Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-14

An Interesting Visit to the Delaygar
Peninsula Cypress Swamp.

A BURIED F0REST.
An Interesting Visit to the Delaware
Permissible Cypress Swamp.
From the Wilmington tDel.) News.
Cypress Swamp, in the lower end of this state,
is a place of interest at any time. In the fall,
however, when the little attractiveness with
winch summer clothes it has became the with
cred leaves Of fall time, its wide acres are posi-
lively dismal. Last week rambled over a por
ton of it. With the consoling thought that
snakes and other creeping things. with which
the soft turf abOunds were beginning to lose
interest in things human. gave freedom to my
nominations and had q toIerably good time.
Inc rain of the two weeks previous had
extlngushed the last smoking emhers of the
fire that had been burning through the summer
and the atmosphere was free of the sitting
smoke that month or two before hung heavy
over the tree tops. These fires occur frequently
ana are caused by the carelessness of some one.
The peculiar nature of Cypress Swamp at these
times is better understood. For 10 or Is feet
peioW the surface the devOurlng element bur-
rows finding everywhere material upon which
to feed. The soil is but decayed vegetable mat
ter accumulated through centuries. Sometimes
THESE fires inSiduOusly eat their way beneath the
fields of corn which grow here and there on the
edge of the swamp. and frequently the rural in
habitant, upon walking in the morning. sees
these fields scaOped with holes big enough i'm
some places to comfortably take in his granary.
The swamp is mystery. At time. with
gard to which even tradition is silent it had
been basn-a basin of considerable width and
breadth. for the Indians had sat on its bottom
led upon CLANS and oysters and indOlently
smoked pipes in the shade Of the cypress. The
shell strata found in many places prove this.
The expresses which had shaded these aboriginal
epicures many centuries ago now lie. or did
years ago before the single hunter came into
the swamp, fallen forest. with fifteen feet of
swamp and acres of trees Of another age grow
ing thrifty above it. The swamp is an allu-
wal deposit. In it's depths creeks of Indian
river bay find source, and the waters. dark
with the sOakings of vegetable matter are
carried by these on the one side into
the Atlantic ocean, and by the Pocomoke
river on the other side into the Chesapeake
Bay. The theory is that the streams of water
which are now mere creeks were the channels
up which elements in the process Of gradual
formation were carried and deposited. The
forest of cypress timber gradually gave way I'M
til the trees became completely buried. This
matter, which in time filled up the basin. has
served to preserve the cypress. Very few of
them, however. now lie buried; for almost
century shinge hunters have thrived in the
swamp. Among the many things of interest
saw were the cabins of these men,
The single hunting industry is now almost
extinct. Those engaged in the business would
go into the swamps and work there for weeks.
In dry weather. such as that of last summer. the
soil of the swamp would crack in many places.
and with the instinct which experience gave
the hunters would search for these assures.
Every crack indicated the spot where was
buried cypress timber. The sign rarely failed.
After the tree had been resurrected then the
rivers" would come. and in very short time
the once buried trunk would be converted into
large pile of shingles. which were then more
profitable than now. Almost all the old build
lngs in Sussex county are rooted with these and
many thousands were shipped to other states.
This being before the time of railroads the shin
giles were carted to Milford and other towns on
neghbOring streams, and thence shipped to
dealers in large cities. Nothing now remains of
this once lucrative business but the cabins in the
swamp and the few gray haired rustics living
hereabOuts who made their dollars in this way.
Old men around Lewes Georgetown and
Frankford have shot deer in the swamp. and
many stories are told of phenomenally cold win
tiers when bears were forced to the edges Of civ
iZation for food, and how babies were tied in
their cradles to keep them from crawling into
the mouth Of furnishing beast on the door
step.
The swamp is about five miles square 1t
formerly belonged to Gen. DagswOrthy. an old
revolutionary patriot and strong, personal
friend of Gen. Washington During the years
subsequent to DagswOrthy death. the property
was divided and subdivided, until now the acres
of numbers of farmers extend into its depths
By this division much Of it has been reclaimed.
In few years. by the system of drainage which
several farmers have introduced, more of it will
be opened to cultivation, and eventually all yes
tige of the swamp will disappear.
Earnings by London BO0tblacks.
From the London Daily Telegraph.
Thirty changeful years ''some have crept by
and some have ffown"-are now counted in the
modestly useful career of the Shoe-b lack-Brig-
ade. In the year of peaceful triumphs and Of
aspirations honorable to the concordant faith of
humanity-in that never-to-be-forgotten year.
1S51-a few philanthropist, noble in sense
beyond that of British peerage, set the red
coated society going and it has gone remark
ably well ever since. Those were the days of
ragged schools, to which the sllOeblacks We're
affiliated Gradually. however. the distinctive
term ragged" was dropped, as being not only
invidous, but practically napplicable. Some
CHEEKY statistics have just been published
showing that the busy young polishers who
were at first enlisted to meet special emer-
gency, when LondOn's prOverbial mud was
churned by the myriad boots of country cousins
and fraternal foreigners, continue to flourish
firmly in trade that was deemed no more than
a transitory stop gap. One band alone that of
Saffron Hill, numbering 66 red jackets. has
earned in tie last twelve months between three
and four thousand pounds. The total sum
placed to the credit of this single socetvs ex-
ertions, in the thirty years of it's industrious
ife has exceeded 1885, and as there are
eight other similar societies in London. not all
quite so prosperous as the one just particular
lied, but still holding their own. it is not sur
prising to learn that an amount falling little
short of a quarter of million sterling has been
turned Overin those boxes on which pedestrians
OF every social grade plant their feet in almost
mechanical obedience to the chirping cry,
'Shine your boots, sir"
Uses Of the Bamboo.
From the New York Times.
The bamboo and the east are associated in our
recollections of the geography, but it is little
surprising to read that the plant serves at least
five hundred different purposes in China. accord
ing to the American consul general at Shanghai.
1t frequently answers for both iron and steel.