The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-07-20
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS,

|
EARLY History; its Merchants; its, first Pos
Master; Present Population, &C., dc.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
We propose chronicling an event, til
interest of which, unlike the ordinar
events of the day, will enhance with til
lapse of time.
1t is the duty of civilization to preserv
the record OF passing events, that futur
generations, thus becoming cognizan
thereof, may profit by their good teachings
or avoid what experience may show to b
their falacies In all ages, and among til
rudest and least cultivated divisions o
mankind, mementos of some durabl
character, usually carved in stone, Offer
with the most pains-taking care, have beer
wrought to perpetuate their own names
or to typify in a tangible and permanen
form the leading ideas that have controlled
their existence, and represented their hope
of Immortality, generally being manifested
in matters more or less intimately connected
with religious belief either as Inscriptions
or in the form of idols.
Witness the history of the building OF
Solomon's grand Temple, in which SC
many thousands engaged in the herculean,
but, to them, the light-hearted labor, sole
ly for the purpose of perpetuating for all
time the unexampled grandeur and mag
niticence of that great King and intercessol
with God.
| Remember also the Pyramids of Egypt
known as one OF the "Seven Wonders oil
the World"-those towering columns OF
faultlessly hewn stone, which occupied
centuries of unremitting toll in their cree
ton, and which were designed to preserve
in perpetual remembrance the name OF
some powerful ruler or king of the day, his
Boosted exploits in war, or his wise laws
for government in peace. Some of these
monuments still stand, but, in many in
stances, the names of their projectors have
been forgotten, and in others the proud
| columns have crumbled into dust.
AT the present day, however, we have
the means of recording our thoughts,
simple and easy, compared with the labor
of centuries just spoken of, in form more
enduring than stone, iron, or brass: We
have tile aoritten, the printed and the pictured
page, which, from its facility for being re-
produced in copy, may last to illuminate
the future as long as man may walk the
earth.
Our present object, however, is simply
to record some facts connected with an un-
pretentious event in the history of an I'M
pretending Society, which has recently oc-
Cured in our village.
The occasion referred to was that of lay
ing the cornerstone of the new "Friends'
Meeting House," in Darlington-the
branch of the Friends commonly known
as the "Orthodox"--which took place on
the afternoon of June the 9th, 1877.
The ceremonies were conducted by Mr..
II. King, of Kenton, prominent member
Of the church. He read a highly interest
ing account, prepared by himself, of the
early history of Darlington and the sur
rounding peighborhood of its rise and
progress to the present day; noting par
ticularly matters concerning the Friends
Society, and the other churches of the
village.
Mr.. King also read valuable paper of
similar character which had been very
carefully prepared, chronologically and
otherwise, by Mr. Benjamin Silver, who
was himself resident and merchant in
Darlington for number of years.
The writer, having been present at the
ceremonies, and deeming that others, at
the present day, might be equally interested
with himself in possessing the information
regarding the matters treated, particularly
interested in the early history af Darlington,
addressed the following note to Mr.. King
DARLINGTON, Md, June II, 1877.
T. King, ESQ.,, Kenton
DEAR SIR: | was much interested in
the Historical Sketch of Darlington and
its surroundings, which you read on Sat
urday last upon the occasion of laying the
Corner Stone of the Orthodox Friends
Meeting House," at this place, the said
papers being afterwards deposited in the
stone. / trust that you kept copies of
your own, and of Mr.. B. Silver's papers;
and that, for the benefit of many who were
not present on the interesting occasion,
and for preservation by those who were
present, you will have the leading points
of general interest in them published in
one or more Of the county papers.
These sketches contain information that
will interest the present generation as
much, perhaps, as it will the next.
| intended, upon the first impulse, to
send brief notice of the memorable event
to one of the papers of the county myself
but as | had no memoranda before me,
and not remembering the date, in which
centres the chief interest Of the papers, it
has occurred to me to bring the subject of
publication to your notice, and to suggest
to you that, from my knowledge of the
peoples interest in the proceedings of the
occasion, their present publication would
be highly acceptable to, and appreciated
by, large number of the residents in this
vicinity and, in the printed form, would
be of equal value to generations yet to
come, who may not survive to witness the
exhumaton of the cornerstone.
Hoping that no impeachment exists to
compliance with this request, am
Respectfully, Yours,
W.. f.
MIR. King responded to this note in per-
son, and placed copies of the papers that
had been deposited in the corner stone in
the hands of the writer; accompanied
with the privilege of using the documents,
either in the whole or in part, in such
manner as appeared the most proper, in
his judgment 1t will be apparent, there
fore, to those who have been placed in like
position, that the writer of the foregoing
note has felt considerably embarrassed by
the unexpected turn given to his proposi.
ton.
To facilitate the comprehension of the
notes made by the compiler and by the
Il.