The Morning herald., 1876-04-10
LOCAL NEWS.
THE YEAR FOR RELICS.

Prolific OF Revolutionary 1ottcs-OS0
Deeds, Needle Work-Aatr Of Wanting
ton, jackson and Carroll Hhes No.
Ksan and Reed sosrs High Prtvasss.
New Castle, "grand gloomy and pecu-
liar" In It's antique architecture, and the
presence of much of that singular and
indescribable something in manners and
customs that is forcibly suggestive of the
early days of the country, makes 1t at
tractive to the inquiring mind. It Is not at
ell singular then that in the midst of
20 much that has prominent asso-
citation with the earlier days of the
country, the observer should find in New
Castle, many of the connecting links in the
chain of matters of historical interest.
There are but few places that have 30
we'll preserved the traces of the early days
as New Castle, and maintained so stead
fastly the social habits and customs OF fthoso
who first inculcated into 1t strict and we'll
organized society, while the houses bear the
marks Of an architecture that is beautiful
in its strangeness. Then It would not bs at
all unusual if the "relic hunter" in his
travels, should pause at this place, and en-
quire for rusty flint-locks, that had been
handled in the White Clay Creek Hundred
Guards, or the sword that had been welded
by Colonel Patterson, who was the colonel
Of the first New Castle County Regiment
that marched to the war, or 10 make 1t still
more interesting, the weapons that George
Reed and Thomas Mexican, both signers OF
the Declaration of Independence, bore upon
their shoulders as high privates when they
enlisted under Colonel William Armstrong
in 1857, and still later In 1777, wheh they
enlisted as high privates in the White Clay
Creek Hundred Guards for active service.
Although the representative of The
HERALD found none such as those men,
toned, he came across others equally as In
teresting at the house of Mr.. j. Henry Ro-
gers, whose ancestry and that of his wife, an
estimable lady, figured prominently in the
early days of America. The collection OF
relics that Mr.. Rogers possesses, many OF
which may be considered as heir-looms,
coming as they do directly from distin-
guished ancestry, they are known to be au-
thentic. But where there is so much to
look upon of a curious nature, one is almost
bewildered where to begin. 1t has been said
that when person is trying at grab
game, it is always the most lucky to choose
the simplest looking object; perhaps it was
this that caused The HERALD representa-
tive to pick out three small packages,
which upon being unwrapped revealed locks
of hair, cut from the heads of three men,
one of whom is more highly distinguished
than any other in American history
Washington-Andrew Jackson, and Charles
Carroll, of Carrollton. The hair from the
head of Washington is dark brown,
almost silky to the touch and strongly
mixed with iron grey. To the average
American this will be somewhat OF dis
appointment, as we have never been &C
customed to seeing Washington in anything
but hair as white as fleece. It was taken
from the head of Washington ut Mount
Vernon, by the grand father of Mr.. Rogers
in 1881, and in this way has been handed
down to it's present resting place. The hair
of General Jackson is precisely what one
would think upon looking at his picture;
long and straight as an Indians and as stiff
as bristles, which he wore pushed out to the
straighest length. That of Charles Car
roll, 10 light gold color, soft and silky.
Mr.. Carroll was one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence and grand
father of the present Governor Of Mary
land, John Lee Carroll.
| Turning from these, the attention of the
gazer was attracted to what at first sight
appeared to be bungling attempt at needle
work, but upon closer inspection revealed q
specimen OF as delicate and intricate work.
manship as much of that we see at the
present day. 1t was made in the year 1899,
by lady of cminence, the wife of Sir Ed
ward Duffield, who was one of the execu-
tors, and intimate friends of DR.. Franklin.
Sir Edward Duffield was one of the
Commissioners of the old Wal
nut street prison of Philadelphia, and
as a singular circumstance, it is related
that he was the first person that found i'm
prisonment in its walls, the British having
consigned him to it for disloyalty to the
King. This specimen of which we speak
is called "a sampler" as 1t was sample OF
the needle work of the maker who at that
time was Miss Catherine Parry. She was
the grandmother of Mrs. Henry Rogers Of
New Castle. Upon "the sampler" there
are at least fifty allegorical and ether fig
ures, besides four lengthy passages from
the bible, and another reading nearly az
follows; "My friend this shall have, when
am laid in grave"
But the most curious specimen Of needle
work was pin cushion made In the yeal
1857, the figures of which were formed Of
the heads of pins in very artistic manner
It is about TIE size of . walnut and orna-
mented with flowers worked In silk, thai
must have given the author quite reputa
ten among the ladies of New Castle ss "a
handy person with the needle" To it IL
attached long string of silk, at the end o.
which is hook of silver and this fastened
to the belt Of the owner, and writings O
those days tell us that ladies carried aworl
bag and pin cushion bobbing around
them everywhere they went. In this cush
ion, that Mr.. Rogers possesses, many of thu
pins still remain beside those forming thu
figures of the year in which the cushion
was made. They furnish evidence that II
the way of pins we have made but LITTLE
progress, the head is very rough, but the
body is equally as good in finish as those