Daily Republican., 1879-08-01
A GATHERING or nUssANDRY,

=
psrt-How Fish are Fed 10 . MuI
titude-The CID, the Livipg Link
Of the Psst-Thefr Recollection
OF their Ansestors-AaO OAa PsraA
G1ound. w sshingiOnss Enfpsnch h
Aemts-A Presidential Tree.
Special Correspondence OF the Republican.
NEWPORT, DEL, July 3lst, ~.
The Lyman family for four genera
tions are assembled to-day beneatl
the button weod and willows that cir
the edges of the sinuous White Clay
creek that courses among the sedg,
grass and reeds that fringe the acre
OF John + Lyman the eldest. Ther,
were about four hundred present ,includ
ing the friends Of the family. It is
grand annual old time fishing party il
which the patriarchs IS we'll as tn,
youngest descendants are on an equa
footing aud from which enjoyment il
derived that is only measure by tsmpsra
mont and congenality. Old time because
1t still maintains the primitive sim
plicity of the generation Of seventy
years ago. Back three score and ten
there are not many here whose minds
can revert to the pleasantly of that
early scene: The gay participants
squirting on the adga and apon .ur
moonlit waters, fishing paraphanalia
floating lightly upon the rising tide,
the huge logs cracking and splutteriDg
beneath the immense cauldron, and the
rude but effsctual appointments for to-
morrows dressing and cooking casting
lengthening shadows upon a rising
knoll in the distance.
Where these annual gatherings are
held is about half a mile about the
place where the White Clay creek emp
ties in the Christiana or about mile
and half above Newport. The farm
is owned by John r. Lyman who holds
the purse strings and overlooks the
financial affair OF his numerous des-
oendants. He is the father of the three
Lynams, Thomas p, John R., jr., and
Robert, who with his some seventy or
eighty years looks not whit older or
steps with less elastic tread than
these, his promising progeny. Thomas
P, the elder, tillng this farm in ques
tion, conducts the reunion and is as
sisted by the two other brothers and
their families
With the coming Of July 3lst there
is with equal certainty and regularity
bound to appear gathering concourss.
When the Lynam's first gave these
gatherings the term reunions which
took place some s years ago, twas Gus.
,omary to send out invitations; but
since then, the reunions having be-
come so generally known and people
having become so we'll acquainted this
formality has been considered unnec-
essary, and the stay-at-home farmers
for miles around, making holiday of
the occasion dressed in Sunday best
and with their fresh and blooming
daughters snugly tucked in the family
vehicle set out in all directions and
com~rge beneath the shade trees in the
Lyman meadow.
Farmers and their daughters, like
other we'll regulated people, have gas
Economical ideas and consequently the
question Of feeding the multitude" be-
comes the paramount consideration.
The "loaves and the fishes" are resort.
ed to. The former is already secured
and arrayed pyramidically, with
other edibles, decorate the long tables
beneath the shade trees. To secure the
latter, which is to form the main arti-
Gle of consumption the following means
are resorted to: A long net is stretched
across the creek at low water, and is
held to the bottom by heavy chain.
When the tide has risen and the fish
are supposed to have all passed up, the
net is liftd in position and party
with long poles go up the k and
beat the water, driving the tinDy crea
ton into the nets below. A haul is
then made, and usually some ten or
twelve bushels Of fish are drawn ashore,
some rock, some perch, some shad and
suckers while, the greater portion are
catfish. They are then dressed and in
a few minutes are placed upon the ta-
BILE ready for consumption.
In this manner to day some ten bush
lis were caught. The nets were set
asst evening and the haul made six o.
,lock this morning. Owing to the
state of the weather the at
.endance of people was not as large as
Usual and this number was ample
The attendants were seated at long
able running PARALLEL with the creek
md right on the waters edge. The
able was capable Of accommodating
me hundred. The children of the
amily were served first and the second
able was prepared for the parents and
he children not accommodated at the
irst table. The third table was spread
Jr relatives and the fourth for guests.
The amount of provisions consumed
vas almost incredible, while of the ten
bushels of fish that were caught there
uly remained in the evening about
,ushel of clean we'll picked bones. There
we're few present whe were not
.ynams or Films and among that num-
'rr was DR.. Swithin Chandler, Speak
r of the House of Representatives,
hose genial smile and warm friendly
lasp were favors the enjoyment of
7hich iell upon many.
In gatherings like these, where there
re SO many in the meridian of life who
My come together upon occasions like
he present, "reminiscences of the past
,rm the principal topic of conversa-
ion. The young, before whom every
hing is new, speak of the future the
Id cling to the past. The past is their
wn, for around that past cling perhaps
he only memories which answer to one
rue feeling of happiness ever expert
need. They speak of the dead, and
hey allude to the past deeds Of the
wing. "reminiscences come up before
hem, and the patriotic devotions of