The Newtown bee., 1889-08-09
BRIDGEPORT.
THE W. F. SWORDS LUMBER co.

THE W. F. SWORDS LUMBER co.
 Few who see the piles of lumber on both sides of East Washington avenue, near the Housatonic road, realize the ex- tensiye business done at these yards by The W. F. Swords Lumber Co. The modest office on the north side of the avenue, near the West End horse rail- road bridge, has the management of $200, 900 worth of lumber, manufactured and in the rough and gives employment to l25 men. At their spacious wharves, six vessels can unload at once, but so systematic and careful is the supervision that the lumber is quickly assorted and distributed to it's appropriate part of the yards, which cover some five acres, to remain until wanted to fill an order or to be worked up in the mill. The mill it. self is a humming, buzzing hive of indus try, its twin smoke stacks reminding one of the Rosedale. Power for the numer- ous machines, scattered all over the mill from the ground floor. to the attic in the fourth story, is furnished by two en- zines. one of 120 and the other of 60 horse power. The steam itself is generated by the fierce flames of the shavings made in | the mill and it gives some idea of the work done here that enough shayings are made to feed two large furnaces. This fuel is stored in great brick bins. There is no waste here. The shavings facfr s. f.I,o the butchers at so much barrel and refuse pieces are at once turned into kindling wood. Two new matching ma chimes have recently been placed in the mill and The W. F. Swords Lumber Co., is now matching lumber for the trade. Two turner's are kept busy on fence posts and smaller work and, in their appropri- ate departments, are turned out sash, l doors, blinds, boxes and the various ma l terials into which lumber is manufaetur- ed. Extensive as are the buildings. every available space is utilized in storing the manufactured product. Mantel work of the finest pattern is turned out and, among the orders, is one from F. l.. Ron aids for material for Ronald Castle in | l Newtown. It does not require d very aged memory to recall when W. F. Swords was buying his lumber of. Gran- his & Hurd and working it up in contract ed quarters on the south side of the ave- nue. MT Swords finally concluded to bring his own lumber from it's distant market and started in a small way across
 
 the street. His business grew and he in- creased it as the demand increased, until finally the Grannis S Hurd buildings were bought for a song and their yards leased. The business has more than doubled in the last two years and this is largely due to the infusion of fresh cap- ital and younger blood by the formation of company, in which E. D. Alvord and W. c. Haight are the partners with MT Swords. NIr Swords is president, MT Alvord treasurer and Mir Haight seere- tary. The company has recently i'm l proved it's fire protection by building d great tank, located up ill tower, from which pipes lead through the mill, ready te be unsoldered by the heat, should a fire start, and flood the mill. The com pany employs V. k. Lane as yard mas ter and F. II. Bassett as superintendent of mill and, equipped with every variety of lumber, manufactured and in the rough and, buying by the million feet, are ready for all corners.
 Mrs H. D. Booth of North Washington avenue is visiting friends in New York and Jersey City.
 As the South church was closed, Sum- day, most of the congregation accepted the invitation to unite with the North church.
 Rev J. R. Fisher of South Orange, N. J., is preaching in the Presbyterian church during the vacation of the pastor, Rev H. A. Davenport.
 Born, Thursday, August l, a daughter I to Mir and Mrs John NJ. Otis.
 I The real estate of the lato Orrin Kelly on Park avenue was sold, last Friday, to II pdlblCS III tIlC hJoiliC GiAlC oAiC administrator, Jeremiah Kelly, put this property up at auction to be sold, but there were no bids and the sale was post I poned till August ?.
 Mr and Mrs Horace Glines of Bridge port, Mir and Mrs Charles Pundt of Brooklyn, Mir and Mrs Charles Glines and son, MT and Mrs W. II. Giles and Mrs Marks spent Sunday with Mrs Caro- line Hawley of Huntington.
 I Lyon < Hindley have rented the store at the rear of their hardware store at 3S3 Main street, formerly occupied by z. Goodsell, opening on Cannon street, They will arrange the two stores in one and preserve the Cannon street entrance | A