Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-29
DELAWARE DOCUMENTS.
Some OF the Treasures in The Library
of the Late Coroner Gilbert.

Some OF the Treasures i'm the Library
of the Late Coroner Gilbert
Philadelphia Press.
The late DIR. Gilbert, who was Coroner
of this city at the time of his death, was
remarkable for his liking for old things
books, manuscripts, china, furniture
anything ancient he loved. His library
is full of rare and curious books, aud he
wrote on An old secretary finly inlaid and
bearing the inscription presented by
Robert Mcfarland to John Cuslis." John
Oustis was relative of General Washing
ton and it is possible that the Father of
his Country may have used the desk. At
all events it is a very elegant piece Of fur
niture, with quaint knobs and secret
drawers. 0o the walls of his Office, and,
indeed, all over his house, there are rare
old prints and engravings. In the closet
in his library is a very valuable collection
of old china, for which New York firm
has made bid since the Doctors decease.
Dr. Gilbert also possess d very valua-
Bile collection Of manuscripts. His taste
in this direction WAS curious. He seemed
to be ready 10 lay his hands on anything
in the way of ancient writings, and the
consequence is that he has stored away
thousands of ancient deeds, leases,
piuaipes, sheets of accounts, NC. But
the collection is not without value, for
there are many autograph letters of real
vniue. The most important of these
manuscripts are bound in foe large books.
There are at least 800 pieces of manu-
scripts relating to the early history of the
State of Delaware, which ought by all
means to be placed among the archives of
that State or be put in some permanent
form. These include all sorts OF official
documents, doings of the Assembly and
papers in reference to the soldiers of the
Revolutionary War from that State.
Among many others there are:
A resolution of the House of Delegates
of Virginia, January 25, 1886, appointing
Commissioners to take into consideration
the trade of the United States.
A letter from Patrick Henry to His
Excellency, the President of Delaware,
February 20, 1856
Autograph letter of Edmund Randolph,
December 3, 1886, to the same.
Letters of Samuel Oseuod, Timothy
Pickering and Walter Livingstone, July s., e.
1896.
A curious letter of j. A. Bayard, April
~, lOus, III tti6Itutc W hOIDt Du5IubbS
was concerned in for constituent.
Letter from Jacob Brown accepting the
appointment of Justice OF the Peace,
September 30, l793
Letter from Governor Joshue Clayton
to the Adjntant General about organizing
the State Militia, dated New Castle, May
30, 1884
Another letter, dated Bohemia Manor,
December l., 1894, to the Secretary of
State for Delaware-an official. Another
appointing Hart Jarrett Coroner OF Kent
county. July 30, 1893. Another letter
from Governor Clayton to the Secretary
of State, bearing date of June II, 1893.
1t has reference to his attendance at
Dover during the session of the
Legislature. He says: "If am to give
constant attendance every session l am
sure a great increase in salary will be
necessary, and l do not conceive the
present Legislature thought ii necessary
when they fixed the sHlary." This polite
hint was acted on by the Legislature, it
seems, from other documents, and the
Governors salary was shortly after
increased. The question of salary was an
important one to Governor Clayton. He
wrote on February ., 1893 eff the
Legislature should fix my salary at less
than f500 l will certainly send in my
resignation. In, September 1902 the
Governor was much troubled at a publi-
cation in a paper which attacked him
personally. He speaks of it MS "a
Inisrepresentat on or the conduct OF the
President and Council in their determina-
ton of the election respecting the Sheriff
of this county" He thinks the publica.
ton which was signed Samuel P. Moore
ought to be answered in some way.
Getting on to the subject of the politics OF
the day, the Governor speaks of meeting
of ''our friends in Sussex this day in
Georgetown" for the purpose of forming
ticket.
The commissions of George Craghead,
John Lea, Robert Bryan, William Allfree
and James Booth, Justices Of the Peace,
dated April 26, 1884, and signed Nicholas
Van Dyke, are to be found in this colec-
ton. There are various records of the
meetings OF the Governor and Privy Coun-
Gil in the handwriting of the Secretary,
in one of which Cunning Bedford, after
ward Governor, is reappointed Attorney
General. There are also numerous petit
cions to the Legislature, signed by nearly
all vino lived in D 1laware hundred years
ago memorials, accounts of the Auditor
of the State aud other public documents.
Among the rest is what appears to be the
original draught of the Constitution of the
State of Delaware. There are also an in
dictment for assault aud battery by the
Grand Jury OF New Castle county for
November Sessions. l145, summons,
dated June ~, 1864 an old document,
a land warrant probably, in Dutch, Sep
tember, 1864 "a deed of 1850; survey
and map of piece of ground 1GSS.9 the
pardon of a negro, Tom, who WAS
convicted of burglary and sentenced to be
hanged, dated October ., 1864 q land
warrant, signed by Thomas Jefferson, and
hundreds of other similar old documents.
There is also the proceedings of the
House of Representatives, in manuscript,
at New Castle, beginning October 20, 1870;
list Of taverns, numbering %, in Sussex
County in 1852; nm official copy of the
result of the election in the Borough of
Wilmington, September S, 1886.
There are many papers connected with
the government, of John Dickinson,
including diary of the transactions of
the Government the resignation of
Governor Dickinson and a letter 10 the
Legislature thereon; n mefsnge about the
Delaware Regiment which had served in
the Southern Army and was just getting
home, dated January IL, 17Sa, document
of rare importance"
An extract from general orders, dated
September 9th, III, signed by Thomas
Mexican, says:
"Ihe Commander-iu.c chief, taking it into
consideration that detachment of the
British army is now in possession of the
borough Of Wilmington, the priacipal
town i'll this State, and that a great
number of the men Of. war and ships of
the enemy are now in the River Delaware,
boil at aud below the town of New Castle,
and also that the whole of the militia
of this State nre ordered, with the
appreciation of the Privy Council, to be
in readiness to march at an hours warning,
directs tina the militia he called out"
The Etkton 81 MiddfeiOwn Road.
Books of subscription to tie Capital
stock OF the Elkton Il Middletown railroad
corporation were opened at the National
Mechanics Bank in Baltimore Saturday.
The entire cost of constructing the road,
including bridging, grading. rails and lay
ing the same, turntables, &C., complete,
according to the engineers estimate, will
be $1S1, ,276.3G. Baltimore is
| expected tn contribIte S1OO