The Newtown bee., 1889-12-06
sEwrows, CONN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6
MONROE.

MONROE.
 CHANGES IN THE MrNoTT BOOTH PLACE.
 In ante-Revolutionary days, lGs years ago, when the house, until lately owned by Minott Booth, was built, 1t was one of the most pretentious in the thinly set tied region which afterward became the town of Monroe. It's huge stone chim- ney, l2 feet square, was topped with brick, which was of itself an evidence of some wealth on the part of the proprie- tor. The honse itself was large and stood back from the road on command Ing site, hard by a rippling brook, after ward made to do duty as power for a mill that has long since fallen into disuse. The mill pond still remains, beautiful sheet of water. Inside, the house was fitted with many token of the prosperi- ty of It's builder, the front rooms being finished in oak from the extensive forests which formed part of the owners do- main. Through all the years that have passed, the house has remained substan- tlally as built, until 1t fell into the hands of Edward l.. smith, wealthy Ansonia gentleman, who Is now fitting it up as . Summer residence. The salient features of the old building will be preserved, as far as possible, new timbers being added wherever necessary. On the exterior, the only change has been the addition of wide veranda on the front and sides, lOs feet long, with q pediment or bay window over the main entrance. The roof of the veranda is of hard wood, leav- ing the rafters in full view. The same material, oiled, is used for the floor. New roofs have been put on the house and it's sides covered with new shingles, irregularly laid and painted brilliant red. The trimmings will be of light green and the whole will form a harmo- nious combination. Of the interior of the house, little will be disturbed. The an- tique oak panelling, so much used by the architects of to-day, will be allowed to remain, but will be freshened by oiling and rubbing. To correspond, the other rooms will be finished in hard wood, which will be taken from the extensive forests purchased with the house by MT Smith. An ancient corner cupboard of oak, with smoothly plastered sides, will be restored to the position from which it was removed, as soon as repairs and al- terations to the room are completed. On the front, the door opens into a square room, from which access is gained to either side of the house. Here will be built a grand staircase of oak, winding around until it reaches the second floor, where 1t will afford entrance to the pedi- ment or bay window, from which a sweeping view of the surrounding coun- try may be obtained. The wooded hills in sight will be allowed to remain in all their native beauty; to none of them will the woodman's axe be laid. In the Spring, Mir Smith intends to remove the present barns and outbuildings and build new and larger, further in the rear of the house. The glistening sheet of wat CT once the mill pond will be preserved as one of the chief attractions of the place. In place of the ruined old mill there will be a neat building, which will be used as a mill for grinding feed, etc., while room will be fitted with an elee- tric motor and used by Mir Smith himself as an experiment room; for he is largely interested in the manufacture and refln- ing of copper and Is the patentee of process by which gold and silver are ex- tracted from the copper ore, leaving the pure copper, at reduced cost. This process he is constantly perfecting and makes frequent trips to Pennsylvania, where large factories are in operation.
 Besides his purchase from Mir Booth, he has acquired 60 acres additional and now controls about 2I0 acres of wood- land, the largest tract of it's kind in the county. Chestnut predominates, with oak, hickory and other varieties in small CT quantities. This Is now being cut by a force of l6 or IS men and is loaded up- on cars at the new Monroe station, only a few rods from the steam saw mill. The timber is converted into ties, posts and other marketable articles with almost ineonceivable rapidity, hundreds of ties being sawed at the rate of three min ute. Ten thousand ties are to be deliv- cred to the railroad, but more will prob ably be gotten out, as well as quantities of other lumber. ''It is all for sale" said Mir Smith, land we shall get it to market as fast as sold. Although l did not purchase the place for the wood, find that to be important and will, there fore, give it attention. My residence will continue to be in Ansonia, but shall spend my Summers here, for where one more conducive to health and happi- nessP I have already spent parts of Sum- mers in this vicinity and know its charms"