July 22, 1904

The camp meeting to be held at Lavinia’s Woods is scheduled to begin on the 5th of August. The committee for the various purposes–cleaning off the ground, purchasing lumber and making the seats–have been elected and will soon begin their work.

Rev. G. W. Hines, pastor of the Milton M. P. Church, will have charge of the meeting, and expresses a desire of making it a Christian camp meeting.

On Thursday David Hickman, of Lewes, appeared before Squire Collins of Milton and sued out a warrant for the arrest of Robert Scott, also of Lewes, on the charge of assault and battery. The case came to trial on the afternoon of the same day. Mr. Scott was acquitted. After the trial Mr. Hickman, fired up a little more with bug juice and went back to the office and proceeded to give the justice of peace of his mind. Among other things he told me if he had treated him a few more times, he would have decided the case in his favor. He became quite boisterous, and the squire imposed a fine of $5.00 for using profane language. Hickman declared he wouldn’t play it! The Squire ordered the door locked, which the constable did, putting the key in his pocket. In the meantime Hickman entered an anteroom and went through the window out on the upper floor of the porch; and while the Squire was hallooing, “Catch him! Catch him!” and the constable was fumbling about trying to get the key into the lock to let themselves out, Hickman slid down one of the porch posts to the ground, alighting on a bicycle and landing in the gutter. He soon recovered himself and started on a run when turning into the passageway of around the Ponder House he saw a man coming with a broom, and supposing he was after him, fell down again and hallooing: “O, let me go! Let me go!” and the man said “Go!” And he went. The last news we have heard of him, he was lying along the road a short distance from town, dreaming of the evil-minded people of Milton. No effort has been made to capture him.

John O. Clifton has purchased the privilege of running the hours spent on and confectionery at Lavinia’s camp for $1.30.

John Robbins of near town, is building an annex to his dwelling […] ft., and a stable and barn 275 sq. ft.

The store of Robert walls, of Stevensonville, was closed by the constable on Wednesday, and the sale of the goods is advertised to take place on Tuesday, the 26th inst.

Some miscreants cut a spoke in one of the wheels of a Dearborn wagons at S. J. Wilson & Son’s bazaar on Sunday night.

The wagon is a new one, and the spoke is whittled with a knife. Mr. Wilson will give ten dollars to know the person who did it.

Rev. G. W. Hines is endeavoring to organize a large choir for the coming camp meeting. All denominations are urged to join in. Rehearsals and practice will be held at the M. P. Church.

Owing to the wet weather the reopening of New Market Church on last Sunday was held in the church instead of in the grove, as at first intended. Many citizens from Milton were in attendance, among them the musical “Welch family.” Among other selections Mr. Welch sang a composition of his own entitled, “My Old New Market Home.”[i] It is said that tears ran down the cheeks of the older residents of that locality; and Mr. Welch was hugged and squeezed almost to death by the delighted ones whose fond memories were stirred by each recurring reminiscence produced by these stanzas.

Rev. J. Malory, a former minister of the Milton M. P. Church, occupied the pulpit on Sunday evening.

For the last three weeks corn has made a phenomenal growth. It is looking green and healthy, and bids fair for a large crop.

Cora H. Marker, aged 27 years, died on Monday from the effect of an electric shock received on Saturday. The deceased lived at Ellendale. The funeral services were held at slaughter neck church on Wednesday afternoon by the Rev. Mr. Taylor and interment made in the cemetery nearby, S. J. Wilson & Son undertakers.

The Misses Mayme and Laura Conner have returned from a 10 days visit to Frederica.

The polls for the Milton telephone system are all up. The line starts up from the extreme limit of Union Street, north, thence into town.

Captain Wallace Smith is quite ill with an abscess of the lungs.

————————————

[i] See the article on J. B. Welch and his poetry for the text of the song