March 8, 1901

For two weeks before its welcome demise, February was kicking up its heels like a wild kangaroo. No one who is susceptible of a chilling wind has been exempt from its icy hold. As a consequence it has left us with grips, pneumonia, pleurisies, tonsillitis, and all other ailments which flesh is heir to. But February is gone; and joy go with its departure. However, “we may not boast of time to come, e‘en but a single day.[i]” If the successor of its predecessor retains its old-time prestige, we may expect much from the horoscope that guards March‘s destiny.

Notwithstanding the war of the elephants, and the unsuccessful attempt to elect two Senators by the Legislature at Dover, and the prospective re-inauguration of President McKinley, it is a fact that bears much comment, that the citizens of Milton met in election on Saturday last, and elected three men of Milton to succeed the three who went out. (If any one does not like the grammar of the preceding phrase, he will send us a private note and we will explain.) Anyhow it is alleged the town should not be bonded, and it is presumable under the present regime it will not be bonded. Many of our townsmen are glad they have made a p’int, and this reminds us of renovation:

It is related there was a colored minister who was doing the thing ala Sam Jones. He took for his text: “And these are the men who turn the world upside down.” “Now bredern,” said he, “I shall divide my discourse into three” parts, viz: First, ‘The world is upside down; second, ‘It must be got right;’ third, ‘We are the men to do it.’ On the latter one of this sellogism[ii], our point is seen.

Negotiations are progressing, and we must think favorably in regard to another cannery to take the place of the one recently burned. Certainly, there should be nothing to draw from the already healthy feeling toward this enterprise. The question may be asked: Do the people of Milton rightly appreciate the importance of n cannery? Let us briefly elucidate. The young girls and children of Milton, walk our streets as nicely dressed as any in the land whose parents are not millionaires. Why do they do this? Because they earn their living from the factories, and we can safely say that twenty-five out of every fifty of the girls in Milton can, after their work of the week is done, go to the church and if the organist is not there, any of them who may be called on in the congregation to perform the work, can do it. Almost every family in town is teaching their daughters music. Take the canneries from Milton, and you will find that next summer, if the town is able to have one, the town bailiff sitting along the street with a few woebegone followers, crying, ‘Give to us, for our lamps have gone out.” Is this picture overdrawn? Not much, we think.

Mr. R. C. Beardsley has removed the boiler recently purchased from. A. H. Robinson, to the brick yard on the lower banks of the Broadkiln.

Mr. Will Johnson spent a portion of one day last week in the Milton lockup.

The members of the Milton Town Council, who were elected on Saturday, are Mr. J. C. Clendaniel, Mr. W. J. White, and Mr. E. L. Collins.

While visiting the country last week, we called on a highly respected friend, Mr. J. T. Codwell, who is an octogenarian, and owing to his age he confines himself to the house most of the time during winter months.

Mr. Joseph M. Lord is here in the interest of the post office department; but on a very intimate interview, we understand he would take the ministry to Honduras.

The shirt factory of Douglass & White shut down on Monday for one week.

Mrs. Josephine L. Collins died at her residence in Long Neck on Friday, of diphtheria, aged 39 years and 9 months. Funeral at Trinity M. E. Church on Tuesday, by the Rev. Gallingin. Interment at Brotherhood Cemetery, Millsboro. S. J, Wilson funeral director.

Daniel, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Townsend, died at the home of his parents, at Fairmount, of strangulated hernia, aged 8 years. Funeral services at the house. Interment at St. George’s P. E. Cemetery.

Presumably, every one ought to say in regard to Dr. Hiram Burton’s appointment, to be Bank Director of the Farmer’s Bank of Delaware, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Mr. Burton has been a candidate for every office we have heard of, from overseer of the road to U. S. Senator. But it is stated that Dr. Burton proposes to make the Georgetown Bank “feel his whip.” I have heard it stated he expects to find another Rufus Wheatley[iii] there.
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[i] From an American hymn, with writer identified only as Swan

[ii] Syllogism was what was meant here; an uncommon word to anyone other than a logician or mathematician

[iii] Rufus Wheatley was the assistant to the Sussex County Clerk of the Peace, and in collusion the two issued payment vouchers to themselves as county suppliers. The scheme went on for six years before it was discovered in 1890, after thousands of dollars had been embezzled from the county. Rufus Wheatley committed suicide.