The sun., 1879-05-05
MODERN IMPROVEMENT IN DELAWARE
Wilmington Beeoming - County Seat In Place
OF TIme-Honorcd Newcastle.

WLMINGroS, May 3.-rhe lawmakers Of
Delaware recently decided 10 issue bonds for
500 900. the money 10 bo expended in building
n Court House in Wilmington. The appropria-
ton was conditional upon the granting Of "a site
for the building by the city. This is a more inn
portant matter than it looks. for after the Court
House is erected Newcastle will no longer be
the shire town in the county which bears It's
name. The people II Wilmington have urged
this transfer Of tho county buildings for more
than thirty years and whatever opposition 10
the change there may once have been in Will
mington has long been withdrawn. for tho
present arrangement drags forty thousand peo-
pie seven miles away from their homes every
time there is session Of the court whose
business they mainly furnish.
Newcastle is stirred To lts c"ntrr' II mas befn
the county seat ever since colonial times. ana IN
its day WAS more important place than VIII
mington When the Swedes emigrated from
PENNSYLVANIA 10 settle Delaware, the New AM
sterinm Dutch built n fort on tho peninsula.
and thus founded Newcastle, early ~ the lhrt
half Of the seyenteenth century later sun
William Penn obtained grant OF Delaware ter
ritory and It WAS surrendcred 10 MN WIN
formality at the settlement which Is now New
castle. Wilmington was not dreamed ot then.
Newcastle has been for years sleepy grass,
grown place. 1t is on the Delaware River and
the Delaware Railroad, and contains 500 souls.
perhaps "A trife less. Tho county buildings are
on their original site, and contain portion OF
the original structure Ihey are N"TS lpt pitG-
the lail behind It is II brown stone. Both build
| ings are connected. and present the appearance
| of an ancient rural English court house, walled
! in and capped by q little bcliry. Within tho
| wall is the Sherin's residence, the whlppiny
post and pillory. II pretty gardsn' tnc IN nhu
the Court House proper. with offices Tor the fro-
! thonotary the Clerk OF the Peace, andt the Mayor
! Of Newcastle who heads u force OF three police
The whippng-post is Delaware's proudest
| institution. Without II the citizens declare
! their little State would he overrun by desperate
/ 81 "a from the nplHnbOrlnk DlE HtnteN.
! Whipping duys-occurring every spring and
autumn-bring throngs OF sightsecrs from mo
neighboring towns. and the little settlement
wears a holiday appearance. The Court in
sentencing u prisoner always indicates th9
| laid on "or lightly liid on" hut much depends
| upon the temper of tho sheriff VINO Yields lho
cat. The present Sherin IL mia ana humane;
! his predecessors did He will whip many per.
sons on the last two Saturdays Of the present
| month, during the last session OF inc court IN
| Newcastle There are four boys who are
charged with the murder of nm aged negro.
and there Is n cuprit who WIS caught stealing
ntoweL He will got ut lrnst twenty mshcs.
Those of the people Of Newcastle who do not
oppose the removal OF the county bulnlngs ARE
the Court House brought them but llto trade
and many idle and vicious people. 1hry POM
to the noighboring city of Chester, the old shlre
town OF Chester County in Pennsylvania. lis
county offices were removed to Media. hnd
Chester at once began to show new me- New
castle has recently guinrd vigor from tho over
flow Of Wilmington. II has n large hour mill
an umbrella factory, and the great pipo foundry
| Of Morris, Tasker * Co., who have erected
thirty or forty buildings for their workmcn. and
have invested nearly 100000 IN the town, Wv,
On Thursdqy tho Common Council 81, VIII
mincton voted To build the new Court House
nj Tonih and Market sircos. anl 70 begin worl
Immediately. The building will be lnished IN
six months Tho Jail will remain at Newcastle
until a further appropriation Ia made, but
temporary lookup will be constructed NJ vii
mington Tho band that has been voted for th'
purpose IL the site Of tho old city reservoir
This was too small md double basin with
capacity Of 36.OO0,OOO gallons, has taken III
place. Tho townsppOpo complAin that ther
has been great stupidity shown in tho method
: for supplying the town with water Tho waio
used Is taken from the Brqndywlne ut pnin
where that creek is touled by the waste OF s"v
erA factories. Al low tide mud and impur
water were forced into the great tanks. II WA
found necessary for tho factories TO turn thei
! refuse into pools formed especially Tor thH
| purpose one" woek these pools are cmptle
into the Brandywine. and the reservoir pump
: | are stopped for Ave hours thereafter,
n Il ,.taaa