Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-11-08

Special correspondence Of the STATE JorRsAt
CHESTER, Pa, Nov. G.-Chesler, DeIa.
ware county IA, though slowly, on the
march of Improvement. Il contains,
including South Chester, which IL a con.
tlpuatlon Of the city, about 10000 lnhab.
itants. II was chartered In 1866 and IA
built, as is well known, 90 the banks OF
the Delaware River, Just opposite Bridge
port, New Jersey. On the river front
The delaware River Iron Ship Building
and Engine Works" Of Mr.. John Roach
are situated. These works furnish en-
pl0yment for about eleven hundred men,
wh0 turn oil the stocks some Of the
largest iron vessels ever constructed In
this or any other country. There Is
one monster now nearly ready for sea,
which Is of the enormous capacity Of
6 900 tons. She Ia the property Of the
''Pacafle Mail Co." and will be launched
in week or two.
Altogether, there are as many as ~
vessels at the yard of these works, await
ing competitions r undergoing r,palr, COM
prlslng every form of craft from the or
binary ferry boat to the monitor. There
arc also a few wooden shipbuders
| (Weidner, Corsan. Stanley aud Steven
SOM who cont nedly find employment
/ for nearly AGO men. Most Of their orders
are stnt from New York and Phlladel-
/ phil. OF other industrial establishments
| In Chester. there are six or seven cotton,
wooden, spinning and jean factories,
sugar refinery, lumber yards, steel mill,
an architectural lrnn works and various
other small, though by no means to be
despised, sources OF profit and employ
ment.
Although Chcs' err Is essentially Rpub-
| lican, IL returned, ni the last ell, cllOn, a
Democratic mayor, DR.. j. J.. FOrw ord
| sclf-made, tnerrc ic, Whole sOulcd man,
who always advocates the adoption Of
such measures for The eity's improve
mcnt as seem expcdieut. OF course DO
Ia bitterly opposed by the Old ioglcs,
| who detest all Innovations and fight
against all schemes except such as they
themselves lfOun' gate. These fossils
resisted The chaueriug Of the city, the
erection Of the market, The formation VI
a gas company, the laying down of the
water pipes, and even at mpted 10 pre-
vent the Philadelphia, Wilmington and
Baltimore Railroad Company fiom run
ming their cars through the place The
only legislative acts they have been
known to concoCt ard favor are two,
one for the destruction Of stray dogF, tue
other for the curailment Of public
hous,s. Yes, there is another, they de-
stroyrd the occupation Of the peddars.
Chester has no sympathy with iramis-
All the accommodation afforded this lass
IL nights lodging in What IL calltd the
cholera dem" IL sinking, prstii.rou
room over the city lookup, jast large
enough to afford breathing room for four
persons, but into which Is not hnue-
qucntly crowded from eight to SIXTEEN
persons Of bosh sexes, back and WINE,
who are, rs a punishment LOT lue''
poverty, thus promiscuOuslY thrown To-
eeihur without light, beds or blankets
The assessed valuau n OF the cly
property IA probably seven MN OIL
dollars, and the number Of p0lceuhgl
dcttiltd to watch It is SIX, who are PAID
about twelve dollars Per week each.
z These six men are supposed 10 trsVel
, over the city, which covers an area OF
. two and-a-half miles. A few weeks ago
live houses were burglariousiy entered u
r one night and no arrests made aud YET
! any attempt at increasing the force meet
5 with the strenuous opposition OF the VI.
vonncil, headed by the President, VINO
the editor Of newspaper which has peel
l In existence forty years, and mas neNe
5 yet committed the sin of promulgatlng
4 new thought sihcc il first made lis az
: pearance, aud hence is In great deman'
a by tie cd rcsidenters, as they delght !
$ style themselves.
e There have been eight fires here with
e ten months, involving loss OF s'O'VuV
not more than $4,000 OF when wa
Z covered by insurance, and yet lhvs
IL economical fOgies refuse to invest S9,Ou
- for steam fire engine, the possession
C which would unQuesiiOnably have save'
c at least, 5000 worth of property slu'
l. last Christmas.
o The city supports four weekly and OF
e daily newspaper, which rely Tor tue
q support upon advertisements rather ina
If circu alton, and are consequently aDo'
T. as iudcpci dent as such Journals usual
y are. Tho proprietor of the daily WI
Il ptied aud looked upon as little belt
than Il lunatic for bis daring venture y
his little sheet has been managed WI
marked tact and ability. II not abs
"a lutely aggressive and bold, it If, Gas
~ literary shcet,) meritorious.
y William Pehn originally lived here al
y founded Quaker Meeting House. The
- are fourteen cbuIchts belonging
70 various denominations, which possess
q AkEANENAN EAAAillA Nhl'hAtAl VI hhNNN
- persons each. There are eleven tayei
T.. where into Xicating drinks are sold 10
y are elias ed among the "good old mttt
IL TONS" and therefore the "fUgies "
y deemed The honor of their city by votl
" against local option.
I, Sometime ago Mr.. John Roach assert
q. that If Sufficient humber of Gotta
dwellings could be built 70 accOnnOda
~ his worbmen he would combine
"a morgan lion Works." now situated
Va New York, with his Chester ship yal
ho This would have increased the populatl
- TO the extent OF 4 0CO inbahiiants. l
NC der the ausplcirs Of the Mayor a meet
" of capitalists YVES called Mr.. Roa
ls attended that meeting aid Teiteral
- the promise already referred to, but
T.. consequence # the lukewarmness
tn those whose manifest intlrest II was
ne lend their warm support to such an
" dertaking, the project fell thronl
Us though il was known that at that Il
not a solitary unoccul led house was
"a be found In the city, so that with all
~ natural advantages of the Delawl
en- River front, the PhiladclI hla, Wilmli
W ton and Baltimore AMI Reading Ri
roads, which connect with and pass
Gu and through the place, IL is about
Is lively and encrgtt tic as though II was
-, voted to the exclusive manufacture
81 ccflins. Ii death would take about 20
; 30 OF these human fossils whose pa
- Used hands freeze eveTythg they tOu
w Chester might yet become an import
uu manufacturing centre, tut until 1
,e, happy event takes place, there is no b.
on Of present extension, or future prcsptri
'nt The only Indication which POINTS to
vi improved state OF things here, is he TOT
I ts in our public schools, " hich are excel
III aud well managed institutions.
ALQUs
in Not Afraid Of Spirits.
..5 A novel and peculiar manner of c
lNh .ortfv.r tt,a 1, all baa bnar uforfsa las