Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-05-19
FROM A L0CALIZER'S LIFE.
FAC5S CULLIsD FROM THE MEM
ORY or A W1YFAREa.
The Opening Leaf Upon which IL
Written Some Kemintscenc Of
the New Castle OF Thirty Five
Years Ago.
rrbm the Wilmington Sunday star.

Years Ago.
Frbm the Wilmington Sunday star.
| was born at place called "The
Pines" in the suburbs ofBaltiinore,
July 29th, 1912. That was an important
day-tO me.
There was another boy born the same
day. He grew up to become Fish Com
missioner and "Great American Ship
builder
Luck is like lightning; you can't tell
where il is going to strike. If had
Moore /, luck might be Fish Commits
sioner too, instead of writing newspaper
articles at s42 column. But have the
fortitude to stand it.
come of a long-lived family. All my
ancestors, as far back as | can trace,
lived to be upwards of so years of age.
Protiting by their example mean to live
as long as | can and, if the Wilmington
Opera House is standing in 1912, the
directors may consider it engaged for a
lecture on "The Recollectons of Gem
tenarian."
The first event that | can clearly re-
member was the presentation to me, by
an uncle, of a pair of little red shoes.
Although was less than two years old
at the time the remembrance is one of the
clearest of any OF the "reminiscences of
my childhood.
My parents removed to New Castle in
1915 and not long afterwards l was one
day discovered to be missing. Search
being made was found in an old hollow
stump not far from the house. | never
took the stump but once afterwards and
then it was dry goods box at temper
ance meeting.
New Castle was in those days an in
tensely sleepy old town of about half its
present size. The building of common
dwelling house was as much of an event
there then as the building of new Town
Hall would be now, and, if house
burned down, that was the last of it;
there was not energy enough to rebuild
it. do not think that there were more
than half-a-doZen new houses erected
there between the years 1915 and 1858.
The first | day went to school some
thing happened. A little story-and-a-
half brick dwelling that stood on the
south side of Market street, right at the
entrance to Cooper's alley, took fire about
10 o'clock in the morning. School was
held i'll what was then the "arsenal" now
the New Castle Institute, directly oppo-
site the burning building. had never
seen either a house atire or the interior of
school room before, consequently, when
the flames got under good headway, and
the rest of the scholars rushed out to See
the fire, followed, and stood there look
ing at the blaze, and more than half
inclined to think that this was part of my
regular school duties, and that | might
look for some diversion of similar char
acter every morning. of course the house
was never rebuilt. This was in lS4s.
The arsenal was at that time long,
low, old-fashioned and unsightly brick
building, about half its modernized
height, with rounded roof and heavy
doors and lower windows. The whole of
the lower story, except sort of entrance
way, was in one big barn-like room, with
two wooden pillars shaped like sections of
a ships masts, as very likely they We're
in fact, supporting the loft above, in which
was stored lot Of old ordnance that was
subsequently removed to Fort Delaware.
Here a choleric old gentleman by the
name of Pippin taught the larger boys,
while the smaller children We're under the
charge of Miss Rebecca Challenger. Mr..
Pippin, because of his age and failing
sight, was assisted by young man,
whose name l have forgotten, who filed
the place of secretary rather than under
teacher. Conley's speller was the chief
text book and the recitation of the Z" def
ntions" in the back part of it the most
prominent school exercise. Every morn
ing closed with such recitation, the
penalty for missing word being two
raps on the palm of the hand with a
ruler. On one occasion, the biggest boy,
Mike Flynn, who was really man in
years, missed two definitions and the
other scholars were much edited by the
way he extended his right hand and took
his four raps, counting them slowly and
deliberately aloud Zone - "Two!"
"Three ~ " Four 20
Mr.. Pippin was succeeded by Mr.. Daniel
Farra, the surveyor and member of the
present Board of Trustees of the Poor.
He was followed by Mr.. Beam, who
taught the last term held in the old
arsenal. In 1858 the building was mod.
ernized by the addition of another story,
cupola and other improvements. Con-
cealed from the view of the passer-by by
the top OF the Market street porch is still
inbedded in its brick front memento of
its old time history, marble slab upon
which is carved small field piece.
Only boys were taught i'll the arsenal;
the girls went to the academy at the
Orange and Harmony streets corner of the
green.
In 1852, largely through the influence
and individual efforts of the deceased DR..
Black, father of the present DIR. Black,
the public school system of New Caetle
was completely and thoroughly reorgan-
lied and vastly improved. Pending the
alteration of the arsenal into its present
shape, the school was re-established un-
der the new system, in the academy with
Alexander NJ. Virgins as principal, Viii
liam +. Lane, since cashier of the New
Castle bank, as assistant, and lady
teacher for the small children.
Under this system the scholars were
divided into three classes, A, B, and C,
and seated according to their respective
monthly averages. Glass A was taught
by Mr.. Virgins, excepting that the Latin
and Greek recitatiOns We're heard by Mr..
Lane. At the head of this class, month
after month, was John, now DR.. John,
Black. Next him, as No. 2 in class A,
sat George, now Attorney General, Gray.
foi wv yeaiS, perhaps longer, tHest TWO
scholars held those positions, with the
exception of only one month. In that
month, by virtue of higher averages in
general, yearly examination, James A.
Nowland went up to No. /, boy whose
first name was Randolph, but whose last
name has escaped my memory, to No. 2,
and John Black and George Gray fell back
TO Nos. and 4. At the close of the fol-
lowing month, however, they regained
their old seats.
Studious and naturally brilliant
scholars as Messrs. Black and Gray were,
their monthly averages We're something
almost phenomenal. Frequently they
reached 100 the highest attanable aver
age and one which meant perfection in
every lesson of the month, the correct
answering OF every question prop0unded
upon the studies of that month.
Mr.. Virgins exchanged the teachers
desk for the pulpit and in 1855 was or
dained minister of the NJ. L. Church.
An amusing anecdote is told of his early
experience in the ministry. He was sta
toned on n circuit near Crisfield. Late one
dark night stalwart and sturdy fisher
man, accompanied by bashful country
lass, presented themselves and the swain |
stated their business by saying, "Me and
this here gal wants to get spliced."
When the fisherman produced his mar
riage license, however, Mr.. Virgins saw
that it had been issued in the adjoining |
county OF Accomac, over the line in |
Eastern Virginia. Here was a hitch
which he explained.
Tho ant A.