August 18, 1911

Lavinia Camp Meeting of 1911 is among the incidents of the past. It deceased on Monday morning amid the throes of the few who yet lingered in mournful reverie over its departed glory. Grand success, viewed from every point, financially, socially and spiritually. From a financial standpoint, there has been received $287 gate money, with the amount received from the sale of the privileges. Enough to liquidate the expenses of the camp and a surplus that may be applied to other church purposes. Socially it has been a success, in that it has brought together friends separated for a year or more, and renewed the acquaintances of others, and with some of brighter days. Spiritually, it has been more than was expected. Long since, the idea of the camp meeting at Lavinia assuming a religious turn was abandoned and the enjoyment given over to sociality altogether. But this year there have been good meetings, and fifteen persons have professed conversion. We have sized up the personnel of this camp, not en masse, but individually, and, we think, to have one yearly is worth the time to many. We have reflected over some who have been here during this camp, who are here at all camps, who were raised here, or hereabouts, and we have thought how they have labored and saved during the past year to accumulate a plethoric pocketbook expressly for the expenses of this meeting, and how they will dig and delve another year for the same purpose. Am I getting metaphysical on the subject? Perhaps I am. But it looks this way to me. But the camp is over and, really, personally, I am glad. I want to be generous, and see others enjoy themselves, but I do not care for camp meetings. It is scarcely necessary to remind the tenters; and those present on Thursday that Rev. Artemus Betts, of Dagsboro, was an important factor in the services of that morning; and those further off who do not know the gentleman will care nothing about it. As is usual in the breaking up of a camp meeting, there are many sorrowful people, and on Monday morning our folks were not mad, “jes’ felt bad.” Their enjoyment was over, and the terrible truth stared them in the face that it was: “Again to the battle, Achaians!” A rain stopped the services prematurely on Sunday evening, about 10 o’clock. When the lightning began to flash and the thunder to rattle, the people commenced to skedaddle; some within the tents, and others did not stop until they reached Milton. An automobile from
Lewes broke flown on the causeway during the night, and one lone man was sitting in it, keeping guard, when we passed it the following morning. It was hauled over the causeway and out of the way when the work of moving in began. This was the only accident or casualty of any kind that we are aware occurred during the camp.

Capt. George Kimmey, of Philadelphia, arrived in town on Wednesday—one day ahead of scheduled time—looking as hale and hearty as many a man of fifty. He bears his nearly sixty years of life with the elasticity of youth—now—“Paul Pry” you keep mum!—and meets his old Milton friends with the nonchalance engendered by former acquaintanceship. He’s having a good time with the Milton folk.

Dr. Yokum was in town on Thursday. The doctor reports progress on his chicken farm, but is much discouraged because he cannot raise enough young guineas to feed a shoat. The doctor says he turned a shoat out of a pen and it ate seven guineas; he caught the shoat by the ears and threw it back into the pen, and wouldn’t have cared if he had broken its neck. The doctor was mad over those guineas.

J. H. Davidson and the Rev. Hurst are rearranging the interior of the M. E. Church, building and enlarging the platform, and getting ready for the organ.

Flora Wagamon, the 27 year and 5 months old mare of H. K. Wagamon, died on Thursday, presumably of senility. Flora hail been a good beast and was much thought of, particularly by the boys belonging to the late corn cob trust. This company used Flora a great deal; she was so docile and gentle, and they all loved her. Particularly will LeRoy Johnson miss her. She was carried out to rest on Friday. Peace to her remains.

There is much competition in the shoe repairing business in town; and cobblers resort to many means to get work, as I witness the following polite effusion from Mr. Bailey:

“Ike Bailey still lives, and don’t refuse
To sole and heel your boots and shoes
His leather’s good, his work is quick
He guarantees to show no trick—
And when he dies he feels no cold,
As he has saved a many a sole.”

Many people agree with “Ike” that after his demise, he need “fear no cold.”

James Palmer has had the pavement in front of his property on Broad Street, taken up and re-laid.

The Douglass White Shirt and Overall Factory resumed work on Monday, after a week’s closure.

Schooner Ella Call, Captain Welden, arrived with a cargo of coal for C. A. Virden.

Schooner Sand Snipe, Captain Warrington, cleared with pine wood for Philadelphia.

Yacht E. A. Cranmer, of Millville, N. J., with a party of ladies and gentlemen, reconnoitered around the Broadkiln last week, with Milton as their objective point.

The Goodwin Canning Co. is instituting more improved machinery into their works. Empty cans and cases are being received by all the canneries, and the season tor canning will commence in a week or two weeks.

For beating his horse ”unmercifully” “Bob” Hitchens was arraigned before ‘Squire Collins on Thursday morning. The defendant pleaded “guilty.” The fine and cost amounted to five dollars.

On Wednesday of last week Mr. Chase, tenant of the Chandler farm, commenced to ship peaches to Scranton, Pa., to his landlord. By dint of precaution and the expenditure of labor and material, this orchard was preserved from being killed by the frosts of last spring. The crop, though not large, will probably net the handsome surplus. Mr. Chase estimates a crop of 2,000 baskets.

Samuel Fithian has occupied the property owned and recently vacated by Jas. Palmer on Broad street; and James Mailten, superintendent of the Anderson cannery will remove his family from Havre de Grace, Md., into the property vacated by Mr. Fithian, on Union Street.

The Royal Packing Company has enlarged its cannery by an addition of 30×60 feet. Sheds and other outbuildings are also being built for the coming season.

John Lofland, of Wilmington, is visiting friends.

Frank and Joseph Baker, of Philadelphia, are visiting James A. Betts and family.

The footway across the river near the old mouth of the Broadkiln was completed last week. It is now an easy matter for persons to visit Broadkiln Beach, proper, without being transported across the river in boats. Broadkiln Beach is coming out. There’s a hotel there now.

Edgar Lank, Esq., attorney-at-law, and wife of Philadelphia, spent Saturday and Sunday with friends.

William Wilkins and family, of Philadelphia, have been Milton guests.

Capt. Charles Cannon, of Camden, N. J., Clarence Welch, of Philadelphia, and Alison Blizzard, of Wilmington, joined their families who have been visiting in Milton, last week.

Three tramps, who claimed to have come from Baltimore to look for work, proceeded to gather a part of Captain Scull’s corn crop on Saturday, with the intention of cooking and eating it. Captain ordered them to desist and leave town by four o’clock under penalty of arrest. They left.

Elmer Dickerson lost a horse on Friday. A post mortem revealed that death was caused by eating scarlet clover.

W. H. Davidson and wife, of Philadelphia, are visiting their parents and other
friends.

Arthur Conwell and wife, spent Sunday with his mother and sister.

Harry Taylor, of Camden, N. J., joined his wife on the camp ground on Saturday.

The Philadelphia and Camden. N. J. camp meeting contingent, came down on Saturday night train; and O! There were so many of them that it is next to impossible to individualize them.

Miss Edith Wilson, after spending several weeks with her mother, returned to Philadelphia on Monday and many of the camp meeting visitors left on the same day.

The colored camp will commence at Lavinia’s on Sunday, the 20th inst.

Rev. C. A. Behringer, of Swedesboro, preached and administered the Eucharist at the P. E. Church on Sunday morning.

William Lank and wife, of Philadelphia, and Captain James Lank, of the American Dredging Company, Camden, N. J., have been the guests of Postmaster and Mrs. J. R. Black.

Captain Stephen Abdill and wife, of National Park, N. J., are being entertained by Captain George Hunter and family.

Grant Collins, wife and child, of Philadelphia, are enjoying vacation with Justice-of-the-Peace Eli L. and Mrs. Collins, their parents.

Miss Eve Coverdale and niece Irene, of Philadelphia, are with their father Wesley Coverdale, on Federal Street.

Benjamin Burton, of Frederica, stopped over in Milton on Monday, en route from Rehoboth to his home.