The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-08-02

CELLAR.
[New Haven Register.l
| Just before the revolutionary war, an,
| during the first part of it, Benedict Arnolt
lived in this city. The house in which h.
resided is standing on Water street, tn.
third door below Olive. It is one of ths
most interesting places that people car
visit on the Fourth, for it must be remem
bered that while he lived there the great
American traitor was true patriot. II
was there that he organized the Govern.
| or's Foot Guard, and lent all his energies
| against Great Britain. If we cannot for.
| get that he tried to sell this country fol
British gold, let US remember that be lost
leg in defense of the American Repub-
| lie, and bury that with honor while we
| consign his body to everlasting infamy
Time has already narrowed his name
The traitor who died in London garret
| and of whom Talleyrand exclaimed: "Ar.
| mold, the traitorp as he sank into q
chair at the announcement of the visitor
has memory that the lowliest of man.
kind never enyied. The house in which
the American General lived is a frame
building two stories in height, with dor
mer windows. It is in dilapidated con-
dition, but the evidence of past respecta-
bility is not entirely obliterated. The
spacious halls and rooms remain, although
the grounds, which extended to Arnold,s
drug store on Fair street, are sadly cir
cumscribed by the pressing demands of q
modern lumber yard. Piles of lumber
peer into the rooms where the druggist
ate his meals and compounded his medi-
cines. The front yard is devoted now to
beds of flowers.
This morning a visitor to the building,
which is used as a boarding and lodging
house, looked up at the building with that
feeling of reverence which ought to i'm
spire one in gazing upon anything that
has attained the age of 1870 years. He
| lifted the latch-the same latch perchance
| that Benedict himself lifted when return
ing for his evening meal-and saun-
tered through the small yard to the front
| door. There could be no doubt that the
portico was the ancient one. The pill
lars declared that from their ancient ap-
pearance. The door was the same that
the colonists opened many times. Per-
haps 1t was at this door that he left for
the last time before bartering with his
country's enemies. The knocker is miss
| ing and a modern bell-one of those
changing monstrosities attached to the
middle of the door-usurps its place. No
one answered the impatient summons,
but the door opened almost to the touch,
and the visitor entered. passing into the
| spacious rooms which had lost their mag
| nihcent appointments at the hand of
Time, the despoiler. After brief period
he retired to the side door and there met
the lady of the house, Mrs. John Nichols,
who is possessed of the spirit of the anti
| quarian in q remarkable degree She is
| not native of this city, neither of this
State, but still the life of Benedict Arnold
had strong attractions for her as one in
terested in the history of the United
States. She came here from Pennsyl-
yania and took the house as residence,
| because, among other things, there was q
history connected with it. She is imag-
| inative, but not unpleasantly SO. The
other day a lady was looking through the
house and seemed to shrink, during the
entire visit, as If afraid of the shades of
departed ancestors. "How do you live
here?" she asked Mrs. Nichols; should
be afraid that Benedict Arnold would
spring up in every room." Mrs. Nichols
| replied that she was not afraid that such
things would occur.
Mrs. Nichols took the visitor this morn
ing over the entire house, from cellar to
attic, and the trip was very pleasant
one.
First, as to the cellar. 1t is a huge
thing, about twice as high as cellars are
nowadays. The first floor, oak timbers
are conspicuous. They are supposed to
be as sound as when they were put in
$50 or more years ago, by l. j. Trow-
bridge, fer whom the house was built
He disposed of it to Arnold. 1t has an
additional attraction, in that Noah Web
ster, the great photographer, once lived
in it. Under each of the huge chimneys
is an arched place, that they may have
used for wine-cellar. In the front part
OF the cellar are two large Enclosures
built of brick. These may have been
used for the storage of yaluables.
There are three stairways into the cellar
-one from the outside, another about in
the center, and third toward the rear
AS one enters at the rear stairway he
alights IN an apartment much higher than
the bottom of the main cellar At one
end of it is large fireplace and oven. II
Is supposed to have been used by slaves
The only remarkable feature of an exam.
ination of the cellar is the manner in
which the solidity of the structure is re-
vealed. The timbers show very little
dry rot, and the stones are as perfectly in
position as when they were laid. The
reason IS this. that they were laid in lime
rat Is unknown about the house. Mrs
Nichols, since her brief sojourn in the
place, has made it much more presenta
BILE than it was before.
On the first floor the rooms show
great deal of old-fashioned panel work
In the sink room is an old stone sink
: We would miss it very much If it wer,
removed" said Mrs. Nichols. Anothe
stone sink Is shown in the back hall. II
what was probably the kitchen, and along
side the fireplace, with which nearl,
every room in the house is provided, is
secret stairway. The bottom section o
steps runs on track SO that it can b,
pulled out into the room when necessary
The flight lands person In large close
attached to front room ON the first foo
Ia very handy method of retreat. Ar
nold's stationary shoebox in the little hal
at the side door is shown with some de
gree OF satisfaction. 1t is spacious, ant
could probably have easily held all tn,
boots and shoes the General had in use a
, one time. There are .feomy closets al
over the mouse, which circumstance alon
, would make the old dwelling paradis
I for some women. IF the kitchen is pro
vided with brick oven of immense ca
pacity, thus taking the lead, there is an
other large oven in the back.room, direct
, ly opposite IT. 1t is built in connection
with huge fireplace, and may have beel
, used In the preparation of medicines.
{ In all the second-story rooms there ar
/. fire places. suggesting home comforts o
which ordinary folks are in these day
! entirely bereft, but they cannot boast on
: hundred-year old andirons in the frs
l floor parlor. These andirons, however
! are small, and have no brass heads; th
picture of Horace Greeleyis Chappaqu
! home, with the old philosopher in tn
: foreground passing down the walk, whicl
I adorns one of the fire boards upstairs
9 equals them, perhaps, In historic interest
8 Behind the open blinds of many of tn
: chamber windows birds have built thei
i nest. "If the blinds must be open to lie
4 the glorious sun burn the old walls" th
birds are supposed to have reasoned
q where, instead, suhdued light, fecke'
! by the foliage of shade trees, ought t
: play, we will, in our humble way, Try t
make the aged mansion pleasant by rails
: ing our fiedglings at the windows an
: warbling our songs to the memory of
!. departed generation An Inspection Q
the attic is valuable, because, as clergy
! man of the city observed, "There can
{ no doubt that these lpointing to the oh
2 jects alluded to) are the original rafters.
Relic hunters of course have long be
e fore this obtained and catalogued mucl
!. that is of interest in connection with Al
. nold's life in New Haven--even his drug
!, gist,s sign adorns the Historical Society
: room-but Mrs. Nichols can show fe,
/ relics Of interest. In the back yard n