoy bloom I'll bo his bride.
My mother and tho children need mo
most; my duly is to them!"
Well, Iho Judge, ho married her nn
took 'em nil nwny. And I? l'vo got
them llttlo dry shoots yet an' shall
havo always tool
Ephralm went down to sco cm onco
ho know tho Judge, you know. Thoy
wero llvln in a splendid house, with
carriages nn' everything. Tho Judgo
wns doln' nil ho could, but money
can't buy love I Sho seemed so kind
o' sweet nn' still, llko n lily that's
been picked nn taken from tho sun.
Thero wns a bnby, too, n puny mlto
her bnby an bIio called him Joo!
I guess tho Judge, ho didn't know
whnt for, but it was mo I
Whnt Is it, Btrnngcr? IJo you 111?
Perhnps tho air's too light up here, nn'
your heart ain't over-strong!
Woll, to go on, ho died, did llttlo
Joe, nn' sho sont Ephralm word. Tho
whlto nznlles was In bloom, nn' I got
most n hundred aprnya, nn' Eph, ho
took 'cm down. Tho llttlo chap had
IoIb o' llowors, all boughton ones, you
know; but mtno tho mothor took nn'
hold 'om clos6 an' cried. (Confound
this smoke! It's gottln' In your eyes?)
Well, after that they went away,
somowhoro In foreign parts, and that
was 15 year agol Tho Judgo, if ho'n
a-llvln' now, must bo nB old ns you!
Tho pines kegp slngln' on our hill,
an everything grows Just tho samo n.
when wo two wns young, an some
day
Say, you've seen quicksilver In with
gold? Tho part that Isn't usod rolls
down tho slulco In llttlo shiny balls,
but when thoy moot thoy form n
wholo so woll Hint nobody can tell
which is which. Tho gold dlvldes.lt
mcbby, by an' by, but each takes
Bomowhnt of the other's part an' holds
It till thoy moot ngafn, to glvo It bnck
with its own self besides. Woll,
hearts is Just llko that. 1
You soc, I couldn't sell tho pluco
It's "ours!" In this world sho's the
Judgo's wife, but In tho next sho's
mluo!
Why, innn, for God's sake, what's
gono wrong? Sho's whnt? Sho'B whnt,
you sny?
Tho Judgo? Your wlfo! Consump
tion, man? Doar heaven, bo more
kind!
Say, mister, Hint clny hill is yours.
I'm goin' I'm goln' away. You'll pny
mo? No. You've paid a thousand
times. You've brought her back to
dlo. You toll her this: Ajmeor old
chap, rough as tho gray rock peopln'
through tho hill, snys tho owls hnvo
nlwnys nested whero tho trees grow
thick, an' tho whlto nznlles havo waited
20 year!
SOME FREAKS OF LIGHTNING.
Man Who Has Investigated Exhaust
ively Points Out Some Errors In
Popular Belief.
Death by lightning is rnro in this
country, though tho fear of it is ovor
present in tho minds of nervous
people. In South Africa, howover. It
Is much moro frequent nnd a pnlns
taking colonist has gathered a mnBS
of facts that dispel boiho common nils
tnkos about lightning.
In tho first place, ho has found thnt
lightning does not necessarily burn
thoso whom It strikes, oven when tiiey
hnvo niolal objects about them. Ho
has found InstnnccB whero mon nnd
nnlmals hnvo been struck without tho
mctnlllo objects thoy carried being
molted In tho least.
There does not seoin to bo nny con
nection between the metal nud tho
marks left by the lightning. And In
mnny cases no mnrks nt all aro loft,
In somo instnncos clothing Is torn
and even ripped oft entirely. Somo
sort of nu explosion scomB to tnko
placo botweon tho akin and tho cloth
ing, which nppenrs to bo blown out
ward from tho body. Often when thla
happens the person Is not Injured be
yond tho shock, which soon passes
away, leaving no bad effects.
It Ib comforting to know that thoso
somewhat grucsomo facts woro col
lected ao far away as South Afrlcu.
If statistics were at hand In this coun
try It would bo found thnt being
struck by lightning Is nbout as likely
to happen ns falling heir to half a
million.
Truly a Lucky Bride.
Among tho presents recolvod by an
American brldo, the daughter ot a
millionaire, wero a string of diamonds
six feot In length, containing 210
stones, a gold aftordlnnor coffeo set,
n silver breakfast servlco and ' a
choque for $100,000.
Gets More Than He Expected.
"Do muii who Is lookln' fob trouble,"
said Uncle Eben, "generally finds It.
Dut he mos' always doesn' manngo to
meet up wlf do particular kind ho felt
competent to imuingo,"