The daily gazette., 1879-02-18
CaunOm's Ferry.

PLoURIsHIN0 TowN--THB CAUSE WHICH
LED TO ITS DECLINE, AND ITS PREsEHr
APPEARANCE, &C.
Special correspondence Of the GAZETTE.
STAFFORD. DEL, Feb. II, 1879.
In perambulating ov.r the barren sand
hills and wandering through the wilder
ness Of pine trees of old Sussex, l occa-
sionally stumble upon a cluster Of prime
val habitations, hid away in comparative
obscurity in the gloomy solitude Of some
forest, unknown and neglected by tho
world at large, but which, after all, ava
ken attention and arouse feelings OF
the most profound interest, as see
around me memorials of the past. As l
pause, contemplating the moldering rem
nants of past generations, and give my
self over to the reflection that genius, un.
der the Inspiration of progressive events,
born OF this enlightened age, will obliter-
ate all traces of the ancient, | am sensi-
bly, impressed with the strange anomalies
that are presented to me. Even since the
bene6cent fruits of intellectual reason
ing have shattered the indurated f-tter,
of Ignorance, and fit Q the manners by
thc DoitC aus anu SJituCtS, IL IL In6lcn-
cboly fact that instead of being caught up
and whirled along in the swift current OF
modern civilization toward the goal of
mechanical and Industrial prosperity,
there Is one place that has absolutely re-
versed the general order of things, and
has been sadly retrograIing and gradual
ly going to decay for some years. This
is the smallsvillage of Capnon's Ferry,
perched on the right bank of the Nauti-
coke river, five miles from Seaford. With
all Its collec ed experience OF the genera
tions which have preceded w. and with
the original appliances whichther labors
have prepared for us, to carry forward
still further the process of active indus
try, this town, although at one time 1t en-
joyed the reputation of being one Of the
the most advanced places in lower Della
ware, Is now scarcely known beyond its
own silent environs. But with all Its pre-
sent timperfections it has n history strange
ly interesting. since 1t will TRANSPORT the
reader who IL familiar with the incidents
connected with its early days,
hack TO that period when it was a busy,
busting town. Let me commence at
the beginning-a beginning not as remote
as the Revolution, but before the shri II
shrek of the steam whi tile rever rberated
through the virgin TO est of Sussex, and
before that marvel Of inventive genius
the telegraph-had penetrated its be-
nighted regions.
Cannon's Ferry derived ITS name from
Jacob Cannon, who established ferry
for the transportation of freight and pas
sengers at this point, which he regarded
as the most practicable some mewhere about
the beginning of the year 1914. AT his
death his wife, Betsy, succeeded to the
management of the ferry, and being a
woman Of energy and remarkable busi-
ness sagacity, she acquired an enviable
prominence among her people. and also
enabled her 10 amass quiie fortune.
One by one the number OF the houses
augmented and Its advantageous situa-
ton, being on the bauks OF the Nanti-
coke, and accessible by "post roads" from
several convenient points, several men
of wealth and influence were attracted
thither, and about the year 1928 Can
mons Ferry bloom-d into one of the
most fiourlshiDR aud at the same time
one of the most important places in Sus-
sex county. 1t had population of about
one hundred people and picturesque
were the dwellings, on the banks of The
stream, fresh and cheerful AMI healthful
the air-laden with the perfume of field
and garden-and its streets were contin-
ually enlivened by gay promsnaders, or
men engaged in the legitimate transac-
tions Incident to every day life It's mer-
camille interests were of such magnitude
that IL commanded the trade and patron
age of "A greater part of Eastern Sussex
and some portions Of MARYLAND, and the
names of the Powells, the Tiddemans,
and Wriglfts, were as familiar to the
people of this territory as that of Wana-
| maker is to the world at the present day
The sales of one single establishment
have been known to aggregate $4,000 a
day, and on Saturday afternoons it was
the custom-aud, indeed, H. is an inher-
| ent nature among these people to cling
tenaciously to the customs of their au-
cestors and they religiously observe them
| at the present ddy-among the rural pop
ulation to suspend all labor, and attired
| in holiday dress HE them to the nearest
towns for few hours of recreation. and
| to dispose If the savings of the week
| eggs, &c. The roads leading to the vii.
| ,ge would be alive with pedestri ans
| men women and childreu-and vehicles
| of every conceivable pattern on their
wav to town.
To express 1t in the yernacular tongue
when the "store bargainings" were
| satisfactorily completed, oyster roasrs
| wrestling, quot pitching, would lnvar.
iaby follow, all highly suggestive of the
old-ta-hioned fairs; which were of an
| nual occurrence across the blue OCEAN
Ship building was prominent feature OF
| the place, and ,tgave to the worlds com
merce some of the finest specimens OF
wooden vessels that graced the seas al
| that perioi 1t had also formrdIntimate
commercial relations with several foreign
ports, in the matter of gIa IN shipments
! and tho, ,nds Of bu>hels II wheat and
| corn have found their way over the ocean
| TO foreign shores from the garner of this
unpretentious little village on the Nanti-
coke. 1t also. bad a considerable trade
in New York, Philadelphia and Balti'
more, AZ it was the principal point fol
| the concentration of the bu,iness Of the
interior country; lumber, cereals, fa IN
| produce and cattle, and numerous sail OF
merchant vessels have frequently fht'
ted about on the anquil bos ,m OF tnt
river, some deeply laden with goods fol
the stores, and others in ballast to avail
Instructions Itbeemed that every effort &c
introduce new industries was eminentl.y
successful, and its population, commerce
| and manufactures were rapidly increas-
ing, and visions of a fu ure city were al
ready frightening the minds of some OF
IT'S most ardent and hopeful residents
But b,h IL the morning ofitS b-ightt o.
prosperity o'ercloudcd by darkness, al.
the light of future expectations ,r-vel
extinguished This was Cannon's Fer
ry of the pas, What contrast Is ar
forded by the first glance at the pres
enti
Betsey Cannon had two sons-l !aat
aud Jacob-singularly coincident in tnei
habits and temperament they We're des
| titu @ of those virtues with which Got
has endowed man that he might rende