The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1890-08-22
BETHEL.

/ \. Il. Lockwood, the Center street
shoemaker, is known to everybody as
Ben" and probably not one in 100 would
recognize Austin b. Lockwood. He says
that, when a boy in EastOn, the parents
of Judge David Benjamin Lockwood of
Bridgeport lived on the trustee farm and
the two boys were widely known as Ben
Lockwood. the future barrister as Long
Ben and his friend as Singing Ben. A.
B. Lockwood deserved the name for, in
the days of singing schools, he was a
prominent vocalist and has at times
taught the school. Long Ben has de-
veloped into perhaps the most prominent
criminal lawyer in Fairfield county; but
he is no longer called by his youthful
title. 1.-The ponderous judge" is more
fitting appellation for his 300 pounds of
avoirdupois.
Under the guidance of John f. Mich
OILS, accompanied by Charlie Squires,
BEE reporter was shown through the in
terror of the Fishers hall opera house, to
be known henccforth as Nichols's grand
opera house. The work of alteration and
Improvement has been going on all Sum
mer and is not yet finished, but enough
has been done to show that, when finish
ed, it will be as complete and attractive
an opera house as can be found in any
similar place i'm the State; one of which
Bethel and, indeed. many a more preten-
tious town, might well be proud. The
stage has been equipped with handsome
new drop curtain, whose colors were APP
piled by the artistic brush of W. c. Tur-
ner, the well known comedian, who can
WELD Il brush as well as convulse an au-
dience. The curtain contains advertise
ments of business firms of Bethel and
Danbury. MIR Turner has also painted
large assortment of new scenery, includ-
ing handsome garden scene, prison,
kitchen, city and woodland scenes. All
this will be shown to full effect by bril-
| liant gas lights, both foot and head lights,
while great sun light in the center, COM
posed of many gas jets, will furnish light
for the entire hall. Throughout the hall,
painters and decorators in charge of f.
c. Senior are at work, decorating and
papering ceiling and sidewalks in attract
i've colors. The hall will be provided
with new seats, some of them folding
opera chairs and the seating capacity of
$50 can, by additional seats, be easily in
creased to 500. In the gallery, folding
seats will be used and lis to 125 can be
accommodated there, where an excellent
view of the stage is obtained. The VEN
tilation of the hall is excellent. The
dressing rooms, formerly at the side of
the stage, have been removed and the en-
tire width of the stage is now clear for
plays. An addition 20xS feet has been
built at the side of the hall, the upper
part of which provides ample dressing
rooms and conveniences, while the lower
is occupied by w. L. Mason, jeweler.
The stage entrance is at the rear of this
addition. Mr. Nichols, who will open
about September 10, with w. C. Turner
and company in first class play, will
use every effort to secure attractions dur
ing the season.
i A BEE reporter who boarded a Dam
bury and Bethel horse car in the young
est city in the State and rode to its lively
hating suburb whiled away the time by
buzzing the driver. who proved commun
icative. 1.-The company has finally got It's
|, way about laying center-bearing rails on
the branch tracks it is to put down on
West and White streets and, as you see,
they have begun work on West street.
This line will run from the soldiers mon
ument to Division street and viii prob
ably be ready for use in a few weeks.
The White street line. which will be be-
gun next, will not be finished until con-
siderably later. Here on the main line
we are supposed to run on about II min
ute Roadway, but we are not infallible.
The cars are running rather worse than
usual, just now. No. the company does
not station men along the line to sponge
off the heads of the horses in hot wealth.
er. as they used, although it would prob
ably keep the horses fresher and in bet
ter condition. We run rather light at
this time of the day, but from 6 to m
and to p III we carry heavy loads both
ways. My car will seat y comfortably,
but carried GO the other night. The
larger ears sometimes have IS. Each
car will average about 8l2 day.
In every town where SAvESA Is introduced.
In