September 4, 1903

Why people do not attend church on Sunday is a question often asked by the laity of many communities and attempts have been made by the clergy to solve the reason. The clergy tell us that the saloons are the one great cause, the parent of all other causes, of the apparent waning of church attendance. Admitting this to be true with respect to large cities it certainly is not true in regard to small towns. It is a noticeable fact that the church attendance on Sunday morning in Milton at the three churches is not one-half of what it might be. The sinners, the unconverted, and the man-of-the world’s absence may be accounted for, on various grounds. Perhaps there is something they may not like in the personnel of the church; the form of the worship may not suit, the choir may be too operatic, or some other excuse—and excuses are prolific when needed—can be made to suit the occasion. Their objections can be overcome by pointing out the fact of there being three churches in town, at each of which the objectors will be welcome; but when these non-church attendants point to the members of the church, and some of the Official Board who lounge around the street corners in their dirty, everyday clothes on Sunday morning and say: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” What answer is the pious inquirer to make? Possibly we have mentioned some of the reasons why non-members of the church do not attend; but what excuse shall we give for members of the church and professed Christians absenting themselves from the public services of Sunday morning? In our opinions one great factor in the cause of the decrease in church attendance may be found in the sermons that are published weekly in our local papers. Home presents many attractions; and man can stay at home on Sunday morning and lie down upon a lounge and read such sermons as Russell H. Conwell, Frank De Witt Talmadge and Dr. J Wilbur Chapman give to the world and read them leisurely and meditate thereon, it is a strong temptations for them to do so. However, we must be generous; and believe that every man has his follies and his foibles, his trials, temptations and peculiarities, and that no two are alike.

As everyone knows, who is reader of the papers, Milton is to have a new post master. Mr. Manship is superseded by Mr. John Black. Both are good men. Mr Manship has had the office for several years, and the Union Republicans have been after his scalp for some time, and have succeeded in getting it. Mr. Manship has made a good postmaster; Mr. Black will, no doubt, make an equally good one. The writer is opposed to the Civil Service Law; he believes “to the victor belongs the spoils,” but if the application is to be made to a wood sawyer on a western reservation, make it to a fourth class post master also.

Dr. W.J. Hearn had an engineer to come to town last week to repair the machinery of his launch. The young man—for some reason—left impromptu on Thursday morning. He said he was going to the saloon up town. The last information we had of him was to the effect that he had boarded the train at the station. He left his tools and overalls at his place of work. On account of one of the engines of Hearns not working properly, the yacht was unable to go to the beach on Saturday or Sunday. The family are at the beach.

Schooner William I. Simpson has been overhauling at Broadkiln Docks.

A small fire occurred near Chandler’s groceries last week. A lot of sedge, or grass, had been cut and become dry. On an evening, somewhat late, the wind veered to the north and there was a lively time for a while. With the aid of the women, who turned out, the fire was gotten under control—in fact put out. The women say they did it; and we presume they did, i.e. put the fire out

The evening services—5:30 o’clock—have been discontinued. Hereafter services will commence at 7:30 p.m.

The deficiency in the Rural Mail Delivery Service led to a conversation between myself and a gentleman living between Milford and Frederica. The man was in Sussex looking for men to work for him. He states “rural delivery is a humbug,” and lives on the route. And possibly knows what he is talking about. His argument is something like this: any man doing a business requiring a daily mail delivery will either live in town, or have an office near town; people who get irregular mails will go to town two or three times a week.

I talked with this man—the name is unnecessary—about a creamery. He said; “You cannot run a creamery near Milton.” “Why?” “Because you have not the pasture land.” “But we have marsh land, and you know bent hay is good food.” “If I didn’t know you, I should consider you a durned fool; but I know you better than to talk thus. I’d rather feed my cattle on dried oak leaves; to get anything out of a creamery, you will want 300 gallons of milk a day and it takes pasture to make milk.

E. N. Lofland has his new yacht under way. He desires the writer—as per a previous announcement—that he has designated Thursday of each week as the day he will receive visitors to his shipyard. He is willing to take advice on this day; and they are requested to stay away at other times.

The Misses Mattie and Hattie Markel, of Shrewsbury, daughters of the senior proprietor of the “Big Store,” with their brother, are guests of Mr. and Mrs. Hartman, the junior member of the firm.

Will Wilson, the present assistant postmaster who will shortly retire from office, is looking around for another position. He is pretty hard to suit in his ventures; but matrimony appears to suggest the most eligible field for his ventures. As he is a very fine man, we await further developments with interest.

The tomato market commenced to decline on Tuesday morning. Prices went down to nine cents by noon, when we left the station. Conwell & Co. are the principal shippers; they paid various prices, but the canneries dropped to the above mentioned figures.

The Harbeson cannery is getting large quantities of corn from beyond Milton, as well as at other points.

Robert Morris, who has been confined to his room at the home of his father, for several weeks with typhoid fever has recovered and last week resumed his position as a salesman in a store in Dover.

Mr. John Simpler and wife, and Mr. George Baker and wife, after spending a pleasant time at Broadkiln Beach, returned to their homes on Monday.

Our friend, Wolfe, of the Lewes Pilot, whose writings we always appreciate—and this is said in all sincerity—quotes an advertisement matrimonial from last week’s issue of the Chronicle, under the name of “Crusader.” Were we more matrimonially inclined, we could not do better than our friend has done for us with the tremendous circulation of the Chronicle, combined with the next best motive medium of information in the State, the Pilot, these two ads, must tell. We will inform you, Brother Wolfe, of our success further on, for the benefit of the “Lewes physician” and yourself.