The daily gazette., 1883-02-24
a MONITOR MAN.
What He Heard and saw in Wilmington
and New Castle.

and New Castle.
Mr.. 7. w. s. Kidd, formerly Of this Stat
and now editor of the iSdngdsno Monitor O
Springfield, ILL.,, recently paid visit to hii
old home and thus writes Of his trip in hi
paper
To say that we were delighted to put our
4 No. 8 down on Delaware soil once more,
don't begin to express the pleasure OF doing
1t, but we will just say, once for all that
/ our hide was about as full Of unadulterated
delight as mortals can secure outside OF the
realms of the pictured pleasures Of the new
Jerusalem. We were once more amid the
scenes Of those years In: n mau's life when
| lasting impressions are made when loves,
| and friendships, and dislikes are most IN
| clined to take root, to "grow with the
| growth and strengthen with the strength
of youthful years Here we met many of
Four old friends, broke bread with them,
shook hands with the older ones, and kissed
lots of the little, amateur photos Of mothers
and fathers whom we had known, years
ago. Wilmington has improved greatly
since we responded to the tap of the bell
and to the sound Of the whistle when giving
ian honest days work for an honest wage. !"
| We went to see our old shopmate, Jim
Bartiey, now in the scar and yellow leaf of
| life, and the victim of a serious accident by
which he lost o leg. We found him the
same old Jim and cheerful as a kitten. The
Democratic party Of Wilmington should
show their appreciation of life long service
in the ranks by soiteDing the cushion of life
with ease to his old age. We lived over
many of the happy events when both Of us
were younger, ere the scythe and hour
glas, armed old reprobate With the forelock,
made Jim gray and lame and the Monitor
man bald.
We shook the hand of the grandest man
In America-Hon. Thomas r. Bayard-
beheld the new court houses, United States
and county, and the splendid opera house,
all erected since we last marked the growth
Of one Of the handsonest cities In the
States.
Our flying visit enabled US to see a few of
the friends, among whom we enumerate the
venerable Mrs. Maria Edmonson, Father
and Mother Belt and their daughters, Mrs.
W. A. Williamson, formerly of Quincy, ILL.,,
and Mrs. II. H. Ransom, now of Covington,
KY, Mrs. Mary Carter, her lovely daughter
"Cas6ie" and manly son, the latter pair
being permitted 70 hail us as "uncie,"
James Bradford, Esq, one of the solid men
OF the city, whom we recollect a
boy struggling with paint brush to over
come poverty, Il. James Belt, ESQ.,, another
OF the boys who commenced life on the
lowest round and has climbed to wealth
and honorable position through energy and
integrity, Mr.. and Mrs. Armour, their
children and grandchildren; Bayard Gem,
superintendent of the boiler department on
the p, w. g. B. Shook the hand of our old
Bloomington, ILL.,, friend, the charge de
qfdirs of the stores of the same road. Mrs.
Emma RiIey's lovely family, Mrs. Hall,
William Silly, Esq, who 10 just as young
as ever, and last but not least Mr.. and Mrs.
Samuel Harris aud little "Bessie," all of
whom we cherish among our fondest men,
cries.
Leaving loved Wilmington we started
with Sam, Maggie, and 1 Little Bess," for
sisters kiss in Philadelphia, and recovered
q pair of them from two cherished relics
of household, the members of which are
gradually diminishing In number, only to
leave again with leaden heart. Oh such
wonderful improvements as we witnessed
In the city of brotherly love and big rings.
1t would require space to narrate 1.-THE of
them. After q few days rest at our old
home, saddened ty deaths visit since
last within Its walls we fastened home
ward Via New Castle, Del. This
WIS our birth place, and a spot open
which we look with indescribable pleasure.
We flew around the city for a couple of
hours like a streak of creased lightning
among telegraph poles; grasplng the hand
of Albert Vining, Lucran M. Chase, the
venerable James Wise--who was an old man
when we were In our teens--Mrs. Dalby and
daughter, Lizzie; the son of our old friend
Israel Fols aud Mr.. Gordon, and was off
again to the State of our adoption and
choice.