“Land of the beautiful, the brave,
The freeman’s home, the martyr’s grave,
The nursery of giant men,
Whose deeds are linked with every glen,
My own green land, forever!”[i]
“The glorious fourth” was celebrated on the fifth. The civilization of the twentieth century has almost eliminated the practice of using firecrackers and other explosives on the Fourth of July, except with the very young, who are ever eager to hear something pop. On this day the mature and aged persons like to hear of something patriotic, or to sit down and retrospect the history of this country for the last one and a third century, contracting its condition at that time with its developments of today and its progress, morally, financially and scientifically.
“What a wonderful land is ours!
With broad arms stretched from short to shore,
The great Pacific chafes its stand.
It hears the dark Atlantic road.”
We give thanks today to the great Almoner of all good for the blessings he has so bountifully bestowed upon this land of ours and while we celebrate our Nation’s birth we pray that the blessings of the past may continue to the future and that our children and our children’s children may enjoy the land even more than we have. The day passed pleasantly in Milton, it was a splendid day. A game of baseball was played in the morning and one in the afternoon between Milton and Milford. Milton was victor in the forenoon and Milford in the afternoon. At Jester’s Park in the afternoon there were many kinds of games, and in the evening there was a moving picture show and patriotic speeches, by T. H. Douglass, Mayor Jones, J. A. Walls, C. H. Atkins, Jr., J. M. Lank, and the Rev. A. C. McGilton. There were a great many people in Milton on this day, and all appeared to be happy. Firemen Band was ubiquitous, and one of the important factors in the sum total of all exercises. We are aware of but one casualty: in the afternoon game of baseball Clarence Mustard in running to a base collided with another player and broke his (Mustard’s) nose. The consensus of opinion is, “We had a good time!”
On Friday, as James Waples, colored, was hauling a load of green oak lumber of over 700 feet to a siding between Milton and Ellendale, he stopped at the home of William Salmons to get a drink of water. After which he jumped on his wagon and started his team. There was a little child of Salmons about two years old, playing in the road, which he did not see until he was nearly on it. In vain he tried to stop the team, but could not do so and the fore wheel passed over the child, across it loins. The driver scared nearly to death jumped off the wagon, expecting to find the victim dead. Strange as it may appear it was comparatively unhurt. The child was brought to a physician in town, who pronounced no bones broker, and it is doing well. This may appear to be a miraculous tale, or a special interposition of providence to save the life of the child, or an impossible story. We relate it as given to us by the driver with whom we have been acquainted for over thirty years, and whose veracity we have no reason to doubt.
On Thursday a man of Milton went into Rehoboth Hundred and stayed the remainder of the week harrowing a man’s crop of corn, who is unable to do it himself, and charged him nothing, This is exemplifying part of the :”golden rule,” “Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.”
Captain W. H. Megee and wife of Philadelphia are Milton guests.
W. W. Conwell, banker, is cutting a large quantity of piling from the tract of timber near Lavinia woods, which he lately purchased from the estate of the later Mrs. Pete B. Jackson,. The D. M. & V. R. R. Co, at Mr. Conwell’s expense has put a small switch, capable of holding three cars at this point, not only to facilitate transportation to the northern market but to save the tedious and enormous hauling that is necessary to reach the Milton station; which is near as the crow flies, but “devilish long” as a man said, “when you go by hand.”
The packing of peas at the Royal Company closed last week, with profit to many growers, and loss to others.
Dr. Wm. E. Douglass. Of this town, a recent graduate from the Jefferson Medical College, has been recommended by the Examining Board of the Delaware Medical Society for license to practice medicine and surgery in Delaware.
The steamer Marie Thomas has been again chartered for the service of the Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse near the Jersey coast.
Miss Mary Carey returned from West Chester Normal School on Monday, and will spend the summer with her parents near town.
R. J. Blocksom and wife of Magnolia were in attendance on Mrs. Blocksom’s sick sister, Mrs. Joshua Carey, last week.
Rev. W. W. W. Wilson, D. D., formerly of Milton and raised here, now pastor of Dekalb Avenue M. E. Church, Brooklyn, N. Y., sailed with his daughter, Miss […] Edna, on the Rotterdam, on Tuesday morning the 29th ult,, for an extended trip through Europe, including the British Isles. They will return by the […] from Liverpool to Montreal about the first of September.
William Stevens, wheelwright and carriage trimmer, has had an upper story put upon the front porch of his shop.
Charles Virden and wife of Philadelphia are the guests of Milto0n friends.
Goodwin Bros. & Conwell are shipping canned goods as are the Draper Company.
Milton is now without a justice-of-the-peace, the commission of […] Collins having expired.
Anson Rought has graded a piece of ground in the rear of his residence on Federal Street for lawn tennis purposes.
A lawn social was held on the green adjoining the M. E. Church on last Saturday evening, and under the auspices of the ladies of that denomination. The object being to raise a fund to screen the church windows. The lawn was nicely decorated and lighted with electric lights for the occasion. The effect was pretty. Tutti frutti and other twentieth century delicacies were in profusion. The receipts were normal but no Cape May tourists were on hand.
Captain Thomas Chase of Reynolds Mill brought three baskets of ripe tomatoes to town and received for them $1.25 a basket. Captain Chase has several acres of this vegetable that were set out early and will be ready to pick for shipment next week.
William Wharton of Philadelphia was a Milton visitor this week.
Miss Elsie King is visiting in Swedesboro, N. J.
Fred Welch and wife of Philadelphia are the guests of J. B. Welch and wife.
James A. Walls, a student of Dickerson College, preached at the M. E. Church on Sunday evening.
J. B. Atkins has completed the painting of postmaster John Black’s residence, corner Chestnut and Wharton Streets.
A son of E. W. Warren and one of Arthur Jefferson are suffering with typhoid fever.
Mr. […] Blizzard and bride returned to Milton on Monday evening.
Frank Manship of Philadelphia was here on the Fourth.
Mrs. Robert Morris’ residence on north Union Street is being painted by Outten and […].
J. L. […] of Philadelphia spent […] with ex-State Treasurer C. H. Atkins and family. Mr. Atkins is still convalescing.
Harrison W. Spencer, son of Mr. and Mrs. T Spencer, died on Thursday morning, aged 1 year 9 months and 4 days. Funeral services were held at the parents’ residence on Saturday afternoon and sepulture made in the Presbyterian Cemetery. Rev. J. D. Smith performed the last sad rites, and S. J. Wilson & Son inhumed the body.
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[i] Excerpt from the poem New England, by J. G. Whittier, first published 1832. The fifth line of this excerpt in fact precedes the other four in the actual poem,