I am very much puzzled as to when I should go north. There is yet a great deal to be studied here & work in progress which would be better for my superintendence. Mr Vanderbilt is due here in a week and there are matters to be settled which I do not like to have presented to him by any one whom I should leave here. Of these the most important grows out of a misunderstanding with Mr Hunt, whose plan for buildings in Biltmore village is not consistent with ours. Neither consistent nor reconciliable. We now have the street trees planted correspondingly with our plan, and this plan I consider to have been implicitly approved by Mr Vanderbilt. All the same, it is the New England ideal rather than the French and Mr V. did once intimate that he preferred the French. I think Mr Hunt should have designd his buildings conformably to our street plan, and now that our trees are planted I think that he shd be required to redesign them. The fact is he is not, and I am afraid that Mr V. is not, able to adopt our view—our ideal. Probably Mr Hunt will come with Mr V. and it will be much to our advantage to have the question determined before building begins as it may, otherwise, within a month. As far as I can see we are right “on the record” but what has passed verbally between Mr V. and Hunt, of course, I am ignorant. I don’t at all like Hunt’s view. I don’t like French villages. I do not think that they are suitable to American habits but I am afraid that Mr V. takes Mr Hunt’s view and I do not think it prudent to go away just before they are arriving. If I can do nothing more, I think that I can satisfy Mr V. that, pro forma, we are right. My opinion is that Hunt should be required to revise his plans which are quite elaborate. He will so much dislike to do this that I fear some compromise will have to be come to.

You will see that if there were no other reason for leaving just before Mr. V. comes here, this is a very strong one. Hunt is accustomed to have his own way and is more than earnest—is tempestuous—in debate. There are several other matters, not in dispute, but, debateable, so that with a very strong [915]disposition to have part in what is to be going on with reference to Boston and the Greater Boston affairs, more especially, it seems to me that it would be unsafe and inexpedient to leave this post till I shall have made sure that Mr Vanderbilt is better able to look at matters here from our point of view than he is likely to be if left to the guidance of those who would otherwise lead him. Among them men with a strong disposition to magnify their own importance and critical ability. Of course, there are several other matters to which this consideration applies besides those in which we must stand in conflict with Hunt. All the same I shall try to so order affairs that if you telegraph that you think it best, I can break away at a day’s notice. I fully realize that you must be having your hands more than full, and I try to realize that Biltmore is much more in my foreground than in yours, and that I cannot help being influenced by the great numbers of rich and commanding men that crowd our roads on their way to all parts of the North, and whose impressions are to affect our future business. All the same, I shall try to so order affairs that if you telegraph urgency, I can break camp at a day’s notice. Mr. McNamee says that we can calculate that Mr Vanderbilt will be here a week from today. If you think it more important that I should be in Boston than here within the period, knowing the conditions of the season and the demands of our various works, you will let me know. If practicable, I want very much that John should arrange to return by Washington and meet me there, but you can judge best what is feasible & expedient and I shall try to be governed by any advice that you telegraph on receipt of this.

Faithfully