The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-09-01
Quilp's Diary. that He Kept rs Il Bohemian.
HE GOES TO WOODLAND CAMP MEETING
AND PORT DEPOSIT.

We started early on Wednesday morning
last, in company with friend, to visit
Port Deposit, and went by way of Wood
lawn Camp Meeting.
We had not been a very strong believer
in the utility of camp meetings, and were
of the opinion that they, like some other
institutions of We olden time, have survived
the period of their usefulness. 1t has long
been subject of much wonder to us, why
people would take so much trouble to ac-
complish things that We're of so very little
use when they were done. Some people
will take long journeys to the fisheries in
the Spring of the year, when the roads are
almost impossible, in order to obtain a few
herring that, to say the best that can be
truthfully said of them, are in many cases
hardly fit to eat when they get them.
We thought of these things as we rode
along, and of the story about the boy that
paid so very dearly for his whistle, and as
we jolted over the rough roads and up and
down the hills, we came to the conclusion
that any person who expected to be repaid
for journey like this Of ours, along dusty
roads, beneath the rays of an August sun,
would be apt to be disappointed, and would
most likely pay too dearly for his whistle.
Our candid opinion was that to enjoy a
camp meeting well you should have a tent
there, and GO early and stay till the camp
closes.
We reached Woodlawn early in the day,
and found the cody people encamped there
engaged in prayer and experience meet
ing. Many of them were will stricken in
years, and the heads of many more were
blossoming for eternity; and as they spoke
of the joys and sorrows that had met them
on their journey heavenward, aud the glor-
Gus reward that they knew awaited them
on the other shore, we felt that perhaps
our reflections during our Journey had not
run in the proper channel, and when a
young mana recent convert at Woodlawn
got up and told his experience: how
happy he felt, and how he intended hence
forth to labor in his Masters cause, we
changed our mind about camp meetings.
and came to the conclusion that if only
one soul were saved at each camp meeting
1t would be an abundant reward for those
who held them. This camp is held in a
nice grove and is well supplied with water
1t is in a highly salubrious and beautiful
part OF the country, quite near to Principle
creek, and easily accessible from Port
Deposit and Pcrryvile
We had not time 10 remain at camp but
few minutes, and FASTENED on our Jour
ney to Port Deposit, and having Il little
leisure while there, we interviewed one of
the oldest inhabitants of the place in refer
ence to its early history. He told us that
when he was boy, there We're but five or
six houses in the town. They were located
i'll the immediate GeighborhOod of Miller's
hotel, and there were no houses between
the site of the hotel and Rock Run and
but two or three there. lie also told us
that all the business was transacted at Lap
idum, the lumbermen and arkmen not hav-
ing discovered that they could run RATS
and arks to the Port side of the river. He
related how the British, in the war of 1912
went up to Lapidum and destroyed much
property there, and We're prevented from
visiting Port by the story told them by an
old man they captured at Lapidum, that
there was company of ritemen on the
other side OF the river, each of whom
could knock a mans eye out at the distance
of hundred yards every time they chose
to do 1t. They believed the story and con-
Guided they had better not come to Port.
The old man pointed out the site of the
fort that the citizens erected for the de
Tense Of Port, or of the few houses and
people there, for the place was not then
known by that name, and told us how hard
the Rev. Mr.. Magraw and Colonel Geary
worked at the erection of the fort. This
old gentleman related much about Talbot S
Cave, he having been in it when he was a
boy. He described it as about ten feet
wide and eighteen feet long, and about ten
feet high The old gentleman said there
were marks of fire upon the further end or
wall of the cave. Whether these marks
were made by the fire that Talbot used
when he inhabited it, of course is unknown.
There is no doubt, however, that he resided
in the cave for awhile, and tradition says
he was discovered by the crew of boat
that was passing on the river and were
attracted to the cave by the barking of
Talbot's dog. The cave, like nearly all the
ancient things that link the present and
the past, has disappeared, and in a few
years more, if no means are taken to per-
petuate the memory of it's site, it too will
be forgotten.
We were told many other traditions and
stories about Port and the surrounding
country. by this same old gentleman, all of
which We will embody in the history that
we have i'll contemplation to write.
QUILP.