The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-03-04
PORT DEPOSIT:
Forty Years Ago and Now.
LETTER NO.

MIR. EDIToR:-Next above the old stone
warehouse, on the upper side of the street,
! stood the stone house of William Thomp-
son, next the large frame dwelling of Cap
| tain James Lyon, then the residences of
I John Lyon and John b. Yarnall, the
store house of James Barnes and Madison
Rowland, "kidd's Hotel" kept by Rob-
ert Gather. Gather was the fox hunting
lord of the Seventh district. Among his
favorites on the hunt was uncle "Bye"
Knight Gather afterwards removed to his
farm near Principle In this hotel build
ing was the store of Geo. Kidd, of "Kidd's
Purchase James Hogg and Stephen
Magraw were the popular managers of
this store. Magraw removed to Havre de
Grace, was collector of tolls of the Tide
Water Canal until his death.
Hogg has, for many years past, been the
cashier for the house of Gottschalk & Spill
man, of Baltimore. Gottschalk, at one
time, kept clothing store in Port. In
the rear of this hotel was dwelling occu-
pied by Samuel West, who afterward re-
moved to North East. Further up the hol-
low was the residence of 60 mother Strick-
| poor in this worlds goods. but rich
in religious experience. A little further
up the road was the cottage of John Wat
ers-collector, constable, and bailiff. Be
yond him, some of the Burlins lived
Across the Rock Run road, at the bridge
was the store house of Andrew Lyon and
John Lumsden, afterwards kept by John
Vannort. Opposite was drinking house
kept by David Gather, son of Robert 1t
was afterwards kept by Frank Burlin and
others. Across the run was the grist and
flour mill Of Eli Cameron, afterwards
Abram Chambers, Jonas Preston, James
Whitelock and others. Opposite was the
store house of John Carson and Hugh
Steel. In the rear, and on the river shore,
stood the old mill. In this mill, the first
Methodist meetings were held, before
society was formed to build old Papaw
| Church.
! Its last occupant was George Mason,
who lived there undisturbed in his bache-
or home, proof against all feminine
charms, and made and mended harness
Mr. Mason afterwards occupied small
frame house opposite the store house,
which, in after years, was the tailor shop
of Thomas McLain and shoe shop of Aline
Brickley. Beyond the mill is the Cross
property, quarries and dwelling house.
This house was occupied by Samuel Kerr,
IL, l,,T al,
then the quarries of the Maryland Canal
| Company. These quarries, and some up
the hollow, were worked by Cornelius
Smith, Daniel Megredy, Anthony Smith,
John B. Yarnall f. D. McCenahan, Jas.
Barnes, Edwin Wilmer, Robert Christy,
| Samuel West, Jno. Vannort, James White
lock and others.
! These quarries were source of large
revenue and profit to the town. Wages
then were about seventy five cents per day,
which meant from sunrise to sunset, and
often from daylight until dark. Captains
Pendergast, Cannon, Irving, Gilmore, Fra
zier, Mitchell, Applegarths, and others were
| familiar names.
On one occasion Capt. -, who was
a noted fighting character was abusing the
Rev. Enoch Megredy, when his brother
Daniel Megredy, who was man of great
physical strength and courageous as a lion,
accidentally rode up. He dismounted and
said: "Captain, my brother is Il religious
man and preacher, and because he is, you
! think you can abuse him; l am religious
man too, but not bit too religious" (rais
ing his riding whip "to whale every stitch
of clothes off your body, if you dare open
your mouth again" The burly Captain
skulked.
The stone from the quarries was boated
! in arks. They were mot always water
tight, and when loaded with stone, it often
| happened that the arks had to be kept at
| their moorng till the tide rose sufficient to
run them out. Sometimes this would be
the case at night and a man would be left
in charge to keep the arks bailed out and
in safe position. This, in common par
lance, was called watching the boat"
One night an Irishman was detailed to
watch the boat. At early dawn Mr.. Me-
greedy was at the quarries. There lay the
son of Emerald Isle, on the bank, wide
awake. "Pat, where is the boat9" sa id
Mr.. M. SAT the bottom of the river"
said Pat. "Did l not put you here to
watch herr" asked Mr.. NJ. "Faith, your
honor, and did as long as Icould see her,
said Pat.
John T blown up by premature
explosion and much injured. Before TAX
ing him home a gentleman preceded them
to apprise his wife of the accident. She be-
came impressed that John would die, and
wringing her hand, IN an agony of alarm,
cried out: go, sir, John will die; know he
will die, and shall nerer get such another
husbands" John was deserving of the COM
pliment!
The bridge toll house was kept by Robert
Lumsden, a worthy Scotchman, whose sons
John and Robert, after merchandising for
some time in Port, removed to Baltimore
and engaged in the grocery and commits
sion business.
Almost weekly might be seen some one
horse cart, with muslin or bed spread cover,
loaded with the traps " and wife and chill
dren, with dog and COW tied to the tail of
the cart from the Eastern Shore and Della
ware, en- route for the 6ackcoods, alias Ohio
Generally they rested at the bridge to feed
and take time to inspect the wonders of the
quarries-" the biggest pimple hills they srer
seed''
Kerr's Island connected two of the divi-
sions of the bridge. Robert Kerr had a
large and interesting family, and enter
tanned with true christian hospitality. He
afterwards removed to the farm, on which
he recently died at an advanced age.
Above the bridge was the famous Low
ers' Retreat" alias the Log Pond. 1t was,