Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-06-18
HOCKESgI

THE Picturesque and BenutIfu
Valley Of DelawRro-Tho "Repuh
lican" Am lngst her MIses an
clay NAN fact ostea,
For picturesque scenery and beaut
Of location Hockessin valley Ia th
garden spot Of the Diamond State, an
were IL not for the twslve mile quad
rangular olrcls from New Cattle run II
the time OF William Penn which CAV
a kind ofa rounding of TO the MORT
end of the little State, Hocfessiu woul,
have been nesting amongst the hills Q
old mother Pennsylvania Instead Q
browning the head Of a sovereign State
| The aborigines must have had grant
conceptions of the beauty Of the placi
when they called il the "Hili Of Oaks, >
from which Hooksssin takes Its name
1t is not only noted for It's picturesque
beauty but az q place where nature up.
SGT her cornucopia and tesmed out he.
mineral collections withou. stint.
Standing on the crownins Of the hill
where the century old Quaker meeting
house has stood every storm since Corn.
wallis and his red coated host travsrssd
up the valley OIL their way 10 meet
Washington at Caadd o Ford, the vision
reaches out over grand panorama OF
natures l0vsliness. All around the
sloping hills are the waving fields Of
golden grain ready for the sickle, and
the luxuriant Germ waving Its brawny
blades across the burrows hides the
earth from the sight.
Upon the hill sides and in knobs in
the valley stand thrifty farm houses
smbowered in shady groves, and in
these houses live thrifty farmers. The
spacious lawns and front yards be
decked with floral foliage bstoken the
refinement. and happiness that rsigus
within those rustic abeaes. Meauder-
ing through the valley is a clear limpid
stream sparkling In the sunlight,
laughing over Limestone lodges, whirl.
ing water wheels and carrying health
and Joy to man aud beast.
We're we to give way to our fancy
We might keep on 10 an almost inter
minable length drawing these Pic
lures which exist not only in the i'm.
agination but are solid reality. ALI
this wide expanse rests upon bed Of
valuable minerals which become more
valuable and exbaustless the more
they are worked. The most valuable
of these mineral deposits are lime
stone and Kaslin clay, the first the
best in the United States and the latter
not only the best but found here in
greater quantities than in any other
section Of the United States. 70 take q
little run around and note the quarries
Of this section was the object of our
visit TO Hockessin on Tuesday.
Leaving the city in the IT'S train on
the Delaware Western Railroad, Il wac
not long until We werc set cut upon
the platform at Hookessin station.
Across the railroad we noticed very
fine new house and dwelling that had
been recently erected BY Thomas Rob
insOu. Presently We were hailed by
our very particular friend Joseph Heald |
and Jumping into carriage with him,
we were soon on our way to the Guar
ries. Stopping at the beautiful house
Of Thomas Mitch ell son Of John Mitchell,
one Of natures nobltmsn AMI one
of the bes. farmers in Mil Creek
Hundred, We had little talk OF by
gone days when We were a tutor and
Tommy" q pupil. Passing on past
D. II. Ksnt's, formerly Jsckson's, lime
luarries, which we will note In another
issue of the REPUBLICAN, we began to
sec evidences Of clay quarrtes on the
farLi Of the Ephraim Wilson estate. Is
rael Lacy, one Of the largest miners Of
Hsolin clay in tie valley, has this
property leased for period of ten
years with the privilege OF opRning
luarries, and purchasing tha place at @
stipulated sum at tie end Of that time.
He has opened one or two veins bat
has not worked them 10 any great ex-
.ent yet.
The next place visited Heso the quar-
Iies Of Hamilton Graham, q pioneer In
he clay business. Thess quaFries are
,ituated en- the Lime stSue road ai-
dining property Of George Springer
and r. l.. j. Baldwin; they we're not
N full operation, bat expect coon to
shipping, the works are Sn.
Ter the more Immediate care of Joseph
1Faham. The place employs about Is
,r 20 hands. RgtHrning We next Wis
ted the quarries Of LsrsI Lasey located
near HSekessin station, Mr.. Lacey has
very extensive qaasriss, employs abont
80 hands and runs day and night.
He has three engines in operation,
,wo for running his vast machinery
and one for pumping watsr from the
,narries. Some of these quarriss are
70 and 40 feet deep. Here we behsld
he "nodus opersndi" of preparing the
LAY for market. 1t is first dug from {
he mine, then thrown into hopper
where a stream Of pure c.sSr cold alter
vas turned on. The clay and the |
gater were thoroughly mixed together
" revolving shat full Of knivea
which cut Ia every direction until the
lay Is reduced to a liquid state. The q
lay then runs through troughs the Q
and setting ct the bottom and the
lay passing On into large tanks. From '
he tanks the liquid 10 forced into can- i
'ass bags and the bGgs are placed in
,resses and kept there until the water I
> squeezed ont and tbs clay is remov-
d in cakes and placed on kilns to dry
II placed ia sheds for tho same pur. t
,ose. Mfr. Lacey ships Is cars of IA Q
ons each week. The trade has OK
ended to such an extent that clay is
low shipped all over the country. lie
From Mr.. Lacey's mines we called
Upon our old friend Jasper Way who
seeps tbs store on the village proper
md also the village post Office. After
plaasaut conversation we left and I