Smyrna times., 1880-12-22

-, IN the house now occupied by
-. l lived there until l was about
thirteen years of age; so that what l NAV
write, is the rocollections of my boyhood;
which may not prove correct in all cases.
Should l indulge too much in details; or
recite circumstances that seem trivial. let
me remind your readers, that Horace Mann
Tor some other great man) has said "Age
delights in details" and some one else has
said, that in our sunset days memory re.
calls most wildly the incidents of the sun.
rise of our lives.
l am net an old man lin my own estima.
tionl but am aged enough to appreciate
that beautiful sentiment, so POLITICALLY ex.
pressed by Oliver Wendell Holmes-viz:
Youth longs aud manhood strives but age remem-
Sits by the raked up ashes OF the past;
Spreads its thin hands above the whitening embers
That warns its creeping life blood ill the last"
' Dear to its heart is every loving token
That comes unbidden ere its pulse grows cold;
Ere the last lingering ties of life are broken,
It's labors ended and its story told"
My youthful hopes were not all realized :;
and my manhood struggles have not all
been successes, yet there were persons
and circumstances connected with nv
residence in Smyrna, that | cherish and
delight to think Of
Long. long be my heart with such memories filed
Like the vase in which have once been distilled
You may break you may shatter the vase if you will
But the scent of the Roses will hang round it still"
At the time of which write, there were
no rail roads in Delaware, except the one
crossing from Frenchtown in Nd, to New
Castle. Judge Carter of Washington. when
in Congress, called it Schencks Line, and
proposed to divide the State Compression,
ally by that line. If any Of your readers
are curious to learn the origin of this, let
them inquire of Judge Houston, who was
then member of Congress. There were
no steam boats plying to any points on the
West side of the Delaware river, below
Port Penn. The Numbering stage coach was
the institution of that day
Packet sloops piled between Smyrna
Landing and Philadelphia, and were fitted
up for passengers. These packets were
commanded by Captains Fairbanks, Scout,
Bailey, Humphreys and others.
l once heard a gentleman tell Capt. Fail i.
banks that his watch iran too fast" al
know it," said the Captain, land | would
not own a watch or a vessel that did not
run faster than anyone elses." The landing
was then great grain depot. Grain was
hauled there from Cecil, Kent, Queen
Anne's and Caroline counties, in Nd. The
merchants in those sections had their goods
freighted TO the Landing and from thence
waggoned to their places of destination.
John Cummins was the leading merchant
and perhaps never before, nor since, has
Smyrna had his peer. He was q man of
vigorous constitution, great will power, in.
domitable energy, clear foresight, sound
judgment and sterling integrity. Honor.
able and high toned in all his business re-.
lations and an earnest consistent Christian
gentleman. He was cut down in the prime
of bis manhood usefulness. On the 18th
of December, 1881, if remember Alright,
he rode from Wilmington to Smyrna
through a terrific snow storm and drift,
and when after night he had reached his
home, he was so frozen that he had to he
carried from his gig into the house. His
death was not immediate, but he never
fully recovered from this exposure. When
he died the State mourned "a great man
in Israel fallen" Let me relate one of
many incidents that recall illustrative of
the man of business.
On one occasion he directed one of his
clerks, Nathaniel Covington, to be ready at
o'clock the next morning, to go to Odessa.
thence to st. Georges, thence to New
Castle, thence to the Brandywine Mills, to
transact certain business at each place. He
was to reach the mills by a certain hour,
rest there given time and then return
home that night. Young Covington made
the trip as directed. "San" the hostler
said "this boss is jist done for" The horse
died that night, the next morning Coving.
ton waited in great trepidation the coming
of Mr.. G. to the counting house. On being
summoned he made his report. "Well
done Natty," said Mr.. C. But young Gov.
ington then said 81 obeyed your orders
and accomplished the trip as you directed
me, but killed your horse Sir" "All right
Natty All right Obey orders and leave
results TO ne," said Mr.. C. and he never
after reminded "Natty" Of that loss.
shall have occasion in future letters TO refer
again to this remarkable man.
At the fork of the road, ceming up from
the landing, was large brick house on the
farm of Robert Patterson. remember
the destruction of that by fire and to my
boyish eyes, it was grand sight remem.
Der q tornado that swept across the North.
east part of the town, unrooiing some and
blowing down other houses and opening an
avenue through Patterson's woods. Sturdy
oaks, towering hickory, chestnut and other
trees were uprooted aud laid low as so
many reeds.
also remember o saog drift, in 1881
known as the big snow that so blockaded
the roads leading into the town, that ii