July 8, 1910

Early one morning last week, we started on a tramp up the railroad track. When we arrived at Lavinia Road we saw that afire had burned a corner off the pine wood on the Lavinia tract. As we understood afterward, the fire caught from a locomotive passing by, and was extinguished by the men burning charcoal nearby. We also learned that there is considerable coal burned on this tract—the ancient Peter B. Jackson property—and its shipment will begin soon. New kilns have been made, and there is wood to make still others. The burners expect to be engaged on this job the remainder of the year. Passing down Lavinia Road and coming a roundabout way toward Milton, we met an acquaintance from the burnt district of last spring’s fire in Broadkiln and Georgetown hundreds, who recall he almost miraculous hair-breadth escape at the time. Father on across the bridge we found Captain James Scull shoveling dirt o haul on the streets of Milton., Captain Scull gave us an object lesson on geology, demonstrating it buy the striated earth and deposits of clay and loam which have been collected in this bank during the various eons of the world, as the water receded and left its deposit of sediment behind, and when we arrived in town we found the supervisor of streets and his “man Friday” making ready to use the clay and loan, of Federal Street, that Captain Scull was preparing to send to them.

The M. D. & V. R. R. Co. has a fine roadbed in the vicinity of Milton. This company takes good care of its road around here.

When the shirt and overall factory is closed the manager, Thomas H. Douglass, is repairing his chicken house and white washing his outbuildings.

A felt roof has been put on the John Burton property, corner Walnut and Front Streets.

Joshua Carey was waiting around last week, and when questioned regarding his health, said “I’ve been trying to die for two weeks and can’t and I suppose I’m going to get well.” Mr. Carey is 80.

There appears to be something the matter with the hogs hereabouts. Last week Alfred Lofland lost one; this week Benjamin Carpenter lost another, and has another affected.

Tomatoes in the field look splendid so far as we have seen.

Steamer Marie Thomas left Milton Dock on Saturday morning, under charter, by Bridgeport, N. J. parties, to freight truck between that port and Philadelphia.

Schooner Annie Russell arrived here last week with a cargo of coal for Charles Virden.

West Chester State Normal School (teachers college) ca. 1908

Miss Mary Carey, a student at West Chester Normal School, is spending her vacation with her parents.

John C. Jones is building an annex to his residence on Chestnut Street.

Joseph Walls lost one of his valuable driving horses last week.

Miss Nellie Waples has had a wire fence put to her property fronting on Church Street.

Captain George A. Godwin, wife and son, George A., Jr., left on Thursday for Lubec[i], Maine, and will take in Eastport, Passamaquoddy Bay and enjoy some of the scenery along the St. Croix River.

A workman from the Georgetown Electric plant has been lightening up the wires in Milton during the past week. Some of them had sagged so much that person could almost reach them passing by.

The Royal Packing Company has installed the electric lights in the almost completed building of the Palmer Block. The skeletons of the porches are up and with good luck these buildings may probably be completed by the fall.

Post Office Inspector Plummer was in town on Thursday, and inspected the new office in the Palmer Block. As it is not yet finished the postmaster will not remove therein until August 1st.

Mrs. Alena Richardson, of Dover, was the guest of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Atkins, last week.

Captain David Dutton engaged in Wilmington, was home with his family over Sunday.

Miss Edith Wilson, of Philadelphia, is visiting her mother and grandmother on North Union Street.

Another schedule went into effect on the M. D. & V. R. R. on July 1st, whereby Milton get no noon mail. The mail train now arrives at Milton at 11:-90 a. m., and misses connection with the D. M. & V. at Ellendale. Therefore what ought to be our noon mail—including daily papers—goes to Lewes, and comes back to us on the M. D. & V. 5.10 train going west. Each year during the summer we suffer this inconvenience as our railroad is engaged in the excursion business between Baltimore and Rehoboth City.

H. R. Draper, the Royal Packing Company and Goodwin Bros. have been shipping canned goods.

Roland Maull, of Philadelphia, attended the funeral of his sister on Thursday.

Dr. J. C. Wiltbank has enclosed a [part of his front porch with mosquito netting to keep in the heat, and keep put the insects, and has made a very good job of it for a dentist.

The first peaches of the season were in town last week. Such peaches ought to be taken care of by the Board of Health. It is useless to talk about sanitary conditions when such stuff is allowed to be sold on the market.

The camp meeting management has adopted a new plan to dispose of the camp privileges this year. Instead of selling them at public auction it well receive sealed bids—if any are tendered—until July 20th, and dispose to the highest bidder.

H. R. Draper has an automobile. A brand new one, and no second had affair. Also a suitable garage in which to keep it.

The first morning session of the M. E. Sunday School was held on Sunday. Quite a goodly number were out. More than we thought would be.

Mrs. Virgie Walls, of near town, is quite ill.

Master Dawson Robinson has an attack of typhoid at his home on Federal Street.

On Sunday afternoon about 5 o’clock a gentle rain set in unaccompanied by wind or lighting and thunder, and continued until well into the night. The rain was needed, and did much good […] ushering in a morning beautify to behold, yet the Fourth of July was not unlike any other day in Milton, except the closing of the banks, some stores, and a suspension of mechanical work. Those of our citizens on pleasure and amusement inclined sought it elsewhere, and presumably had “a good time.” The absence of the fire cracker may have dispirited the small boy to an extent, but they congregated in groups of three or four and played in their gardens, up the trees and were exempt of casualties of any sort during the day. The lawn at the M. E. Church was intended to be the scene of public speaking in the evening. A stand was built in the morning and the ground around decorated with small flags for the anticipated event. About 3 o’clock in the afternoon a heavy thunderstorm came on in which was displayed much electric commotion. Telephone communication with Georgetown was knocked out by the lightning, and several of the electric lights in town were out of commission. Under these conditions the lawn and grounds thereabout, with all the preparations made, were considered unfit to use. The […] in the M. E. Church were hors du combat[ii], and the proposed meeting took place in the M. P. Church, which the electric current had not […]. The meeting was conducted by local [..], the Rev. Frank Holland being the principal speaker. Rev. I. F. Lank and others participated. And thus ended Fourth of July 1910.

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered at the M. E. Church on Sunday morning.

The shirt and overall factory, after a closure of two weeks, resumes work on Tuesday.

Miss Mayme A. Conner returned from a visit to Philadelphia on Tuesday.

(Undated) Milton M. P. Church Sunday School excursion group at Milton R.R. station

The M. P Sunday School will make an excursion on the M. D. & V. R. R. to Rehoboth on the 28 inst.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Warren, of Philadelphia, have been visiting his sister, Mrs. Lambert L. Warrington, near Milton, and his uncle, Frank Warren, of Lincoln City.

A son of Nicholas Plummer, living in Broadkiln Neck, was badly hooked by a cow on Monday morning. The boy was milking the cow, and the mosquitoes being numerous the cow was trying to keep them off, and struck the boy with one of her sharp horns in the right temple, and lacerated the whole side of the cheek to the throat. The boy was brought to Milton, and Dr. R. B. Hopkins did the rest.

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[i] Lubec is the easternmost town in the United States, just a few miles from the Canadian border.

[ii] “Out of action”