July 17, 1908

We recognize the duty of a newspaper correspondent, as well as the editor of a newspaper, to educate the people as much as in them lieth. The saying, and possibly the truth, of years ago, that “People don’t read the papers” is erroneous today. The local papers are read with avidity, particularly by the young and by the children; and if there is a correspondent from their town his letter is devoured to see about themselves. Strange; but true, that many people, intelligent and smart, do not know what is going on in their own town until they see the papers. True, there are some editors who don’t know much, and some correspondents who know less that do the editors, yet, as we see it, it is the duty of each mentioned to give to the public the best he has, and let the public take what suits it. This, of course, applies to opinions and metaphysics; local items of news are supposed to be chronicled as they occur but are not always so done. So the general desire the editor of a weekly paper is news, and news, so correspondent is often handicapped in trying to write something he thinks would be of benefit, and please the readers, because the editor thinks otherwise, and it is not the kind of news he wants. Enough of this.

On Sunday morning Captain George A. Goodwin and wife, nee, Miss Elizabeth M. Conner, left for a visit to Mr. Goodwin’s mother, and other friends, at Lubec, and to enjoy for a short time the cooling breezes on the coast of Maine.

The Rev. C. A. Behringer, Sr., a former rector of the church of St. John Baptist in this town but now rector at Swedesboro, N. J., will visit Milton on the 28 inst. in company with Mrs. Behringer and the Rev. Charles A. Behringer, Jr[i]. While here they will be the guests of Mrs. Behringer’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph King and family.

William Leonard and wife of Camden, N. J., are being entertained by the former’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. James P. Leonard.

Mrs. Jane Sharp has had a new roof put on her home residence on Federal Street.

Milton is getting to be quite a place for the repairs of boats, vessels, and launches for other places as well as at home. William Ramsey of Alexandria, Va., who is spending the summer on Lewes Beach, has his launch here and hauled out on Mount Ararat dock, where C. C. Davidson is at work on her. Another launch from Philadelphia had some repairs made to her at Milton dick, last week.

Schooner James A. Carey has been re-caulked preparatory to an expected charter.

Supervisor Dickerson has, during the past week, trimmed up the bushes and cut the grass along the morass on Magnolia Street; and various other streets of the town have also received his attention.

Elmer Dickerson has removed from Camden, N. J. to Milton, his former home, and occupies a part of the Emma Morris property on Chestnut Street.

John Lank of Philadelphia has joined his wife and baby, who have been visiting his mother and other friends for some weeks.

C. H. Atkins Jr. has finished the painting of Mears barber establishment, on Federal Street.

Ike Bailey and Joe Long have painted the smokestacks at the Goodwin works, and themselves. There are others that need it. Smokestacks we mean.

Butter beans and baked otter are a new menu.

John Crouch has had his front teeth gold filled.

Dr. Leonard and “D. A. C.” stroll out to the station on evenings to see the train go by. This has no particular significance.

William Fosque is still keeping bachelor hall.

Joseph S. King has been appointed by the Levy Court Constable for the Tenth Representative District, and charge of affairs at Milton.

Prof. Ed Bacon says, “______if that tower ain’t got to go in front of the church.

“Hot weather.” “Well, yes it is, but?” Nut Sam Wilson don’t care about hot weather if he can get plenty of ice cream. Sam can eat more of this article than any woman in Milton; and this is saying a great deal when we are reminded of the capacity of the feminine maw for this delicacy.

J. B. Welch, horologist and hymnologist, can make out during the heated term if he, only, can be let alone. John thinks with Sancho Panza, “God bless the man who first invented sleep.”

Prof. Fearing is sweltering with non-chalance, anticipatory of the comfortable siestas he will have during the preaching hour, a few weeks hence, on Lavinia Camp Ground.

G. W. Atkins, the hustler, thinks if he can be able to make another trip over the peninsula before the camp, he will be O. K. and able to stop off for ten days refreshments.

A movement was started to change the evening services at the M. E. Church to twilight services and a shorter sermon. But it was opposed; and the old order of things yet obtain. A woman said, on Sunday morning: “The devil’s in that church!” We don’t know.

One of the barges being builded [sic] at Carey’s landing is caulked; bottom and sides, and the deck frame on. She will soon be ready in launch.

Robert Collins shipped last week a car load of Irish potatoes, grown by himself.

Alison Blizzard of Wilmington was the guest of Miss May Welch, on Sunday.

Albert Kuny of Wilmington, the former baker for William Warren, has engaged the job again, and is at work.

On Sunday Mrs. John Crouch celebrated the anniversary of her 50th birthday. The big Crouches and he little crouches—eighteen in number—were all there for dinner and tea; and the way the refreshments were gulped down can only be appreciated by he who holds the pocket book.

Mulberry Street from the lake to the northern suburb of town has been nicely graded and guttered, and on Tuesday the maple trees near Lavinia Street were trimmed.

The camp meeting committee is getting ready to do something on the ground about Thursday. There is honor in being a member of a camp meeting committee. The only requirement is that the member give one day’s work, or send a man in his place to do it.

Schooner James A. Carey has been chartered to freight hay in New Jersey.

Mrs. Ralph Megee is quite ill at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Wiltbank.

Joseph Walls butchered a beef on Tuesday, the liver of which weighed 17½ pounds.

During a thunderstorm about noon on Tuesday, lightning struck and shivered a large cedar standing in a corner of the front yard of the Robert Morris farm, near town. Joseph Walls was coming into town with a load of beef when the incident occurred, and was within about 100 yards of the tree. He was not stunned but frightened.

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[i] The “Rev.” Charles Behringer, Jr. was a toddler, 16 months of age, at the time this letter was written. This is another of David A. Conner’s witticisms in the same vein as his honorifics for “Dr.” Leonard and “Prof.” Fearing. Rev. Charles Behringer, Sr., married Avarilla King in April 1906, in one of the splashier weddings of the day as reported by Conner in the letter of April 20, 1906.