April 4, 1902

On Thursday afternoon the cry of “fire” resounded through the streets of Milton. All was hurry and excitement. The conflagration proved to be in the building of John Barker[i], situated on Mill Street, and used by him as a dwelling and tin store. The short time that elapsed before the fire was extinguished proves the wisdom of Town Council in purchasing this apparatus. There was some difficulty in obtaining water; yet after the engine arrived upon the ground the building was saved. The roof, rafters, and upper part of the building was consumed to the square. The house was slightly damaged elsewhere by fire. The origin is unknown, as it occurred in the upper part of the building, where no fire had been.

About the same time, and while the bells were ringing the alarm, Willard Cox, who had been ill for many weeks with consumption, suddenly expired. Mr. Cox’s death was not unexpected; yet it is supposed the excitement of the ringing of the fire bells hastened his demise. The funeral was held on Monday at the residence of his sister, and interment made in the M. E, Cemetery.

Captain George E. Megee & Company have contracted with the Fisheries Company, to deliver several hundred white oak piling at Lewes.

Mr. J. E. Blizzard has resigned his position with Mr. J. H. Warrington.

Dr. James A. Hopkins has erected a wire fence in front of his lot on Federal Street.

Mr. L. B. Chandler and wife, attended the funeral of the former’s brother, at Kennett Square, Pa., last week.

Prof. J. A. Collins has been engaged the past week in cutting and clearing away the dead grass on his front lawn.

Mrs. Derrickson, aged 75 years, died at Lincoln on Thursday and was interred in the Lincoln Cemetery on Sunday. She was the grandmother of Mr. William Warren, of this town. S J. Wilson funeral director.

On Saturday afternoon a large and enthusiastic meeting was held by the Board of Trade, in Engine House Hall. The meeting was addressed by two gentlemen front Seaford on the subject of a trolley line between the two towns; but no definite result was arrived at.

A beautiful scenery may be looked on from the windows of Engine House Hall out over the lake. It should be noticed by those who admire beauty.

Rev. L. P. Corkran has been returned to Milton for another year. He preached an Easter sermon on Sunday morning, which was much admired. Easter hats and Easter gowns were much in evidence, and appeared to be greatly admired by the wearers.

Rev. H. S. Johnson is attending the annual M. P. Conference.

The Lank Brothers, two professional young men of Philadelphia, who have been visiting their relatives in town for a few days, returned to the city on Monday.

The two canneries are fast being builded [sic]. The electric light is being talked about; the trolley is in anticipation, and a steamboat line is seen looming up through the dim vista of the coming peach crop. All of these things are of an excitable character, and are much talked of by the sanguine part of the community.

In his sermon on Easter, Rev. L. P. Corkran made a departure from the general routine of Easter sermons, which was appreciated by his congregation. Instead of trying to prove the “old, old story” of the Resurrection of Christ, which is generally done by the majority of sermonists, he preached on the beautiful theme of “Man, and the glories of the Hereafter.” I once asked a minister why he preached a sermon on Easter trying to prove an admitted fact, acknowledged by all Christendom. A fact which if questioned or destroyed, would knock the superstructure from under the Christian religion and consign it to nothingness. He replied, “The subject presents such a beautiful theme for a sermon. We admit the correctness of the answer. The Epworth League, under whose supervision the church was decorated, showed its proficiency in the floral art, by the pretty display of the many flowers which were so tastily arranged around the church, and so greatly admired by the congregation.

Rev. George Morris[ii], formerly of this town, but now of the M. P. Conference, stopped over in Milton for a few days while en route for the session of that body.

Mrs. Naomi Workman, aged 93 years, died near Robbins Station on Monday and, after the funeral services which were held at McCauley’s Chapel, on Wednesday afternoon, the remains were deposited in the cemetery nearby. S. J. Wilson directed the funeral.

A»: we have not properly classified this communication, we may add here erratum that in connection with the fire above mentioned, the merchants of the town locked their stores and went to the scene to render any assistance they might be able to give. Also that Milton has been highly favored in all the fires we have known to occur, i. e., there has always been a calm. At the time of the burning of the building: which stood on the site now occupied by the Burton Block, there was a calm; had there not been, a general conflagration would have swept that part of town. At the burning of the canneries, the atmosphere was quiet, or the result would have been more disastrous, as we then had no means to fight fire. At the fire of Thursday there was a calm. Had the wind been blowing from any point, with the velocity it had been blowing for the past few days, either the beautiful property of Captain Charles Megee, the Goslee building, or C. H. Atkins store would have gone up in smoke. Surely a special Providence protects Milton.[iii]

Mrs. Emma Megee is having her large and magnificent property repainted.

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[i] John Barker funded a window in the vestibule of the Milton M. P. Church, and was the father of Lizzie Barker, one of the class of adolescent girls that funded the Sunday school window on the East Wall of the church.

[ii] George Morris was the son of Joseph Morris. Joseph was a trustee of the Milton M. P. Church, husband of Annie Morris, whom he memorialized on one of the stained glass windows, and father of Edith Morris, one of the class of adolescent girls that funded the Sunday school window on the East Wall of the church.

[iii] A little over seven years later, in August of 1909, the first of two disastrous fires would wipe out a large part of the downtown business section. It wasn’t until the second fire that the once complacent Town Council would finally act on creating a water supply system for Milton.