Daily Republican., 1881-07-19
LITTLE DELAWARE.
what Joel loOk sayS OF Dela ware
r.Om n view from the Railr0ad.

Joel Cook OF the Philadelphia Ledger
has taken a ride over the p, W. & B.
Railroad, and has written up the poir..s'
of interest along the line. THIS Is Wha.
he says OF "L4it.le Delaware Foul
teen miles down the railway, near Clay
mont, we reach the State of Delaware,
and cross that remarkable northern
borndry which was make in the olden
time by describing an arc with twelve
miles radius having It's centre at the
Court House in New Castle. Below
here the railway runs nearer TO the
river, going almost along its edge, while
the back country is a gentle upward
slope, well wooded. For some distance
below Claymont there il a fringe of
pleasant little country houses along
the river bank, with the water beyond
them dotted with schOoners, their white
sails spread, with an occasional canal
propeller dragging a barge after it. Some
distance above Wilmington we leave
the river and cross broad, level plain
towards the town, which spreads far
away to the westward. We cross the
drawbridge over the broad Brandywine
at the edge of the town, while = vessel
waits to get a chance to go through tie
draw. This historic stream comes
down past the battle field Of Chadd's
Ford through picturesque country,
and washes the base of the hills on
which good part OF Wilmington is
built. Passing the railway it circles
around through the level land, till it
Joins the Christiana creek coming up
from the southwest, and uniting III cir
currents the, flow about mile further
into the Delaware. We run a short dis
lance from the Brandywine and enter
Wilmington, the metropolis of the
State of Delaware, and neat, thriving
city, passing It's shipyards, railway
shops, car factories and mills Of all
kinds in full operation. The level plain
stretc ches out from the borders Of the
two creeks, and on it and the higher
ground that rises up from the creeks
Wilmington is built, some OF its hills
in the northwestern portien being 24O
feet above the river level. The Brandy
wine also comes down hill, for with
in four miles of the city it falls no less
than 100 feet furnishing magnificent
water power used by paper mills, flour
mills ond also by gun powder mills. IL
was in Wilmington that irou shipbuild-
ing was first attempted in this country
while the passenger cas- built thert go
all over the United States. 1t is not
an ancient city, however only dating
from 1852, hut on the Christiana creek,
about half mile down, they show you
the spot where the first Swedish colony
landed in America in 1888, while the
Quaint littel Swedes church, built in
1898, in Wilmington, is still standing
alongside the railway in a yard OF
ancient gravestones.
All Baltimore trains stop at Will
mingt N, were the new owners OF the
| line are building handsome station:
and having performed that duty, the
train resumes the journey past many
mills and also the extensive worries OF
the Harlan & Hollingsworlh Company.
This vast establishment, which builds
ships and makes cars, spreads over a
broad space along the Christiana, and
below il are the pho phate tertilizing
factories that bring the phosphate rock
from Charleston and send it back again
| converted into a manure. One might
sup,o 20 that our southern fritndswould
try to do this for themselves. We are
soon out of Wilmington and strike Oft
! across the country towards the head OF
Chesapeake bay. The Christiana creek
flows on our left hand, the railway oc-
casionally crossing its tributaries, and
both the big and little creeks showing a
dis position to make rer arkable gyra-
tions in their course through the level
land. Two miles below Wilmington,
the Delaware Peninsula Railroad goes
off southwark towards New Castle and
the peach country. Passing the mills
at Stanton the train runs swiftly along
with little to see but green fields and
woods. The railroad leading westward
from Delaware City is crossed, and we
pass the fine hot-house and gardens at
! the station at Newark, which is'the
last town we see in crossing the upper
end of Delaware, Just below, the
Christiana Creek itself is crossed, here
very small stream, flowing south
ward past the base OF a wooden MIL,
probably not JOG s"Ar high, but looking
like a mountain rising from the fiat
colrt.-.