Saint Patrick’s Day is passed; the “sun has crossed the line,” the Methodist Episcopal Conference of 1909, held at Milford, is amongst the things that were; and the Rev. A. C. McGilton is returned to this charge for another year. All this has happened in one eventful week, or nearly so; and if we include the inauguration of President Taft, we must say that March 1909 has been an eventful month. But what is all this ado about changing the day of the presidential inauguration from the fourth of March to some other day? Let it alone! Any day set apart for this work might at times, present some disadvantage, on account of weather or some other unpreventable cause, as did the last fourth of March. The day for the inauguration of the president, St. Patrick’s Day, the day the “Sun crosses the line,” and the date for holding the Wilmington Methodist Episcopal Conference—from the 17th to the 22nd of March—are indissolubly connected and it would not be fair to the patron Saint of the Emerald Isle, and to the procession of the equinoxes, to change this historic quadrennial of March to some other month and some other day, without changing the other also. The fourth of March was a bad day for sure. The meteorological bureau said it was a “flareback.” Well it did “flare back” some! It was something like Hettie Conner’s bottle of catsup, related in last week’s communication, when the stopper flew out of the bottle and the catsup struck the ceiling it took a “flareback” and flare backed all over the room, and everyone in it. And when the storm of the 3rd struck the statue of “Liberty, Enlightening the World,” it produced a “flareback”—so said the weather man—and flare backed on Washington, and its gay company, catching them “san culottes.”[i] O, no! Let’s no change inauguration day!
The sidewalks at the upper part of Federal Street are being arranged in conformity with the late town survey. Edwin P. Johnson has taken down his front fence and extended his lawn to the sidewalk; and also run the division fence between himself and Miss Ida Ponder to the last mentioned limit. The lawn will—in lieu of a fence—be enclosed with California privet.
David Wiltbank will put a temporary wire fence in front of his lawn until the grass gets started. These arrangements will make a difference in the southern part of Federal Street, and give to the property holders more commodious frontage for lawns and parterres.
Noble Ellingsworth, chief of the “Ellingsworth Fox Hunting Club,” has obtained a situation with Captain Lucian Darby on the tugboat Lightning of the American Dredging Company and left Milton on Wednesday.
On Friday afternoon when the west bound train from Lewes due here at 1.12 o’clock arrived, it was pushing ahead of it a box car loaded with bricks from the Lofland Bros. brickyard. In trying to switch the car off it was derailed; and in getting it back on the track, the train was detained until 4 o‘clock, to the disappointment of some passengers, who wanted to go to Milford.
Thursday of last week was “big Thursday” at Milford, on account of the Methodist Conference held there. Twenty persons went on the train from Milton and many others from Broadkiln went by teams.
Last Friday a lot of the rude boys of Milton went to Williams School to whip a boy. Not finding the one they wanted they got hold of Clinton Lofland, the fourteen year old son of John Lofland of that district, wanting some fun and handled him pretty rough, striking him with a black jack, and he went home covered with blood. Mt. Lofland was in town on Saturday morning. Not wishing to prosecute the case he was looking for the boys’ parents. He said he had found one father, who took his son who was in the melee, tied him in the barn and gave him a sound thrashing. When we last saw Mr. Lofland he was looking for the fathers of the other boys.
Truckers nearby have commenced to plough and many have potatoes, onions and peas planted.
Shad are scarce this week on account of the weather. The fishermen are not fishing.
Samuel Burris is making some additions to his property on Chestnut Street.
H. K. Wagamon is having a brick wall put around his property. When completed this will form a beautiful terrace for flowers and ferns.
Mrs. Charles H. Belmont of Montreal, Canada, has been the guest of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. S. Betts.
James Johnson of Philadelphia visited his sick mother, Mrs. Lydia A. Johnson, last week.
The ground has been excavated and leveled and the material is in readiness for building a switch at the railroad station for the use of H. R. Draper.
Coming in town in his bus on Saturday night James Jester saw a lad lying nearly in his track on Poplar Street. There was a crowd of boys and women around him. The boy is supposed to have been drunk, or overcome by cigarette smoking. Mr. Jester put him into the bus and carried him home.
There were no preaching services at any of the churches on Sunday. Rev. McCready is yet confined to his home; and the Rev. McGilton was in attendance at conference. We stated last week the Rev. J. P. Outten of Kent Island would preach at the M. E. Church, last Sunday, but that gentleman “did not show up.” Our statement was based on the announcement made from the pulpit.
Rev. J. L. McKim will preach at the church of St. John Baptist, this town on next Sunday the 28th both morning and evening.
On Saturday evening Town Council elected John B. Mustard, supervisor of the streets, town bailiff, and tax collector, at a salary of $250.00 per annum, which with the percentage of tax collections will make the salary about $340.00.
We saw our first robins on Monday morning, hopping on the sward, around the “old camp ground.”
“Paul Pry” need not be offended at being called “Swamp Angel” that was a heroic gun until it burst. We hope this will not be the late of the Ellendale correspondent; and yet we don’t know how our friend feels, over being call “swamp angel.”
William B. Tomlinson is ill at his home on Federal Street.
J. B. Welch is confined to his home with la grippe, or a combination of some other evils.
The box social held in Masonic Temple on Saturday evening netted the management $25.00.
William H. Warrington died near Hollyville, Tuesday evening, of paralysis, aged 56 years, 7 months and 19 days. Funeral services were held on Thursday at his late home, and burial made at Old Joseph Cemetery, on the Mitchell Vaughan farm by S. J. Wilson & Son.
Hettie A. Pepper, wife of George Pepper, died near Coolspring on Saturday of […] aged 56 years, 2 months and 24 days. Funeral at Presbyterian Church on Tuesday afternoon, by the Rev. J. R. Henderson, and interment in the adjacent cemetery by S. J. Wilson & Son.
[…] John C. Palmer died at his home on Walnut Street, south Milton, on Monday morning, of general debility, aged 76 years, 2 months and 8 days. The funeral service was held at his late residence on Wednesday afternoon, by the Rev. A. C. McGilton, D. D., and interment made in the M. E. Cemetery, by the side of his son who was buried [seven] weeks ago. Deceased leaves a widow and three sons, Capt. J. Carey Palmer, Benjamin R. Palmer, and Robert Palmer, all of Milton.
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The infant son of William Heavalow died suddenly on Tuesday morning, aged 8 months. Funeral on Thursday afternoon, and interment at the A. M. E. Cemetery, by J. R. Atkins.
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[i] “Sans culottes” literally translates to “no pants,” and was a term given to the common people of the lower classes of late 18th century France—the source of many of the radicals of the French Revolution. In this instance, it translates more aptly to “with their pants down.”