The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-01-29

Jr. Your humble correspondent was devil
in the former, and perhaps was rot altogeth-
er appropriately named. There were but
fewIpost-offices in those days, and the papers
were scattered over the country by post boys
on horseback. Little Philip Coale-every-
body then and now living remembers Uncle
Philip-God bless his memory carried one
route, and l, n part of the time carried the
other. His was all the western side of the
county, including part of Baltimore county,
from the Black Horse on the north to the
Philadelphia pike on the south, and mine
was the whole of the eastern side to the Sus.
quehanna, and reaching the same points north
and south. 1t took three days to distribute
the papers on each of these routes; and if the
proprietors then, Messrs. Editors, with all
this trouble and expense, could manage to
keep soul and body together surely you
ought, with your abundant facilities nd bet
ter patronage, to realize an adequate return
for your labors
But to proceed. I enjoyed my route hugely,
for every week had view of the wild and
romantic Susqueha1na, and that grand natu-
raj superstructure known as the Rocks of
Deer Creek" the latter of which, annually,
on Whit Monday, was the scene of gambling,
ock-tighting and a general Bacchanalian
jubilee Strange way of enjoying the gran
deur of Natures stupendous works-but such
the manners and such the times. Many
subscriber to the old Bond Of Union got his
paper "a day after the news" when my fancy
for the grand and beautiful would lead me to
linger along the margin Of tho Susquchanna,
watching its wild waters leaping from the
falls and forming young wavelets as they
rolled off upon the bosom ofthe tide. Here,
too for hours have stood and watched the
sons of old Erin in the employ of Robert
Bell, removing great blocks of granite to the
decks of vessels, awaiting to convey them to
Hampton Roads, to which they We're freight
ed, to lay the foundation Of the Rip Raps-
And then, again, when reached the vicinity
Of the Rocks of Deer Greek, (strange they are
not named and il Illustrated in any geography
or book that have ever SEEM | would look
for hours upon their grand and awful proper
tons, and there, next to the lessonsa at moth
ers knee, learned to fear and adore the Great
Architect of the universe, whose hand had
piled this natural pyramid in such grand and
terrible order. Often, while looking upon
and contemplating this magnificent work,
has my young imagination pictured an eagle
upon one of the dizzy crags upon the opposite
side, and my blood dashed coldly through its
channels as unused upon the mad daring of
the man who rode out upon the very verge
of the rock, with chasm of some three hun
dred feet yawning beneath him. have seen
the man and the horse who was said to have
performed this foolish as well as daring ad-
venture, but have forgotten his name.
But | must hasten on, as the figure at the
top of the page admonishes me that / must
check my thoughts and lay my pen aside for
the present It was my purpose to refer to
few more old citizens and incidents, but
must defer such purpose TO another letter, if
you will sacrifice your space to my too frivo-
lous and latitudinous variations
If could visit your town once more-as
hope to do before am another year Older
see il as it is, and remembering it as it was,
] am sure | could pick up some interesting
mementoes and weave them into wool that
might preserve and transmit them to those
whose part is yet to play upon the great stage
of human action. But as before said, have
no idea Of the changes which nearly half
century has wrought, and at this moment
contemplate your village as it was away back
in the olden time, when unces Neddy Tread
way and John Ford were the criers of the
Courts, John Kean was Sheriff, Thomas Hope,
Alexander Norris, Sam. Sutton and some
body else were Legislators, William Jordan
jailor, Col. Henry Dorsey Clerk of the Court
Elisha Guyton his deputy, John Wright over
seer of the Poor, and old Fox hunter" Tom
Bond Clerk of the Orphans Court
l saw in your paper sometime back, an &C.
count Of the fall of the old willow tree at the
corner. God bless that old monarch, with
its green leaves and pendant tendrils, how
often have sported beneath its shade, and
slaked my thirst at the well hard by. My
affections cling to it as close as the bark that
enveloped its hoary trunk, and l can recall
many a childish gambol beneath its broad and
vigorous canopy. But 1 have wandered off
into musings again, and must per force, bring
my tedious reflections to close fearing that
have already trespassed upon your space
and patience, and forfeited any claim might
hope for TO your indulgence hereafter
Hoping you will permit me to impose another
letter or two upon you and your readers,
l am Yours, respectfully, G. B. c.