New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-20
DELAWARE.
/. NOTEWORTHY OLD TOWN.

"
,rv,ps AMI THE DELAWARE BREAKwATER-
THE SAND DUNES ohoAhhfo
AND MULATTOES.
IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or Inn hi"O'-'
I.EWEs Aug. Alt is only within d year or
two past that regular communication mas ooon oPoou
between the City OF NewYork ana that poruon " Doa
ware that lies upon the seaboard opposite Cape May By
oars 10 line ~ cleaners running in connection with
tho function and Breakwater Railroad this part OF our
country has been removed from It's previous lsoiateo
condition and thus its abundant irmt anu 'eSeVapios
may come directly to the markets OF the north ono Vi
tbe earliest settlements Of this portion OF the Middle
stotos ia tho old town Of Lewes Lowisown IL lies
near the southcrn shore OF little bay or cove, JUST
within the point of Cape Henopen. and nearly on tho
ate Of Hoord kill one of the DutchSwedsh settlements
made about $685. under the guidance OF old Peter nut
and the patronage Of the great Swedish Chancellor OK
ensern Whoever desires to visit an old Delaware town.
which has hardly changed it's aspect since the begin
ming of the present century should take trip TO Lewes
Ieayipc NewYork the afternoon the route OF course
lies past the coast OF NewJersey Late In tho evening"
arrange and beautiful picture is presented by Long
Branch as seen the long stretch OF geam
ing lights reach apparently for miles along level hne
of distant shore, itself indstngushable In the DARK
ness Here the lights tcken into closepressed masses
of brightness at of the great hotels; there
they thin out into regular series Of glimmerng points,
marking row of cottages The whole view Is Ike some
fairy illumination and the effect Is heightened 10y inc
contrast OF tho quiet loneliness Of our vessel lhe
early morning brings with 1t the first view OF our des
nation Lying low the port bow is point oil WHO
| sand beach, with long stretch OF white SAND dunes
behind it, and OF white breakers in front That Is cape
Henopen looking much it did with the exception OF
the lighthouse the point to the eyes OF ola CorhcS
| Jacobsen May, when he entered the Deh"Ho
| capes in 1923 Cape May, which bears hisk name
| though directly opposite, is hardly visible as
| the opening OF the bay Is some tmrteen
miles in width Into this broad entrance tho waves OF
tho Atlantic sweep with tremendous force IN eastery
gales and hence IT early found necessary 10 eslaD
lIsh at this point artificial harbor This was done ny
the construction of the celebrated Delaware BreaKwater
some forty years ago Our steamer approaches " III
few minutes passing she point OF the cape ana IL
is seen to consist of long straight massive embankment
of heavy dark stone extending about two-thrds OF
milo In north nor westerly direction with passage
of few hundred feet through which our Vessel sas IN
between il and the southeast shore OF tho pay On the
outer slope of the the breakers are always tossing
but once within all is sheltered and calm The great
artificial harbor is TO be somewhat trapezorm
in shape Tho curvng shore Of the bay bounds 1t on the
south and vest the long dark breakwater protects on
the northeast while the northwest the ice-break
q similar, though shorter, wall lying nearly east ana
west which shelters the harbor from the masses of drift
ing leo which are brought down the bay in the Winter
| and Spring by tho current of the Delaware River.
On the south side OF this harbOr. mile back from the
shore lies the little Of Lewes. Since the establish
ment of the steamship line, fine pier, 1880 feet long,
has built which the ears run out 10 the vessel
Confused have appeared in regard to this place.
| and new breakwater" has been spoken OF in some
Northern papers. The structure Is simply large
and substantial pier the harbOr formed by the break
water The town Of ewes itself presents no remarkable
features except the air of calm and undisurDed anu
putty which reigns every part OF IT, TO one VINO
comes hither from the restless uproar OF NowYork 1t
seems as though a single night the shadow had gone
fha al
all over with shingles line the silent roadike streets
Many of these are comfortable homes OF the last century
surrounded with flowers, among which the Englsh IVY
and tho jessamne mingle in luXuriant masSes The 0d
building OF the Presbyterian Church. erected In l72S Is
very curious structure 1t has been repaired over and
over until hardly anything remains OF the original
the front which is constructed OF alternate RED and
black bricks in o peculiar that Architectural
critics wont admire. 1t has long been too small
and too rickety for USE and newer church. now Itself
| old, has been built by its side. Around them
| rest many Of the citizens OF the old town
| under the long grass Of the churchyard A
| new Episcopal Church has been built In modern
STYLE on the site of q former one surrounded in like
manner by the OldashiOned graveyard. on the stones
of which may be recognized Of distinction in the
history of Delaware At several points in the town may
be very old cannon, bearing the obscure i'm
| preston of o crown surmOuntng a coat-ofarms,
rusted away be indstingushabe. There is doubt
interesting history connected with these old
guns but failed ascertain anything definite regard
ing them. The general impression seemed to be that
they brought there in tho war of Twelve" 1t
was called but the guns themselves with tho exception
Of couple Of od-fashoned "long 32s in front OF the
United States Hotel far older and have the aspect OF
being Spanish Tradition reports indeed that there
still in existence or two Swedish cannon brought
over the foundation Of the NewSweden colony, in
1881 but hardly dared hope that these could be tho
| ones that had seen. He who inquiries for schools at
| Andt hatu ist There ia no Of
public instruction and the last teacher who tried the
experiment OF private school left the place without hav
ing made his expenses Such was the account given to
me. Though the slave system has been abolished, yet
| its bUghting and deadening influence Is still
spicuousy shown. Fortunately, however, the three
! churches all have Aourishng sabbathschools; and
| In such 8 place, the churches, beside their
/ spiritual influence would to BIO tho only general
| means of intellectual stimulus ana refinement. The
principal industry this point Is closely connected with
| "croakers" The NewYork reader knows more Of
croskers probably, than did your correspondent his
arrival at Lewes but about the first object that met his
eye in landing on the pier and the last which II
rested In departing the eyerpresent occupation Of
fishing for oroakers The beach Is lined with nets for
crOakeIs, and the long pier with anglers for them.
Crackers appear the steamers table and croakers,
fresh salt and under all conceivable circumstances are
q constant feature OF the place. This fish, which
known to science MicropogOa mdulatas, seldom ex-
ceeds eight inches In length, and is of the
beautiful irdescent coloring looking though carved
out Of motherofpear with transverse darker bands 1t
is excellent eating being finely favored and with
very few bones. II in this region and must be
caught by the thousand every day. but, being South
ern Species 1t is almost unknown in the waters OF New
York. All along the beach the fshernens nets met
with at intervals OF so 100 yards They drawn in
every half hour So filed with this cleaning peary
"harvest Of the sea-"
1t seems as though authorities have charge of