Middletown transcript., 1876-09-23
Written for the Middletown Transcript
Centennial Notes No. 8.
DELAWARE IN THE MAIN BUILDING

Centennial Notes No. 8.
DELAWARE IN THE MAIN BUILDING.
Strolling through the Main Building
we stumbled accidentally on Delaware
in sort Of annex, where the little State
makes quite display Of marble, iron
ore and kaolin. Some beautiful white
marble from j S. Jackson's at Hockes-
sin, is exhibited also iron ore from Iron
Hill which is shown by Cooch Bros. j.
Riddle & Son send some fine specimens
Of granite Among the rest Of the ex-
hibits was large quantity Of mica
this is found also in great abundance in
Chester county. Pa, where the roads
fairly glisten with it. The mica shown
was very clear, and was sent by Fl
Chandler, Brandywine Hid. We also
noticed some petrifed pine from Smyr-
ma. Cooch Bros also sent specimens of
washed, seed, and soft iron ore from
Iron Hill. H Graham exhibits crude
porcelain clay from Hockessin. j. Lacy
sends washed kaolin and crude kaolin
for making stone china; this is also
from Ho, kessin. H Chandler exhibits
feldspar, and beautiful serpentine stone
from New Castle county is also exhib-
tied. Also, asbestos from near Dixon's
quarries. Mr. E. Mortimer Bye gave
US much information in regard to these
exhibits; he said that beautiful stone
chinaware was made from kaolin found
in the upper part of Delaware. He rep
resents Wilmington in an exhibit of
magnificent serpentine marble or Verde
Antique as it is called This is
beautiful green stone, very hard and ca
pable Of receiving polish as smooth
and even as glass; it is beautifully
veined, aud rich in color. which is
formed by combination Of chrome, iron
and nickel. 1t makes an exquisite table
top, and would form an exquisite mantel
This display, though small in size,
makes ample amends in quality as it is
undoubtedly the finest serpertine marble
on exhibition-and Mr. Bye is ever
ready to give all information in regard
to it am sorry that Delaware has
not turned out stronger exhibits in the
Main Building, and believe Middle
town has not single exhibit. We fully
expected to see some Alden fruit or even
peach boxes or crates, but if they are
there we have not found them. We
hope when we reach Machinery and
Agricultural Halls, to see some Mid
dletown reapers and drills. In the Po-
mological Exhibition not a single ex-
hibit was made by Delaware or Mary
land but lonely jar Of air-tight peaches
grown by our irrepressible neighbor.
Sam'l Townsend Isuppose he thought
by sending them (though he did not can
them) that it would not be said that the
greatest peach country in the Union.
sent not peach or fruit Of any kind
When l think Of that lonely jar Of
peaches, guarded by some very indiffer-
ent jars Of small fruits, on that back
part oe the building, feel like moving
them Poor little orphans how mourn
fully the wind must have moaned around
them all day last Sunday. I feel like
going out there and moving you over
to place where you would have more
society. and everybody would know
your noble birth and in wrapt admira-
ton exclaim, I" Why here are some
peaches which we're grown by the great
Sam. Townsend-the world-renowned
Sam Townsend-who every year strikes
terror to the railway kings. and pre-
vious to every election sails in and. like
the Irishman at a Killarhy Fair, strikes
right and left, hitting as many Demo
Gratis as Republicans, and then retires
to similar state his peaches are in. to
the great relief Of all concerned" All
honor to Sam The Delaware folks
ought to breathe great BLESSINGS oD
your frosty brow"
l heard Of some folks that had few
old relics to show Of Middletown. chests
Of drawers and the like. but have seen
nothing of them. Even they would be
better than n,thing-for we find as
large a crowd at the New England
Kitchen as anywhere to inspect the an
cient articles Aere, and blythe way. we
might mention here, that at this place
you can get cheap meal, a cup Of tea
or coffee for FIVE cents, or glass ofmilk
and everywhere else on the grounds it
is ten. You can get Yankee dough-
nut for the same price, and other things
in proportion. To people seeing the
Centennial on cheap scale, this eating
business is quite an item in the calcula-
lion. The attendants are dressed in
'.ye olden time" style and are polite
and as attentive as the crowd will admit
of-one of the ladies in particular never
seems to tire or grow cross we refer
70 the fresh looking girl in plaid domes-
tic and who wears glasses 1t is really !!
to look at her and her CON-
Portable dress in comparison to the ruff
fed, tied back, overloaded ladies that
daily drag their heavy dresses over the
Centennial.
We occasionally visit the Delaware
building to see who from near Middle
town has put in an appearance but they
are very scarce, or else do not register.
Mr.. Tom H. (your bass singer at the
Methodist church, left his name, but it
was as an oasis IN the desert. This
neat little building Of Delaware's ought
to be better patronised by the Dela-
wareans Look at the Jersey Build
ing-it is crowded nearly all the time,
and SO are the Western buildings We
hope that they will at least register, as
that will show some interest
RosALEINE