Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-14
Namrastrr tntrlllQenrer.
WEDNESDAY EVENING. DEC. IA. 1881,
4 STATESMAN'S HOME.
THE MANSION AND FARM or CON-
GKESSMAN HEWITT NEAR
NEW YORK.

NEW YORK.
Six Hundred Pounds Of Butter Week at 90
Cents a Pound.
journal of the American Agricultural Associa-
ton.
At Hingwood, in the Wyanockic Valley,
is the residence of Hon. Abram S. Hewitt,
containing 1000 acres, about equally
divided between bottom lands and noun
tain pasturagc. The narrow valley in
which it lies is fertile and beautiful. The
mansion occupied by Mr.. Hewitt stands on
an elevation in the midst of beautiful
park of Gins and NAPLES, and is further
adorned by fine shrubbcry and by a num-
bcr of acres in wcll-kcpt lawn. Here
are also valuable Srapcry and hOt-house,
and a large number Of fruit trees and
choice plants, the vcrandas, which arc very
spacious being filled with rare plants and
flowers. The house itself is built of wood
i'm the architecture Of the EliZabethan pc
riod, and is recognized rs one Of the finest
country residences in the United States.
There arc residences in tho country
built of stone that have cost more money,
but none can present a more beautiful ar
chitcctural picture or be more perfect in
its interior arrangement. The main hall
resembles that of Warwick Castle, Eng
land. It. is 2S by 40 feet, flushed in hard
wood. The walls are ornamented with
specimens Of nearly every description OF
arms used in the late war. On the left is
a capaciOus open fireplace. with an
tiguc andirons, cushioned scttecs here
and there, unique chairs, tables and
other aGOrnmcntS. A staircase OF mar
vclous beauty and elegance leads from
the rear OF the hall to the upper floors
Opening from the hall, on the right, is al
elegant dining room. The music room,
billiard room, sitting room, school room
and library aIjoin. On the left arc draw
ing rooms and Mr.. lIewtt's study, filled
with great collection of practical and
scientific books. The rooms arc furnished
with every possible article for use and
luxury, and the Nails OF every room in the
house arc adorned with pictures, steel
plates, water cOlOrs, or oil paintings. On
the first 'loOr arc fifteen rooms, the second
nineteen and in the attic eight. The older
portion of the house is more than 4 cen
tury old. A hundred yards distant from
it is small brick building, still in 4 per-
feet state Of preservation, which during
the revolution was used by Washington as
4 blacksmith shop, and is still used for
that purpose. the grounds surrounding
the house arc adorned by several small
lau,
Mr.. Hewitt owns some carriage and
saddle horses of thoroughbred stock, but
his chief pride is in the Jersey and l1Ol-
stein cattle. OF the former he has twenty
four COWS, and of the latter four, one
Jersey bull aud one IIolsteiu bull. The
liolstcin COWS arc very handsome, and
were purchased from Judge Fullcrton's
stock. The dairy is pretty building of
The Swiss chalet style, and is one of the
finest in the country. 1t is supplied with
Il large stream of running water drawn
from a lake above, entering the building
on the second floor and descending to the
basement, after supplying power for II
water wheel which does the work of the
churning. The walls are stone, with =
camentcd floor, tiled sides, and hard wood
ceilings, the room mcasurcS22 - by 30 feet.
adjoining is the ice house, by means Of
which the temperature is kept 1T the
proper point.
The principal production of the farm is
butter, Of which the most is made in the
winter months. when from $40 to 600
pounds of butter arc produced each week,
and of So excellent a quality that a market
has readily been found for it during the
past ten years at the rate of ninety cents
per pound. The dairy and all its appoint
mcnts are perfect for the uses for which
they were designed. tho dairy room being
absolutely clean. The cows are kept with
the most scrupulous care, being fed with
corn and meal in the summer,
aud i'm winter with meal and chop
ped hay steamed. In this dairy
the cream is set about twcnty-four
hours aIl, if it sOurS. the milk and
cream arc clurncd together to prevent
loss OF cream. The churn;nS is done at
jS degrees in the summer and 60 in the
winter. The dairy is managed by Mrs
Hewitt, who is 4 daughter ui Mr.. Peter
Cooper, and who justly takes great pride
in hcr work, particularly as her mother
and mothers sister were expert butter
makers before her. The practical work is
done by All experienced Scotch dairy
woman. whose husband, MIR. JAS. Monin-
gan, a thoroughly experienced farmer, has
the immediate management of the farm.
MIR Hewitt, it is appropriate to state, is
tie largest individual employer of labor i'll
the United States, having four hundred
families on his estate ut Rngwood, and
employing three thousand hands at his
different manufactures, and duriE. tho
hard times frcm 1878 to 1879 he never dis
charged :. man on the ground OF . no
work, although for three years Lc sunk
in his business 100000 per alnum. lie
kept them employed, when necessary, by
building stonc walls and tearing them
down again. lie is therefore esteemed by
his employees as Il most gcnerOus-hcarted
man. Ills firm Cooper, Hewitt &
Company. own between 0,00O aud - -,
600 acres of land in the neighborllood.