Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-04-03
West Chester.

RAMBLEs AROUND THE BoRoUGH-"FIRsr OF
APRIL" AND " LOCAL OPTION"
Through the courtesy of friend, ye local
Of the COMMERCIAL paid his first visit to West
Chester, yesterday afternoon. or the ride there
and back it is unnecessary to speak at length /;
it was accomplished under as clear sky as ever
Overhung fair Italia. and throughout the journey
we were bathed in warm, mellow sunshine.
Re-Anmated Nature has not yet clothed the
hill-sides in verdure, but the valleys smiled in
natural loveliness all the same.
West Chester is our beau ideal OF what a
county seat should be in appearance, social life
and Importance. Located in the centre of one
of the finest agricultural districts in Pennsylva-
mia, II not in America, it has managed to concen-
trate something OF the great wealth which sur
rounds it within its own limits. Chester cpuntane
generally feel just pride in their county seat,
and have spared no expense in the adornment OF
it's public buildings. Its banks, it's court
house, its churches, it's hotels, Its stores, its
private residences, are emb0diments OF comfort
and elegance, and denote cultivation, refinement
and wealth rarely noticeable in country towns.
Brick predominates in the construction OF the
dwellings. but there are many very neat houses
Of serpentine. The public buildings are almost
exclusively of Chester county marble or serpen-
tine.
West Chester is not an exception to all other
towns in seasons of spasmodic gossip, and the
two thoughts now uppermost there are First
of April, ," and Local Option" By the First
of April, they mean the general annual reckon
ing-a day when the accounts of the past year
are squared up, when notesi NATURE loans are
made, and the general public sit in Judgment
upon the business qualifications, progress and
capabilities Of the different business men of the
community. Although the eventful day
talked over, yesterday, with an interest
and pleasure which had not grown old. We In
Wilmington know nothing OF the importance OF
this day in Chester and some Of the surround
ing counties, except by tradition, content to
pl0d on IN our accustomed way OF quarterly set
Elements. Every one there who does any bank
business at all endeavors to obtain As large a
balance as possible on that day; and II is said
that this occasion finds money more plentiful
than has been known for years. The banks are
Guilty in obtaining money.
Local Optisn 10 an accomplished fact. II
came in the stiffness of the night, unobseryed by
most people, but sadly experienced by many the
day after it's coming. And strange enough it
seems. The wine glasses stand bottom upwards
on the bars, the decanters have disappeared,
the bar tenders, with their occupation gone,
lounge lAZily over the counters and in all save
the hurry and hustle about the hotels one is re-
minded very forcibly Of the Sabbath. The clos
ing hours of the reign OF license were momente
of great dissipation, and 1t is said there never
before was 30 much drunkenness noticeable.
Men staggered through the streets, or reeled
through alleys, conscious Of the fact that hence
forth the temptation would be removed at home,
and they celebrated the event in true Bacchina-
lian fashion.
Diverse opinions an expressed, Of course, as
to the ultimate effect OF Local Option-the tenn
perance men claiming it to be a great blessing
which time will make apparent The venders Of
strong drink and old topers significantly nod
their heads and say, "well it won't last long
We had similar law not a great many years
ago it lasted one year, and this will be the du-
ration OF the present one. Drink is still plenti-
full we can get all we want OF it, and no appre-
ciable benefits will result from the prohibition
Of its sale" All OF which may be true but the
fact yet remains that the spectacle of men
drinking and drunk is removed, and in our pre-
ambulations about town, yesterday, we did not
see 3 single man under the influence Of liquor
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