The Osceola times., 1881-08-13
A COTTAGE BY THE SEA,
The Residence OF . Railroad millionaire
Described in Detail.
llOng Branch Iettsrl

lLong Branch Letterl
Mr.. Victor Newcomb, formerly of the
Louisville q Nashville railroad, and his
family, are occupying their cottage, just
beyond the Elberon hotel, which is one
of the most elegant planned and finished
residences here, and as q summer home
can not be surpassed. 1t is one Of the
most unique specimens Of the new fash.
ioned old-fashioned dwellings have yet
seen. The architecture is old English.
but the house is far from being so
gloomy in appearance without or within
as are most OF the Queen Anne houses /
have seen here and at Saratoga. The
building is being entirely finished with.
in In hard wood, different kind being
used in each room. In one it is mahog
any, in another maple, IN another the
California red wood, in another oak, and
another Georgia pine. A square hall
entirely finished IN oak, even the walls
and having ceiling showing rafters o.
that wood, occupies the centre of the
lirst floor. The floor of this hall is tiled
with red tiles, TO represent brick floor,
except in the center, which is white,
checkered with red. The enormous
fireplace has a large iron crane and other
implements like the old-time kitchens
had. A metal screen with colored glass
panes, draws down in front of this fire.
place and serves as a blower or screen.
in one side of the fireplace, provision is
made for hanging kettle in which to
brew champagne punch. Champagne
ounch made by such an antique fireplace
savors rather OF an anachronism. | thing.
al1 in n hnnca
fancy cupboards or shelves for bric.a-
brac. am delighted the mirror mama
has died out, and one is not confronted
with oneself making grimaces in
the effort to do the agreeable over
every chimney-piece and between
every pair of windows. The en-.
trance door at the Newcomb cot.
tage opens horizontally half way up,
was necessary to look out before opening
all the doors to ascertain if friend or foe
sought entrance. A round tower on one
'ide further suggests the idea Of a forti-
fled castle. The main door opens into the
square hall, in which the windows have
small stained glass panes. Large skins
OF wild beasts are used as rugs upon the
floor, and pictures on easels and statuary
on pedestals, with some quaint chairs,
complete the furniture. All the rooms
have low ceilings, but high wainscetings.
In some the latter extend as much as six
feet above the floor. In the dining
room the ceiling. as well as cornice about
two feet Immediately below the ceiling.
are of cork. This material was used not
only to prevent damppess, but also to defy
the powers of all the flies of flytime
to injure it. The spots usual in cork,
however, make the ceiling look as if flies
had already done their worst. as was
proved by lady saying to Mrs. New
comb in dead earnest. How sorry / am
to see that the flies have specked your
beautiful new ceiling so badly!" The ex.
teriCr of the house has picturesque
gables and recess balconies and buttress-
es, the latter lighted with glass bulls
eyes. as are some OF the gables. "Don't
that gable look as if stuck full of soda
water bottles?" asked a merry visitor OF
of me. / quite agreed with HIM. and
expressed my regret that rich man like
Mr.. Newcomb should be reduced to the
necessity Of stopping up the holes in his
new house to keep the wind away in
such manner. In building these new.
fashioned old-fashioned houses there
seems such an effort after the realistic
in the reproduction that fully expect
to see in some of them broken panes
stuffed up with an old.style heavy leaih-
er boot or yarn sock. The bull's-eyes,
looking like the bottoms Of soda water bot.
ties, are an instance Of this realism, since
they were used for stables and attics in
olden times, when glass was not made
by the same process as now, and these
bulls eyes were the refuse after making
panes of glass, and were sold cheap.
Another instance of the realism is the
speckled cork ceiling of the dining room,
which SO closely initiates fly speck with
out being us uncleaHly as the real thing.
Despite the fact that they have Just
completed their cottage, begun over a
year ago, and have built and furnished
It exactly to SUIT them, 1T is quite pos
sible that Mr.. and Mrs. Newcomb will
divide the larger portion of the summer
between a cottage, at the United States
hotel, Saratoga, and tour in Scotland,
his physicians having recommended Mr..
Newcomb to visit the latter country for
his health.