The daily gazette., 1879-07-10
FIRST EDITION.
For the Gazette. .ii 't,,
''Wlaat Does the Old Squire Mean 7''

"WhAAs Does she Old Squire Mean -
When James Buchanan was President
Of the United States, this question was
asked by amember of his Cabinet, while
they were retiring from the place where
they had met in council with the Presi-
dent. And to do my story justice, to put
little Of the "reminiscences of the ship
carpenters OF Wilmington in would not
be out OF place. For these mechanics
have always stood in the front ranks Of
their profession and from what have
heard from the old ones that even back
to the revolutionary times, when the
Harrises, WOodcocks, Sharpleys and
Moores lived, who were giants In physi-
cal powers and skillful In the art Of me-
chanism. We will now make a jump of
time, to make our story short to the
year 1885, when The line of battle ship
Pennsyiudnia was Oh the stocks at Phila-
delphia, which, by the by was the largest
went there to work, who hailed from
Wilmington, and things went on all
right untfl pay day came around, when
he was paid off at reduced price; that,
as q matter Of course, raised the dander
OF the WilmingtOnian, who promptly
waited on John Lengthall, who had
charge of the yard, to know why he was
paid off at u rate below the rest of the
carpenters. He soon let. Johnny know,
(for this was the name he went by) that
while the Philadelphia carpenters were
good, that Wilmington could turn out as
good men as they were.
4 And from that time out he was one of
the favorites Of Mr.. Lengthall, and re-
manned there until the ship was launched
and was among the last to be discharged
when she was finished. And this friend
ship lasted as long as the parties lived
and was the means Of bringing thou
sands Of dollars to this place, ia work
tor the Government. Mr.. Lengthall
went to Washington and was p aced at
the head Of the Bureau of Construction
and Repairs; and while my brother and
myself were in business we found it was
a good thing to have friend in court.
Bill was appointed by the Secretary of
the Treasury to superintend the building
and repairing of the revenue cutters and
Hight ships, and continued in that Office
through different administrations, which
annoyed some of our politicians very
much because he was not Of their politi-
cal faith. But, Mr.. Editor, you and
your readers are wondering what this
has got to do with the old squire and
what he meant. Well, we will soon be
to it now. About the year 1880, Con-
gress made an. appropriation to build a
steam vessel for the revenue service, and
as my brother was often in Washington,
Mr.. Lengthall was very glad to see him,
for he wanted him to furnish the draw
ings and specifications for said steamer
"For," said he, 81 don't know how to
build small vessel" So you see by
this we had set to our credit the finding
Of the drawings for the first steam vessel
in the revenue service. She was called
the Harriet Lane and christened by this
elegant lady when launched, and was
one of the finest vessels belonging to the
Government. The history of her short
life comes in the story of the old Squire.
On her trial trip she went to Washing
ton. The Secretiry Of the Treasury was
very proud of the steamer and made up
q party of gentlemen and ladies con
nected with the departments, with the
President and his niece. At a Cabinet
meeting before the party went on the
pleasure trip it was talked of there, and
the President said to the Secretary of
the Treasury, to be sure to collect all the
bills and bring them to him. After they
had adjourned, the question was asked,
what does the old Squire mean ?" for
that was the familiar name he weut, by.
Then the Secretary of the Treasury an
swered that the bills have got to be
paid. And at the next meeting of the
Cabinet, according to orders, the bills
were all handed to the old Squire re-
ceipted. Up to this time all the Prssi-
dens and Cabinet officers paid their own
bills; and even the President furnished
his own table from his salary. Things
are very different now. Il.