The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-08-03

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Tie commissioners were also empowered
TO purchase or have condemned two acres
of land at Seneca Point, which is a short
distance further down the river. for ship
yard, and to lay out a cart road from the
town to that place.
We learn from the supplement that the
inhabitants Of the town had already. of
their own accord. published a far, which
was held At the said town on the 10th Of
May, l1ii. whereat great numbers of peo-
pie did meet therefore the General As.
Senbly authorized them to hold two fairs
thereafter, to begin on the 23rd day of
April and the 18Th day of October an
uually; provided these days were not sun
days: il So, the fairs were To commence the
next day, and to continue not more than
three days.
These fairs soon became very popular,
and were attended by people from the large
cities as far east, If we have been rightly
informed, rs Boston. They continued TO
be he'd till a time within the memory Of
much to the prosperity Of the town: they
certainly added much to its notoriety.
Tea and coffee are said TO have been in
troduced into the county by means of the
facilities afforded 10y these fairs The mer.
chants from the cities brought those COM
modities there and disposed of them to the
country people. ut the same time furnish
ing them with printed directions, showing
how To manufacture the new beverages.
II is said that tea was not generally liked,
and many of the first purchasers gave il to
their negroes. The Rev. John McCrery,
who was pastor of Head of Christiana
Church, it is said, carried a supply of tea
with him when he was away from home.
engaged III missionary labor, and upon one
occasion gave some of it to the lady of the
house where he was stopping, and requested
her to prepare it for his supper. She boiled
i and served him the boiled leaves on a
plate, when lie quietly remarked that he
would much rather have had the broth.
Beside the merchants and milliners from
Baltimore, Philadelphia and other large
cities, who came 20 Charlestown in vessels
and brought large cargees of goods, the
fairs were attended by many who came
from distant parts of Chester and Lancas-
ter cuunties on horseback to see the sights
and have f:ulic, and some times to settle
the feuds and quarrels that had existed in
the ncighborhood where they lived Many
Of the citizens of the town as well rs many
nf those who attended the fair were natl yes
OF the Emerald Isle, who thought it in.
cumhcnt upon them to sustain the reputa-
ton Of an institution that, for centuries
had been, and ye: is, exceedingly popular
in their native country. The state of So
cicty and tue morals OF the people were
not rs good then As they are now, ana the
archives Of the county show that, during
one of the fans, the body of murdered
man was found near where the road crosses
a creek east OF the town. He was ped
der and had been at the fair, and his body
was found by some persons who stopped TO
water their horses at the creek While
they were drinking, the water became Grim
soued 10y the blood of the murdered man
They at once instituted 4 search for the
cause, and found the murderer who had
taken refuge in tree, near which his vic
tim lay in the stream. The records OF the
trial cannot be found, but the stream is
yet known by the name of Peddl-r's Run.
Many of those who attended the fair in
dulgcd in iiddling and dancing as well as
i'll frolickng and fighting, and rude and
temporary buildings were put up, which
were rented FOR this purpose, and in which
the sturdy lrIshman and his sweetheart,
upon the payment Of small fee. could
enjoy the pleasure that they had walked
bare footed many weary miles to obtain
For it was customary for the females who
travelled to the far on foot to carry their
shoes and stockings in their hands, and
when they arrived nj the outskirts of the
town to wash their feet in a convenient
stream, after which they put on their shoes
and stockings and entered the town
The Spring fair was afterwards held
some time in NAV, at the close of the fish
ing season, and the fishermen resorted to
it to have 4 general jollitication, during
which many of them were in the habit of
spending the hard earnings of many weary
weeks of toll. They were also the resort
of the fair sex, who frequentcd them in
order to obtain the iiuery that could be
purchased no where else, except in the
large cities.
The fairs were held on the public square
of the town, which it was customary to
rent to the highest bidder for term of
years. The proprietor erected drinking
booths and stalls upon the fair ground.
which he rented To those who wished tn
occupy them. These booths were rude
structures, made of bushes and would be
great curiusities now. In 1895. the Com
missioncrS ordered that the booths should
hc ten feet square, and the stalls for sell
Ing goods should be seven feet wide and
eight feet long, all to be made of good. suf,
iicient forks and poles, with plank seats
around each side and back of the booths.
and shelving in the stalls. They were to
be rented for not more than seven shill-
ings and six pence each, for each fair
The Legislators of the province had had
SO little experience in municipal legislation,
and the habits of the citizens of the new
town appear to nave been SO slovenly, that
in 100 they added another supplement TO
the act of Incorporation, in which they
state that. Whereas, many persons have
built, and are now building, in said town.
and clear no more ground than where their
houses stand, whereby the rest of their lot
becomes i thickct, unseryiccablc for pas
turage, also announcement and uuwhoie-
some TO all the inhabitants" etc. There
fore. they enacted that the owners or in-
habitauts OF the town should grub and
clear their respective lots from all under
wood, gruhS and bushes, under penalty
Of thirty shillings. 1t was further enacted
that any iukabitant, permitting their chin
ne n taLe hlaya nj he.