New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-09
4 COLONY or UNINTTTED TENANTS.
WHAT WAS FOUND ~ THE HTCHFIED MANSION
AFTER THE PROSPECT PARK AUTHORITIES
Moved INTO

AFTER THE PROSPECT PARK AOI'i'"'''"'
MOVED INTO IT.
When the executive officers of the Pros
meet Park managers removed, ut the De
ginning of this year, from the old buildings
that stood near FIccnthst., Brooklyn, 10 tue
IItchne!d Mansion, It not expected that inc
building was already tcnantcd. and that 'he tenants
would prove a desirable ana profitable acquisition Ihe
Lchfcld Mansion stands uncovered In trecs, near the
Thirl-st. entrance. facing Nintha II IA stately 81"
house, and was built thirty years ago-bet're
pr,sncct park had bccn tboucnt Of when
the park was lad ont the Litchneld property
was not included in It. At that time it was proposed to
incndc what arc known rs the East side lahlS'
which lie to the east Of Flatbushaye. But when tho
question of the Park boundary to be studied win
the idea of design IL found best to include the lch
field estate and leave ont the East side Lands ospe-
cally the separated from the main part OF
the Park by broad and much-used thoroughfare me
commissioners appointed 20 lppralse the Iitchhal Man
sion and grounds John French, General Henry W.
Slocun and John Kellnm. They nXel the amount al
GI6OOOO This seems laryc sum: hut The house was
an extensively built one Such house could hc erected
to day for much smaller sum.
After the Park authorities had bought tho house they
did not put Immediate use, bat rrntcd 1t to MI
Ltchaeld who with hs family lived there for many
vcls For the last few years he used pTnc aly ns
pacc I'm which To his valuable pictures satuafy'
furniture, etc 81 first he paid to the PARK a reht' vi
~ 500 yearly, and subsequently $500 Meantime the
Park management retained the privilege Of turning ONT
the occupants any time and using the house Tor 'h'
own purposes on the LIST of last Janulry they took at
vantage Of this Arrangement aud removed from their old
and quatc quarters the mansion, where tlcF' Is
ample room ard every accommodation
Colonel Cuycr. the chief engineer aud sup"rntehlct
uses The library of tine house Tor his Office. II l. circular
room lined with book-tasrs with glass doors. ani Is
situated 10 the left Of the main entrance 'l,1
o,t of il IL n large ropu In which a long table. II the
cast end l. a lar e hiy window This room "a sometimes
used a. \ mcctiu.-riom tar the Park Commissioners
At the other end Of The building 4. HE poiCrsi l,io' am
down stairs h the lock upwhich Is rarely put I" use
part the basement space la' boon hc'l win orkrs
surrounded with tnr trees, and on the we'lch sue
there IL considerable remnant of " the forest lrmna
\ Winding drive leads up to the house from INC West
Pcrhapsby this lnic the reader wondering who and
peone took possession OF IT, II he hld called there three
or four wccks Colonel Culycr might nave hNlcu III
occupcd In the large hay window az the eastern end
away AMI looking up through the lah. he might have
seen quantity Of honcyco Ib and colony OF bee, hnsiy
at work. they found admission to their cXtempofl@eu
hive through chlnk In the outer wall ,, -.
when he right time comes said Colonel Culver to
a visitor who did call. shall have the bees taken
out. Won't you come around and see the operation ana
sample the honey !" IN, a.,
bnv window wa entered several days later more al me
ceiling hal been broken down and the attn had been cut
this smn man was at work. Ii face WIS covered
Win Thin yei I'm his hand wa. 4 large clasp knife
Tie bees hat beeu stpced by smoke blown from I'm
aupnratus tn which bellows attached on Que siic
This machine consisted OF tin cylinder two or three
Inches in diameter and six or seven Inches III
height. The upper cud finished Ia the shape
of AN inverted funnel, the extremity being OPEN
smoke was created by burning dry rotten wood IN lnl
bottom the cylinder and air forced into II Dy the
bellows.
This ia about The hardest place 10 work ever got
In said the with the ycilcoycrrd face There NJ
room enough to stand mp. and there's too mlch
for me To knce down. wish some one would .ct "a box
me 10 put my knees on"
A box was brought. and then the "bec man"
went To work actively with hs khIc, com
planning at intervals of the narrow space IN Whien
he was compelled Ia work. He also stopped now ana
then 10 pI tl' moro .mDkc upoh hcc tldt ,'chh'u
disposed return To state or active eN,-''i'S1
sooner than dc irol In a few minutes nc n.y.
loo-cued piece ui honey ronb, which ne hdci 10 Ms
assistant, by whom 1t placed III Ne that wa, AT
hand and fastened in pps On by means or me l"i"e'
The honey rich and Of excellent H.tNor olhct
pieces OF the comb removed IL succ ~slp ana lIns
frred the hive. oi them were cilrN''i ana ono
wise ms5hpcn account oi the places IN wilci lidl7
trious bees had built them. some, 100. were nloWru
aud dscolorcd tlr wood AMI bricks 10 WHICH thry
had been attached. Al Together with the Is, were
carefully removed the hive. which was pi"Ndc WIN
glass SIDES cotcred with lids. Pushing hr~c a,hc one
could the bees crawling about ana r,-ihlhG thtl
wuntcd activity. Further -earch in the confthcht oi
the root al the bay window revealed more non y.
it Colonel Culyer purpose To close up me c'ihg.
s'oD the cr.yicc tirou-h which the bees entered me
house and keen The hive with the bees IN the room III
which they found. Thus he intends 10 make them
his permanent property.