The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-08-01
The Home OF Mr.. Beecher.


A brown. stone, three story house Of 1874
Columbia Heights, only three blocks lrom
Plymouth Church, 10 Mr.. Beechef'a real.
dence He has owned It and lived thera
for many years. II % one Of q row al
nearly like structures, and the property n
the neighborhood Is very valuable, "The
Heights" Is the Murray Hill Of BROOKLYN.
and Mr.. Beechers place IL Just within
the limits Of the district covered by. that
designation. The door has plAie in
scribed III. w. Beechhr.p Just inside
the hall stands an Cld.iAshioned hat rack
with q mirror In II. Along the, wall Of
the stairway leading to the second floor
hang many framed engravings, The
parlor opena of the hall, and tho door d
alwayS open. Looking ip, one sees an
apartment which has no Counterpart as
10 odd variety oil contents. Il Is long
and wide, and old.style In lis finish.
The walls are divided into panels
BY. projecting postG and by q wooden
ledge that runs entirely around the
room about four leet from the floor,
Bunches and feStoons OF autumn leaves
are hung plentllully about, and there are
enough pictures, from oil painting to
cheap ferrotypes, TO leave but little Of the
walls uncovered. The furniture 10 chaos
oil styles, A sofa Is high.backed and
rush.bottomed, merging into the softness
Of second childhood. A concert grand
plano is new and shiny. A nondescript
cabinet, huge and time worn, Is In q cor
ner. A contrasting new bookcase, Is full
Of fresh, giltbacked volumes. Two vel
lowed geographical globes, on high ped.
estals, stand like sentinels al the corners OF
the fireplace. A table Is covered with a
brown wooden spread. Everything 10
Uttered with big and little ornamental
articles, as though the tokens OF all the
Beechers birthdays and Christmarsea
were there preserved, Handsome bronzes,
plaster figures, china articles, countless
things impossible TO describe as to ma
teriAl or intent, are on the mantle, on the
table, on the cabinet, and on carved
brackets. Lacking any sernblance Of
method or taste In It's furniture, the apart
ment gains In an air Of careless comfort.
J Back oil the parlor and connected by
wide doors Is Mr.. Beecher's study. Sit
ting Of one Of the large windows one can
look down upon the harbor, upon New
York City, or over into Jersey City or
Hoboken. The view Is one OF busy lie
and commerce spread out like a panorama.
A large, fiat topped writing desk, with
many drawers, stands in the middle Of
the room. Paintings-better than anyiin
the parlor-hang on the parts OF the wall
that are not covered by book shelves.
Camp chairs and lounge furnish ample
seating capacity for visitors. A stuffed
easy chair provides for the owner. 70 4
The late occurrences have changed Mr. 4
Beecher's home habits. Formerly, when
not away from his farm, his hours for vis.
itors were from 2to A every afternoon,
and he saw everybody who called. The
odd parlor was his reception room, and at
3 O'Clock II usually held not less than hall
q dozen visitors. To everybody, high or
low, he was courteous and justified. His
manner was of-hand and undignifed.
How are you. old fellow ?" was his usual
TO acquaintance. His study was
the rendezvous for Plymouth's leaders,
and many Of the Brooklyn clergymen
were frtquent loupgers there. Indeed,
that floor Of the house was much like the
offices ola business man, the family ocCu.
plying the two more secluded upper
stories.