The hope of immortality is pregnant in the breast of every thinking person. The love of life is innate; and are enamored with the blessings we have and the beauties we see around us, naturally desire to live again. Shall we? The instinct of immortality, so eloquently uttered by the death devoted Greek, in the beautiful drama of Ion finds a deep response to every thoughtful heart. “When about to yield his young existence as a sacrifice to fate, his beloved Clemanthe asks if they shall not meet again, to which he replies “I have asked that dreadful question of the hills that look eternal—of the streams that flow forever—of the stars among whose fields of azure my raised spirit hath walked in glory. All were dumb. But when I gaze upon thy face, I feel that there is something in the love that mantles through its beauty that cannot wholly perish. We shall meet again Clemanthe.”[i] And the Greek’s answer is our answer.

The Wagamon Brothers are doing a noble action by keeping the lake full of water at this season. As a hygiene measure our olfactories are free from the nauseating smell of the mud that is fearfully in evidence when the lake is low, and consequently better health is expected. As a means of delight to our sensuous natures the tops of the old stumps are all hidden when the lake is full of water, while the contrary is seen when the water in the lake is low, keeping the lake full of water is certainly a disadvantage to none, except to the terrapins that cannot crawl out on top of the stumps to sun themselves, as they can when the water is low, and the stumps are bare.

William H. Taft is nominated for president on the Republican ticket, everyone knows that. And William J. Bryan will be nominated for president on the Democrat ticket. Everyone knows that. They wear turned down collars. Everyone knows that. And that is a mark of superior wisdom and mental activity. Everybody knows that. But they both can’t be elected. Everybody knows that. Which shall it be? Everybody don’t know that.

During the past week James A. Betts has hauled out, repainted, and launched the yacht Ramona. Since the death of her husband, Alexander McCoy, which occurred in March in 1907, his young widow, Mrs. Matilda McCoy, Has had charge of this launch. “Captain Tilly” is an expert in handling the craft, and during the summer time, and beach season, steams up and down the Broadkiln to the breakwater and to Lewes in the Ramona with her lady friends from Philadelphia and elsewhere. A female sailor is an oddity in Milton, but why not be a sailor, as well as a preacher?

Earle Reed came near being the victim of a serious accident on Thursday. For stepping over a moving pulley at C. G. Waples mill his overalls caught near the foot and, together with one half of his drawers, were torn from his body. One of his legs was hurt and he was compelled to use a crutch in walking for several days after.

William Betts has removed a one story building from the country to the lot he purchased from the town, on Federal Street, and intends building to it.

Dr. Edward Vaughan of Middletown visited his mother and sister last week.

William Warren has put another oven in his bakery.

Adolphus Johnson has laid a pavement in front of his dwelling on Chestnut Street and Mrs. Eliza Vaughan has raised her sidewalk with dirt, on the same street.

G. B. and C. H. Atkins, Jr., have finished the painting of David Wiltbank’s new residence on Federal Street.

Dr. Will Hearn of Philadelphia came to Milton last Thursday by rail, and went back to the city on Saturday in his launch Mandy. He will return to the beach in a short time.

The lady on Federal Street who went to Reynolds Church on Children’s Day with a “wisp broom” for a fan said: “It wasn’t me!” When relating the circumstance, as I found it in the Milton Times, I expressed the belief that it would be true, when a lady present said: “It’s not unlikely, for last summer I started to the beach with a pair of stockings for my long gloves and did not find out my mistake until too late.

The Milton National Bank is located on the corner of Front and Federal Streets. The residence of Joshua Gray joins the National Bank building and fronts on Federal Street. On the inside of these two buildings, where a good job of carpentry should have been made, there is a vacuum of about a foot i.e. the buildings lack that much of coming together; and the space has never been floored over. On Sunday morning Mr. Gray and his little two year old child were in the attic; and while the father was busy at something else, the child fell through this vacuum from attic to the cellar. Mr. Gray missed child, and hear its cries as though they came from another world. With difficulty he descended through the space into the cellar, which is under the bank and came up the cellar way into the bank, and was let out by one of the officers who had been notified. The child was bruised considerably, but medical aid soon brought it all right. The space between the buildings will be floored over now.

J. Carey Palmer has purchased of the proper persons one and three-fourths of the Odd Fellow’s Cemetery on Union Street.

Captain W. H. Megee and wife are the guests of their Milton children.

Miss Maymie Conner, after a visit of four weeks in Philadelphia, returned to her home on Saturday.

The Douglass Short and Overall Factory, after an enforced closure of several weeks, resumed business on Monday.

Another kiln of 165,000 bricks was burned at the Lofland Bros. works last week.

On Sunday evening at the M. P. Parsonage, by the Rev. G. R. McCready, Miss Mary Morris and Captain Rufus Reed were joined in wedlock. Both parties are of Milton.

At the school election held on Saturday, there were three tickets run, and a spirited contest was made. The result was the election of Dr. J. C. Wiltbank, R. M. Collins, and J. C. Lank, commissioners to serve for three years. The latter is one of the old board re-elected. The Board met on Monday morning and elected the following officers: President, J. H. Davidson; Secretary, Dr. J. C. Wiltbank; treasurer, T. H. Douglass.

An installation of officers of the Epworth League took place at the M. E. Church, on Sunday evening, viz. President, Dr. J. C. Wiltbank; Vice President, Virginia Brockinton; Secretary, Miss Lydia Black; Treasurer, Captain G. E. Megee.

Wesley Coverdale has been appointed night watchman at the Royal Packing Company’s works.

The last of the lemons on Miss Hettie J. Conner’s tree has ripened and fallen off. It was as large as a man’s fist.

Another schedule has gone into effect on the M. D. & V. R. R., and on the D. M. & V. R. R., whereby no connection is made at Ellendale for Milton at noon. Passengers from the north en route for Milton must take the evening train or hire a private conveyance from Ellendale to Milton, or walk. The evening trains make connection.

Town treasurer, J. H. Davidson sued Jim Palmer for $2.50, dog tax. The case was to have been tried on Tuesday the 23^rd, but by request of the defendant, was postponed until Saturday evening at 7.30 p. m. At that time the defendant failing to appear, the Mayor gave judgment for the amount; which, together with the cost, amounted to $5.00.

George Kimmey of Philadelphia is a Milton guest.

Harry Owens, Station Agent, spent Sunday in Philadelphia.

James C. Davidson, aged 9 months and 15 days, died at the residence of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Davidson, near Reynolds Church, on Monday. Funeral and burial at Slaughter Neck Cemetery on Tuesday by S. J. Wilson.[ii]

The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Steward H. Steen died on Monday in Slaughter Neck. Interment in Slaughter Neck Cemetery on Tuesday, by S. J. Wilson.

The infant child of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gooner died in Prime Hook on Sunday. Interment in Slaughter Neck Cemetery on Monday by S. J. Wilson & Son.

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[i] This is an excerpt from a play by the British dramatist Serjeant Talfourd, “Ion,” a Victorian expansion of a Greek myth. Conner first used it in the October 18, 1901 issue.

[ii] Cause of death was listed on the death register as cholera infantum, one of the leading causes of infant mortality in Sussex County during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cause of death of the Steen and Gooner infants was listed as “weakness.” Suffice it to say that three infant deaths within three days of each other, in the same general area, was heartbreaking; no one can know what the undertaker may have felt in burying three infants inside of two days.