The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 6, 1901, Page 12

12 THE SUNDAY OCALL. - A RV OF 7HE DRAWING Foar7 )RGAN, America’s @’s most pro- re 0 happily the purpo mbers of by Crocker plac er ty rooms, some of and in addition a Kitchen ar incts which are larger and more co than those of the best modern hotels, it is no tax upon the place to enter n scores of visitors at once. Bver since the death of Charles Crocker the house has been kept in readiness for any members of the family who choose to return to the paternal rooftree, just as they were wont in the old times when they were yet young, unmarried, and be- Zore the death of their parents. Mre, C. B. Alexander (formerly Hattle Crocker) was the last one of the family occupying the house She and Mr. Alexander left in their but a few Mr. iployes from: th for the recept rgan ange' the place { the numeronus guests whom their fer is entertaining. Fif- teen house servants were sent out by Morgan ir nce, In addition to them he brou on his private train L ork’s famous caterer, who conducts an- elght-story. Jrotisserle, e roof garden of which locks down upon s uptown place. Crocker house was built for the rt of its Inmates above everything There is r of homelike quiet it which Iimpresses from the e first sets foot onsthe broad side- where Mrs. Crocker used to make ren of the mi rs ‘welcome to their wagons and glide on their broad granite steps which lead from fornia street are of easy rise and end wide portico, the floor of which Is fiosaiced With colored Ttalian ‘fnar- e doors of polished orfental woods o the walls, disclosing a hall nificent ‘size, which is filled with flowering plants. On the right of this hall opens a dfawing-room, extending along ~California-street , front, and on the left is the spacious. art gal- lery. At the end of the hall, opposite the entrance, is a broad flight of stairs almost its full width, which by reason of the height of the first and second stortes of the house gives an effect of perspective to the vista which first presents itself to the visitor. This impression of great size is carried throughout the house and gives a suggestion of ampleness which is never attained by smaller reception halls. Mr. Morgan Is passionately fond of flor- al display in profusion, and gave orders that the house was to be decorated to its best during his stay. The result is that one feels as though he was in a gar- den rather thaa & four-walled dwelling. + tracery, TRy Fravearwes> N ‘ 77! G 274 The entire interlor of the place is deco- rated lavishly and with a minuteness of detail which is seldom seen in houses of any sort. The reason for this was that the designing of the woodwork and orna- ments was given to men who were used to the ustion of palace cars, and ¥ bestowed, the same care upon ‘the > that they would have put on a car ich was intended to stand the racking of its hundreds of thousands of miles of Journeys Mirrors and carved wcod afe to be seen everywhere, and the floors are mosalced with colored woods in patterns as fine in as strong in design and as rich in coler as the Oriental rugs which lie scattered about on them. The chandeliars of the house have al- ways been It pride, having been mod- eled upon those in the palace ‘of the Tuileries, and it costs more to clean and polich<one of them than would ‘keep an in coal oil for a year. 1 of cut glasg tubes for as and Is ornamented cut glass prisms, pend- sbes, which dazzle like a cata- ract of diamonds when illuminated at night. Mural decoratlon is the keynote of the place; rather than an abundance of small furniture, and the bric-a-brac, which Is on a massive scale, does not de- tract from the general appearance of roomines Bronze ard marble statuary is scattered with profusion about the drawing-rooms and art g: Y well as in the recep- tion hall, each of the figures or groups be- ing masterpleces that won continenta) fame before their purchase by Mr. Crock- er. The library in which many of the un- official conferences of the bishops are be-. ing held is richly paneled in East Indiay wonds, with wall and cciling frescoes by Tojettl, while the ebony and gold furni- ture with-rich morocco upholstery imme- diately suggests and invites quiet and con- templation. Like every other room in the house, the library is profusely lighted with ornate chandeliers and sconces. It is always Mr. Morgan's delight to get the largest and most commodious house which he can secure when attending the conventions, and, then to entertain as many people as.the house will hold, which is the only limit to his hospitable inten- tion. The present visit will undoubtedly give him satisfaction, for there are few cons ants and roar; 1iberality of the Crocker Estate Company in placing such a house at Mr, Morgan's disposal for the entertainment of the guests of the convention, and in addition to that W. H. Crocker has given up his places in the United States where a house can be obtained situated on a hill com- manding such a view of city, bay and mountain range. Much to the credit of California is the house, standing in the corner of the old homestead lot, for the use of Bishop Pot- ter of New York. The photographic views of the Charles Crocker house which are reproduced herewith are published fog the first time, and are from n, made by Taber, who has b official photographer of and will take views of semblages and groups, een appointed \ the convention, all important age