“The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears were like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.”[i]
The 32nd Annual Convention of the Delaware Women’s Christian Temperance Union convened in Milton M. E. Church on Wednesday afternoon of last week. On the noon train of Wednesday the women came down 29 strong, and the evening train brought many more. During the three days session of the Convention the women appeared to be enjoying themselves, when on the streets, taking in the beauties of Milton; and we opine the town will not suffer any detraction in the estimation of the State by having had the W. C. T. U. Convention in our midst. While we must concede that the women attending this convention are of the genuine type of American beauty, yet we cannot believe the aestheticism of the ladies of Milton has been intensified by the personnel of their visitors. Truly, age hath its triumphs as well as youth. The convention adjourned on Friday evening and on Saturday morning the visitors left for their homes.
The “medicine man,” having gleaned from all the fools of Milton, left the town with his troupe on Friday morning (or Georgetown, where good picking is expected during “court week ” And now, as we have been over-stimulated during the past week, this week we are experiencing the reaction. ‘Tis ever thus.
An “All Day Service” was held at the M. E. Church on Sunday to celebrate and raise money to pay for the pipe organ and the recent repairs to the church. At 9.30 a. m. love feast was conducted by Rev. R. K. Stevenson, D. D., District Superintendent. At 10.30 Rev. T. E. Martindale D. D. of Salisbury, Md., preached an excellent sermon of thirty-five minutes length from 1st Cor:16—and a part of the 13th verse: “Quit you like men.” As the text implies the discourse was on “manhood” and the subject was well handled. After the sermon it was announced that the pipe organ, and the repairs and the repainting of the church, was at the cost of $2700; $1500 of which had been paid; and $1200 more was required to fully liquidate the debt. $600 of this amount was raised at the morning service. At the afternoon service Judge Henry C. Conrad, of Georgetown, presided. Addresses were made by Edgar Lank, attorney-at-law, of Philadelphia, and Dr. Jos. Conwell, of Vineland, N. J., both former Milton boys, and the subjects of their talks was of the Milton of years ago. Papers were read and quotations made by others present. And $100 was raised at this service toward the collection fund. The evening service was a sermon by the District Superintendent, followed by the dedication of the organ. And the whole amount of the $1200 was made up at this time. And we must say “bully” for Milton. The day was a day of reunion to the few who thought well enough to come to their former home for the occasion, yet there were not so many as were expected.
The festivities of the past week were marred on Sunday morning by the death of a delegate to the W C. T. U. Convention, which occurred at the home of Miss Sallie Lolland on Broad Street, where she was being entertained. Mrs. Louise Richards, of Magnolia, »as taken ill at the evening service on Friday at the convention at the M. E. Church, and although everything that could be done, was done for her relief by Dr. Robert B. Hopkins and her entertainers, she died on Sunday morning of acute indigestion. Mrs. Richards was 67 years of age and a widow. Undertaker Ferguson, of Dover, came for the remains in an auto on Sunday afternoon and carried them to her former home.
Mrs. T. D. Burton and Mrs. Benjamin Burton, of Frederica, were visitors during the W. C. T. U. Convention, and remained in town over Sunday as the guests of H. P. Burton and family.
Miss Katie Houseman, of Greenwood was also a visitor during the Convention.
Albert Wilson has resigned his position at Joseph Walls’ meat market. Mr. Walls and Wm. Stephens have associated themselves together in the meat business and have removed into the room in the C. A. Conner building lately vacated by Samuel Fithian.
The sidewalk on Front Street below Chestnut is in a deplorable condition, made so by the recent rains; and also the sidewalk around the corner of Front and Chestnut streets. Cannot something be done to make them better?
The west sidewalk of the public bridge has been repaired during the past week.
Samuel Fithian has removed his cigar and tobacco store from the Conner Block into the new building he has built near the bridge. Beside a cigar and tobacco store, this building will contain a confectionery store, a barber parlor, operated by John Megee, two pool tables, a ten-pin alley, etc.
Henry Carter, of Wilmington, was a Milton visitor last week.
Thomas Morgan, of the battleship South Carolina, is home on a ten days furlough visiting his parents.
The Anderson cannery ceased canning on Wednesday of last week, and their foreign help left for Baltimore Thursday morning. The Goodwin cannery quit Thursday and their help left on Friday. The Roval Packing Co. will continue packing as long as any tomatoes come in, and their foreign help will stay until the latter part of the present week. The season has been very poor, only about a third of a pack has been made.
B. Frank Gray has purchased a farm of John Andersen, near Cedar Creek Mills. Consideration unknown.
Geo. B. Atkins has a contract to paint and decorate a three-story residence for Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson, Cedar Avenue, Philadelphia.
Mrs. Harry L. Robinson is visiting in Philadelphia and New York.
During the e wind on Friday a rotten support to the electric light bulb, corner of North Union and Mulberry Streets, was broken off and the lighting apparatus tumbled to the ground. And sometime between five and seven o’clock some person or persons purloined the bulb and socket.
Mrs. Nailor has removed her household goods from North Union Street to her son’s residence, near town, and James Carey will remove into the property vacated by Mrs. Nailor.
John P. Wilson is suffering with an abscess on the palm of his right hand.
Dorman Porter has resigned his position at the store of C. H. Atkins and has accepted a similar one with Hazzard & Virden. Davis Lingo has the position formerly filled by Mr. Porter.
It is understood that John Robinson and Ed Bacon will open a meat market on Union Street.
During the Convention Mrs. Carrie A. Johnson, milliner, had a life-sized portrait of a young lady, with a becoming rose in her bosom, in her store window. It was really attractive: almost as pretty as the milliner herself. It really looked like “The Girl From the Golden West.”[ii] And is it any wonder that one of our Milton ladies really thought the picture a real girl and spoke to it? It is said such is the fact.
Miss Lillie Reed had an attack of vertigo at the shirt and overall factory on Monday morning, and had to be carried to her home.
The oyster law for Broadkiln River expired on Sunday and on Monday the bivalves were in town selling at 60 cents a bushel.
Considerable frost is reported on Sunday morning.
Robt. Willey has removed from Chandler Street into a building occupied by his father on Pearl Street.
At the beginning of the New Year Charles Wilson will remove into the property of Capt C. F. Lacey on Federal St. now in tenure of Walter Crouch. Mr. Crouch will remove to Milford. Andrew Conoway will remove into the property of George Burris at the extreme southern left hand limit of Federal Street, now in tenure of William Ingram. There will be a few other removals of which we are not informed; and we will not anticipate.
A new time schedule went into effect on Monday. Oct. 2nd, on the M. D. & V. Railroad whereby trains going west leave Milton at 7.10 a. m. and 4.25 p m.; going east leave Milton at 11.38 a m and 8.15 p.m. daily except Saturday. Saturday evening train will leave Milton at 7.42. If the trains are on scheduled time connection will be made at Ellendale with all trains on the D. M. & V. Rail road.
Mrs. Ida Warren, relict of the late E. Wise Warren, died at her home Thursday of diabetes. Age 52 years, 3 months and 3 days. Funeral services were held at her late home on Saturday afternoon by the Revs. Holland and Hurst, and interment made in the M. E. Cemetery by S. J. Wilson & Son. Deceased leaves three sons and four daughters.
Miss Hettie Latchum, of Milford, graduate of the National School of Education and Oratory of Philadelphia, will give a reading this (Tuesday) evening in the M. P. Church. There will also be solos and duets rendered by home talent. A silver collection will be taken at the door. A good time is anticipated.
[i] This is a quotation from the poem The Destruction of Sennacherib by Lord Byron first published in 1815. It is based on the biblical account of the historical Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 B. C. E. by Assyrian king Sennacherib as described in the Old Testament (2 Kings 18-19, Isaiah 36-37). The use of the quotation in this column is probably a humorous reference to the descent upon Milton of dozens of W. C. T. U. delegates to the convention in town.
[ii] In 1911, this would have to refer to the lead character in Puccini’s opera La Fanciulla del West.